Toddlers and Airplanes

Are you dreading traveling with your toddler on an airplane?? I was! We recently took a series of flights to get to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and in the days that lead up to the trip I was absolutely freaking out about bringing our 2 year old daughter on the plane. I did a TON of internet research on how to keep your toddler preoccupied on a plane ride. Some of the advice out there was great, some of it was not so good. But after combing through useless pages and semi-helpful columns, I was able to put together a list of things to bring. This is what I would recommend:

An Umbrella Stroller! 

Airports are crazy big. And when you need to get from gate 22 to gate 107 in 15 minutes and you have 3 carryon items with you and your kid, you want to have a stroller that you can either a) throw your bags in or b) throw your kid in! 

A Carryon Backpack

It is so much easier to have your hands free when keeping track of your toddler while waiting for your flight or standing in line for a bathroom and your scrambling to keep your daughter from touching anything!

Items for Backpack

Favorite Books (2-3)

Change of Clothes - just in case you have an accident on the plane, or worse, your kid's luggage gets lost

Diapers and Wipes. Do not skimp on the diapers. (I packed enough for 2 days)

Portable DVD player and a few favorite DVDs

Favorite Snacks (we did veggie straws and popcorn, which ended up being a lifesaver b/c apparently Continental no longer serves ANY free snacks)

Coloring Book and crayons

Your child's favorite sleeping aid (a soft blankie, pacifier, stuffed animal, etc), as long as it's small enough to fit in the backpack. 

Traveling First Aid Kit

We were actually pretty fortunate that our daughter slept about 2/3's of the plane ride there and back. But for the remaining time where she was awake, the backpack had everything we needed to keep her calm and "perfect", as one co-traveler pointed out =)