Whether you enjoy flying or not, be prepared- well, extra, extra prepared- for what flying with a toddler entails. Our kiddo took his first flight at 10 months old. He flew again around 15 or 16 months old when we went to Hawaii. While those trips were challenging, they paled in comparison to flying with a three- or four-year-old toddler. Keep a toddler confined to a small space for many hours? Why don’t you just ask me to nail Jell-O to a wall?

While flying with a toddler is never going to be easy, there are things you can do to make the experience a little more palatable. Here are some recommended strategies:

1. Before the flight, have your toddlers walk and run around the airport to burn off energy. Of course, supervise them at all times. The last thing you want is for them to get hurt or end up at the wrong gate. Many airports have play areas.
2. Have an activity bag filled with coloring books, stickers, small toys, and whatever else your kiddo may enjoy that is allowed on the airplane. We recently learned that Play-Doh is not allowed. At least, that’s what the security agent told us. Nowadays, you can download some videos on the phone ahead of time.
3. Takeoff and landing are the most critical moments since these are the times everyone is required to remain seated. Do your best to keep your toddler calm by offering them drinks or snacks, having them look out the window, showing them videos, and giving them a pacifier to help with ear pressure.
4. Don’t worry about too much screen time. Use screens without guilt; long flights are a perfectly reasonable time to let them watch movies and other videos they enjoy.
5. Don’t follow a rigid activity schedule. Let your child focus on an activity until they get bored, then introduce something else. You can rotate about every 15-20 minutes, or as needed to fit your child’s interest schedule.
6. Encourage your child to sleep, but don’t depend on it. There’s a good chance it won’t happen, especially if the flight is not during their normal sleep schedule. Again, doing things to burn off energy beforehand is a good tactic.

If you plan on giving your child any medications or supplements to aid in sleep or reduce anxiety during a flight, make sure to run it by your pediatrician first to determine what is safe.

My wife and I were quite nervous before our latest flights to Europe and back. We did the best we could and made it out in one piece. It was challenging and quite stressful all the way through, but my wife and I were a strong support system for each other, which I definitely encourage. Don’t try to make the flight perfect. Do the best you can and enjoy the ride. Follow the rules of the air, and you’ll have good stories to tell afterward.