Toddler Solo Mile High Club

(I thought this got deleted when Kat hit the power button on my PC, just found the draft version, yea!)

So I have joined the Toddler Solo Mile High Club... meaning that I've successfully flown with a toddler by myself, and learned to tell the tale. We've flown with Kat a few times before, to Hawaii and Utah, but flying back from LA was the first time I had to do it sans her (very helpful) Dad. I've now got a new arsenal of tricks up my sleeve and before I am buried under a pile of dirty vacation laundry, I thought I'd share them so people who are often asking me for suggestions will know what helped me.

Your Kid as a Hip Accessory- I wear Kat in a carrier and use her stroller as a luggage cart (which you can't take through security) to wrangle all the extra stuff. Bonus is that you can smuggle in an extra (small) bag under it if needed, make it a shopping bag and they won't question it thinking you bought it at the Airport. Bring a bag to stuff the stroller in to check it (for free!) at the gate if you don't want it getting filthy. You can also stuff your coats in it. You need to get a tag before boarding from the gate attendant.


Be Very Organized- Very important. Cut your diaper bag down to the minimum, but also make sure you have that extra outfit, diaper, special toy, burp rag. You don't need the sunscreen, hat, etc so ditch it. The second you sit down, get out the essentials... inflate your pillow (half way, it will expand at altitude), stuff the pocket with iPad, burp rag, toy, snack, bottle, book, attach the Flye Baby (see below), take off shoes and stash things you don't want to lose or have played with (earrings, socks, pens). Wipe down all surfaces you'll be touching (arm rests, tray table, buttons, etc) with sanitizing wipes. I'm not a germ-a-phobe, but a veteran traveler suggests this as a good way to avoid getting sick. The air is filtered and cleaned, the plane itself is not (same goes with the bathroom in the airport and on the plane, they are filthy!).

Pimp Out Your Kid- Seriously. Dress your kid in extra cute (but comfortable) clothing. People love to help/hold/amuse/do favors for an especially cute kid. Bamboo fabrics are fantastic for breathing and avoiding heat rashes. Load up on the diaper rash creme and change into a fresh diaper right before boarding.

Get There Early!- Ask the gate attendant if there is an extra seat and if you could be reassigned to the row that has it. Being able to set your kid down in it (without purchasing one) is a luxury you should take advantage of if you can. An aisle seat is nice for getting up and down a lot, however you run the risk of having your kid's head be bumped and bashed (or in my case, a big, heavy metal can falling out of the overhead onto it) by people and carts in the aisle. Watch those carts, they can catch little legs and arms easily.

Cool Kids Ride In the Back- Riding at the back of the plane has several advantages... you're closer to the bathroom so when the seat belt sign goes off you can get there first. You are closer to the flight attendants who love to hold cute babies while you pee/change/eat/stretch/wrangle stuff. There is a galley area they can stretch their legs in when the Flight Attendants are working (keep a close eye, they have the ability to deploy the emergency slide quicker than the person who invented the thing. It's one of nature's mysteries.) You have plenty of time to get your stuff together while everyone else is deplaning. When you get to baggage, your stuff will most likely already be out. You have less people to worry about upsetting if you're not in the middle of the plane. Be aware that the last row does NOT recline, so this could be a problem for long flights.

Losers Ride In the Front- You might get a little bit extra leg room, but you can't keep anything by your feet, and you have no easy access pocket in front of you to stash snacks/bottle/toys/blankets. There are no more bassinets either... planes are being retrofitted with airbags there so they are being phased out.

Bathrooms Are Fun!- Be aware that usually only one bathroom has a changing table, it says on the door, choose wisely. A bathroom can be a great diversion for a fidgety kid (I'd wipe it down quick with gel/wipes first, they are usually one of the most dirty bathrooms out there). Kat spent a good 15+ minutes pulling out all of the tissues and then stuffing them back in, and then pulling them out and tearing them up, and then stuffing all the pieces back in again (I saved a stack of unmolested ones to put back in when we left). The mirror is also great fun to play with as well. Just make sure to take a peek out every few minutes to make sure some desperate Mom with a dreaded #3 isn't waiting for you!

Baby Bling- I wore a super sparkly fun "Statement Necklace" and it was great for her to play with while sitting in my lap and in the front carrier. There are ones good for teething as well (Chewbeads) if yours is of that age. It kept her distracted and happy.

GET A FLYE BABY-I will be really sad when I can't get Kat to sit in this any more. It's a hammock like device that attaches to the tray table and buckles around your waist. It's best for infants, but I bring the padded head rest from her stroller so that she doesn't bonk her head on the tray table and it works for getting her out of my lap and feeding, watching a video, playing a game and the like. Bonus is that it works as a way to strap your kid to a chair as an emergency high chair of sorts as well when they're older.

Wear Your Hooter Hider- Even if you're not breastfeeding, it's great for shielding little eyes for naps, it's a blanket that can't be thrown on the floor, has pockets to stash supplies for diaper changing in the tiny bathrooms, and serves as a bib to keep you relatively clean. The Mom and Dad who were thrown up on by their kid during my recent flight both wish they had one I'm sure! We almost had a reenactment of the Pie Eating Contest scene from Stand By Me. They had to call in a special cleaning crew. Yuck.

Worst Case Scenario Packing- In your carry on, pack only the things that you couldn't live without at your destination or on board if you're stuck on the runway for an extra four hours... breast pump, change of clothes (for all family members, see previous mention of explosive vomiting kid), extra diapers, that obnoxious toy your kid loves for emergencies, snacks, formula, valuables, first aid meds, charging cords.

You Need These- Rubberized twist ties. Seriously, I use them everywhere. They will hold toys/sippy cups/pacifiers/ from falling (being thrown) on the floor, bags on your stroller handle... and they are cheap and fit in your bag easily.

Inflatable Pillows- I bring a couple, one for my back, another for my neck or arm so that I can hold a sleeping toddler without needing chiropractic work the next day.

Variety of Treats- I use one of those four portion formula dispensing things (just upgraded to this for bigger sized treats) for keeping treats in. Bonus is that it kept her busy for a good 20+ minutes working on getting food out of the little hole. I'm really tempted to get something like this too.  Of course it's not like I'll fill it with dog treats, at least not the cheap kinds with fillers. Sheesh.

Baby Head Phones- I got a pair of earmuffs at Brookestone that have headphones in them for taking on your phone that work great, or you can spend the $30 at the Airport store for specialty kid's ones when you lose them like I did. They work great for white noise, music, or videos for your kid... if they'll keep them on.

Finally- Your sippy cup may turn into an explosive device at altitude. Be careful when you open it as it may spray everywhere. The guy sitting in front of us found this out the hard way when it sprayed the ceiling over his head and dripped down on him right as I was talking to Brooke about breastfeeding Kat... you could tell by his instant reaction that he just KNEW he'd been sprayed with breast milk. Whoops! Your bottle of hand sanitizer might explode/leak as well, so be warned.

I could go on, but those are my tips and tricks that I haven't seen listed ad nauseum on other parenting sites. Above all, be patient and realize it's (usually) not as bad as people will lead you to believe, everyone is NOT giving you the evil eye, and strangers will offer to help you when you most need it. Oh, and a little bribe of chocolates and ear plugs for those around you and the flight attendants wouldn't be a bad idea either!


(I have a bunch of photos to add but lack the time to edit and post them now. Check back later to see if I became motivated enough to do it!)