Hellllllllllllllllp! I know you can help me, because the wisdom of you, dear readers, far surpasses my own. Among your ranks are veteran mothers, wise grannies, and idea-filled aunts, not to mention the resourceful dads and the uncles of much merriment. Can you help me?
Next week, we leave for our Christmas Trip, and I’m very excited. Except…this Trip includes a plane trip, and no, I didn’t get her her own seat, because, well – we just didn’t (yeah, we’re cheap and we’re broke and it didn’t seem like a glaringly bad idea). This plane ride includes two parts – a two-ish hour leg and a three-ish hour leg. (The layover is at Dallas Fort Worth. Next time, I’m going to plan it so that maybe I can meet ya’all from Texas. Is that way dorky of me? Yes, it is. But there it is. I AM a dork. You haven’t read this far without getting that conclusion on your own, I’m sure!)
Do you have tips for plane rides with two-year-olds? (well, she’s not two yet, which is why we skirted the extra ticket…but she’s close) What activities have you found that work well? Friends have assured us that if we had bought her a separate seat, she would most likely have wanted our laps anyway, so that’s where she’ll be – in our laps. We are taking the laptop (Yeah! I can blog! But will I want to? What, are you CRAZY? Of course I’ll want to!), so we can watch DVDs. The only problem is…well…I haven’t so much taught her to watch TV much. It’s just not part of what we do. I have little markers, a sticker book, ideas for a grab bag of toys she’s never seen (watch out Dollar Store, here I come!).
But I’m suffering from a sore packing arm (I have been through those suitcases TWICE, and before long, we’ll be taking one pair of underwear each), and now I’m really doubting myself about keeping her from harrassing the other passengers – who likely will not be so charmed by her as our friends and fellow parishioners are – and making the getting-there part of the trip pleasant for us all.
Sarah,
You are doing all the right things for activities. Please, oh please, do not take a talking toy. I saw a mother getting on the plane last weekend with her toddler holding a stuffed Christmas tree that played “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” over and over. Aaaarrrrgggh! One thing I didn’t see in your list was something to keep the pressure in her ears equalized. Take-offs and especially landings can send young children into a screaming frenzy. If she drinks from a bottle, this is the time to give it. When my children were too young for gum but old enough for candy I gave them pieces of Starburst candy because it is so chewy. Anything that keeps the jaws moving. Bon Voyage!
One word: Magna-doodle. Keep the “extra” magnets in a ziplock. Magna-doodles are flat, easy to pack, quite durable & will entertain for quite a while, pretty quietly.
Happy landings!
Ah, thank you kindly (and thank you, Michelle, for emailing when Blooger – I mean Blogger – was not cooperating with comboxes)! I went to TWO different stores tonight to get suckers and walked out of BOTH having forgotten them. But I did get some sort of little magna-something, quite by accident (and it had Dora, how could I lose with annoying – I mean cute – little Dora on it?).