Tips for Traveling with 14 month

Big Vern

Hi Everyone,
There may be threads on this before, but ill ask again!

We are traveling aboard in 2 weeks with our 14 month daughter for the first time. This will be our first time on a plane with her, we have had weekends away in Ireland before and got on ok.

Its traveling on the plane is the main worry for us.

What can we bring on the plane? How much juice can you bring? Does it have to be under 100mls? Can you buy baby juice once you pass through security?

Any tips for keeping her occupied on the plane as well, she is very active and looks to get down walking at every opportunity, it’s a 3 hour flight. We have a portable DVD player, but she doesn’t really show much interest in TV!

Any tips, ideas, help would be great,

Thanks

wexie

Not sure what you mean with baby juice but we've bought fruit juice before when ours where so little. You can bring bottles on the plane but may (likely) be asked to taste them when going through security.

Our kids were always well behaved on planes, but that's because we put in the effort to make sure they were fed, watered and entertained.
We always brought (and still do) colouring books and pencils, reading books, their favourite teddy, treats and drinks.

If you present it like you're going on a big adventure it'll all be very exciting and there'll be lots to see. If there's one thing we've learnt it's that when mummy and daddy get stressed things don't go so well. Give yourself plenty of time to get there and checked in etc.

pwurple

That's a short flight, you should be fine.

I don't know what baby juice is (Juice of babies? ), but we brought along milk and an empty sippy cup for water. They filled it for us on the flight. You can bring snacks and fruit as well.

Books, colouring pencils, and just looking out the windows will entertain her for a good while. Airplanes are pretty interesting when you are small.

Big Vern

We give our little one, the Heinz baby juice range, we dilute it with plenty of water. Can you bring more than the 100ml through security? It only comes in bottles of 750ml and 150ml.

Hannibal Smith

Bring the dvd player if you can. We had our two on a flight last year and we brought toys, colouring books, crayons, reading books...which distracted them for a while. ...but the last hour was torture! The family in front stuck on a dvd player and their two sat quietly watching for the whole flight. After seeing that, next time we fly it will be mindless electronics the whole way!

Plus you have the flight home to think of. What distracted them in the way over, may not work so well on the way back

wexie

From here :

Can I bring baby food/milk through security?
Yes, baby food or food for people on special diets is exempt from the new regulations. Passengers are allowed to bring these items through the screening points in the quantities needed during their trip.Passengers may be required to demonstrate that what they are carrying is real and for genuine use and not something less innocent.
What are the limits?Only liquids in containers of 100ml or less, fitting comfortably into a one litre transparent plastic bag (approximately 20cm x 20cm) when fully closed, are permitted. This transparent bag, with containers of 100ml should then be presented at the passenger security screening area.

So it doesn't say how many 100ml containers you can bring but you can bring more than one anyway. Although you may get into an argument that juice isn't considered baby food. Worst comes to worst there'll be plenty of places selling fruit juice inside which you can then dilute I guess.

Big Vern

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

Bring the dvd player if you can. We had our two on a flight last year and we brought toys, colouring books, crayons, reading books...which distracted them for a while. ...but the last hour was torture! The family in front stuck on a dvd player and their two sat quietly watching for the whole flight. After seeing that, next time we fly it will be mindless electronics the whole way!

Plus you have the flight home to think of. What distracted them in the way over, may not work so well on the way back

Have DVD player, got a dvd of Charlie and the number last week, one of the few programmes she has an interest in!! So hoping that will work for a bit anyway!!

I think once we have got through the first flight it will make a big difference.

wexie

Big Vern wrote: »

I think once we have got through the first flight it will make a big difference.

It seems pretty daunting the first time alright, but you'll be grand, we always have lots of fun with our girls on the plane.

Another tip, or at least something I do, wear a nice big soft jumper, you can take it off and use it as a blanket for them to snuggle up in.

Big Vern

wexie wrote: »

It seems pretty daunting the first time alright, but you'll be grand, we always have lots of fun with our girls on the plane.

Another tip, or at least something I do, wear a nice big soft jumper, you can take it off and use it as a blanket for them to snuggle up in.

Thanks for the replies, its just so daunting!! its not like packing up the car n heading off!! Get to the airport, check in, through security, wait to board plane, then the flight!!
But once we are on the go, she is fine in her stroller, so we're hoping it all wont be too bad and not too stressful! We need the holiday!!!

pwurple

It'll be fine. They really are very helpful on the plane. And it'll be an adventure.

Xdancer

Stickers!
I last travelled with my little one when she was 15 months and we had a teribbly turbulent flight on the way back which kept us strapped into the seat. I gave her some stickers to play with and it kept her entertained for most of the flight. We were both covered in them as was the back of the seat in front of us (buy the silver backed stickers....easier to remove) but she had great fun.

Snacks, a new little toy and books (if she likes them).

Big Vern

Xdancer wrote: »

Stickers!
I last travelled with my little one when she was 15 months and we had a teribbly turbulent flight on the way back which kept us strapped into the seat. I gave her some stickers to play with and it kept her entertained for most of the flight. We were both covered in them as was the back of the seat in front of us (buy the silver backed stickers....easier to remove) but she had great fun.

Snacks, a new little toy and books (if she likes them).

She loves books, especially the 'That's not my ' baby books range. So have a few of them. But at the same time we dont want to be loaded down with stuff either, just for that few hours!

Menas

Some good tips above. The best one we got before our first flight was that we the parents needed to be as relaxed as possible. The child picks up on nervousness and anxiety.
So relax and enjoy it. No different to a long car journey really.

Xdancer

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Some good tips above. The best one we got before our first flight was that we the parents needed to be as relaxed as possible. The child picks up on nervousness and anxiety.
So relax and enjoy it. No different to a long car journey really.

This is so true. Good advice!

sillysocks

When we were travelling with our little one at that age someone gave us a tip not to let them out of the seat unless you really need to - once they get out they'll want to stay out and its so much easier if you can keep them in the seat and not spend the whole flight walking the aisle! We had about the same length of a flight and it was grand. on the way out she slept nearly all the way (despite never normally sleeping outside of her cot) , on the way back she cried a bit for take off but was grand then. Worst case scenario just keep telling yourself it'll be over in a couple of hours!

Brasil 34

We had exactly the same questions earlier in the year when we travelled long haul with a 7 month old baby. We found it very difficult to find accurate information with everyone adding their voices (lot of it pure crap and wrong!!).
In the end we brought our own bottles with cooled boiled water for her formula to be put into. Baby bottles are allowed with liquids over the 100mls rule. We brought formaula measured into the special holders you can get in any baby shop and other outlets. The 200mls premade formula units are also permitted.
Re baby food we brought this also. Basically anything in relation to the baby re food and drink are permitted as far as I am aware.
We also packed our checked luggage with her milk formula and food.
We had 9 flights in total (long haul and domestic in Brazil) and never had to taste any of her food or bottles.
Good luck.

annamarie2013

So can you make up the 8 oz bottles as normal with the water? And add formula from your dispenser?

Xdancer

annamarie2013 wrote: »

So can you make up the 8 oz bottles as normal with the water? And add formula from your dispenser?

Yes you can. I had to taste the water once, but when it's for babies there's no problem bringing them on the plane.
Ryanair won't always heat the bottle for you, so what I did when travelling with them was to half fill the bottle with water. I brought a thermos with me, and just before boarding I got one of the cafes to put some boiling water into it for me. Then when on the plane I topped the bottle up with the hot water and added the formula. It was the perfect temperature for her.

Brasil 34

Yes you can bring your own water and add powder later. Our baby bag was only checked once on the way home from Amsterdam and we were not asked at any point to taste anything. You can get a thermos from Tommy Tippee to heat bottles. We never used ours as our little one prefers her bottles at room temp. or cold!

annamarie2013

That's great, thanks. I rang Aer Lingus and they said not to bring any more than 100ml in a bottle and to have a new carton of formula. I wonder could I chance bringing 8 oz and having powder in dispenser. I am also a bit worried about having to have a new carton on the return trip? Maybe that's the advice they give but it is ok in practice.

Brasil 34

We had the same conflicting information. In reality it is security in the airports not the airlines that manage what you can take on board although airlines can also veto certain things but not likely in the case of baby food as we found out. As I said we brought filled bottles x 8 and powder in the dispenser. You could also take a new carton and bring another in your checked luggage for the return trip. As we were away for almost five weeks our checked luggage was also full of baby food! If you google the query re taking baby food you get a short clip re Dublin airport advising that you can take water in bottles, the premade 200ml cartons and powder! I, like you, worried for weeks about this but in the end chanced the water and powder and no one batted an eyelid!

annamarie2013

Thanks so much for that advice. I just watched that clip and as you said, it clarifies everything!! Now it all looks very easy!!

Brasil 34

No problems. Have a lovely holiday:).