5 Lessons Learned While Flying With A Toddler

Having recently returned from a cross-country trip with my DS to see family, I think this is a good opportunity to share some realities of traveling on a plane with a toddler.

Before I begin I should add that it was just my son and I. My wife was busy with work. So I had the monumental task of flying with a toddler that can't sit still.

1. Flying with toddler is NOT easy - Prepare for the worst.

If you and your partner are flying with you child together, the trip will be a little easier. If you're on your own, however, you'll be in for the challenge of your life.

I had everything I needed: Diapers, wipes, plenty of snacks, toys and an iPad filled with games and a full season of his favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba. Guess what? The iPad held his attention for probably 10 -15 minutes of the entire flight.

The snacks and other toys didn't do much good either. He spend a majority of the 3-hour flight moving around (including a few kicks to the seat in front of him), standing up on the seat, fussing because I kept trying to keep him in his seat.

Like I said: Prepare for the worst.

2. Don't expect sympathy/understanding from other passengers.

Other passengers want a smooth flight without the annoyance of a fussy toddler. I'm the same way when I travel alone. But I felt especially bad for those who were unlucky enough to sit in front of us. I say the gentleman sitting in front of my DS shake his head in despair several times throughout the flight. I should've bought him a drink.

Some passengers, especially older ones, will smile and comment about how cute your child is, but that's as far as it will go. No one will volunteer to help you keep your child occupied or sit with your child so you can sleep. It ain't going to happen.

Try to stay sane by reminding yourself you will probably never see these people again. Also, the experience will make you more sympathetic to parents in the same situation.

3. Don't expect to relax or sleep unless your toddler does.

I was awake and running on full energy the entire flight. No naps. No time for reading. Nothing. If you're lucky your child might stay occupied with a game. And if you're really lucky your child might fall asleep. Cherish those rare moments and consider yourself lucky.

4. You probably won't have the only child on the plane.

This is one area you can take comfort in. Chances are there will be other small children on your flight. And they might even be more fussy than your own child. The other parents with toddlers will more likely be more sympathetic. Heck, you might even strike up a conversation with them!

5. Carry plenty of snacks and a lot of extra toys.

This didn't work for me, but I've talked to a lot of parents who say it has worked for them. The key is to bring newer toys that your toddler hasn't played with yet so he/she will be less likely to be bored with them. Bring a variety of toys. If you have a smart phone or tablet, load it with games.

Bring a lot of snacks. Don't count on getting any food on your flight. On my flight we got water and/or soft drinks. That was it. Not even a bag of peanuts. In fact, the flight attendants made us give them our food!

A nice selection of your child's favorite snacks will help when they get fussy. Don't forget to bring something to drink. Keep in mind that whatever drink your child likes, you will have to buy it at the airport after going through security. This means you will overpay for all food/drinks you buy. That $10 bottle of water I bought didn't even taste all that good.

Final Thoughts

There's no doubt that traveling with a toddler is a challenge. A lot of people say it's the hardest age to fly with your child because they have a hard time sitting still for so long. Remember that it won't last forever. The flight will end. And when you finally get off the plane you will be a better person for it. These things build character.

Finally, I should add that my son did great while on vacation. I couldn't have asked for a better son and I love him like crazy. And despite the challenge I dealt with on the 2 flights we were on, my love is unwavering.

Plus, I know that as he gets older flying with him will get easier. At least, I hope.

Potty Training Begins!

My son has officially started potty training! Even better, he did it with no coaxing from mommy and I. He started taking his pants and diapers off and begging to go into the bathroom. It took a few tries for him to actually go pee-pee in the potty, but now he's doing it. Even better, he knows when he has to go. This means he'll pee in the potty and not in his diaper (not always, but a few times a day).

I'm not saying it's totally easy. For example, he likes to flush wads of toilet paper down the toilet. Generally, after he sits for a while and tries to go pee-pee or poo-poo we let him flush a little toilet paper down. Now he'll sit on the toilet for a few seconds then go right to wanting to flush toilet paper down. He's on to our little tricks!

Another problem we face is that he loves running around the house with no pants or diapers on. So he uses the opportunity to use the bathroom as a way to run around the house half naked. Yes, on a certain level it is cute. But it's also a pain because as soon as I take him to his room to get him dressed again he gets really fussy.

Regardless of the challenges, this is a big milestone. I count it as 1 on of the big 3 milestones. The first being walking. The second is talking. And the final one is potty training. Once your kid has those 3 down they're ready to be booted out of the house and on their own. Okay, I'm kidding about that.

My wife and I weren't expecting him to start potty training him this early, so we had to scramble to buy a little toddler potty (which he refuses to use) and some basic potty training books (Everybody Poops being one of them).

Just because my DS started early doesn't mean I'm expecting a quick and painless transition from diapers to a fully potty trained toddler. I'm expecting a long and hard road ahead. If it turns out easier, then great, I'll be ecstatic. If not, then it will be just what I expect. I pray it's the former though. It'll be easier on my sanity.

My Son is Hooked On The iPad

My son, who recently turned 2, has discovered the wonders of the iPad. My wife has downloaded a dozen or so children's games for him, and they can keep him occupied for long periods of time.

Further, he knows how to use the iPad. He knows how to turn it on and off. He can swipe between pages. Adjust volume (which he always has on full blast). He knows his favorite games, and how to use YouTube.

Before you berate me for letting my son become addicted to mindless iPad games, I should add that we do try to limit his time on the device. I make sure we go outside to play and that he plays with his other toys. And we still go to Gymboree and all the other activities we have him signed up for.

My trick is to hide the iPad from him when I don't want him playing with it. Out of sight, out of mind. That way, he won't try to reach for it and get all fussy when he can't have it.

His mastery of the iPad makes me happy. It shows he's growing, getting smarter and is a little less useless. Sometimes I forget that he won't be a baby/young toddler forever. Right now it's a big celebration every time he says a new word (his newest words is "fold," which he says when I have laundry to fold). But a time will come when he won't shut up. Every parent with older kids tells me that.

Luckily for me, he has shown little interest in the TV. I keep it on during the day, mostly for background noise, and he ignores it. When he starts watching for more than a few minutes at a time I'll have to come up with a different strategy.

It's all about balance. I need to make sure he spends a lot of time playing and running around, time playing with his toys and time on the iPad/watching TV. I'm guessing as he gets older, balancing his life will become more difficult.

I'm Finally Back!

When I checked my stats for this blog earlier today, I almost fell over after realizing I haven't posted anything in almost a month. Time got away from me.

August has been a busy month. My son turned 2. I had family visiting from out of town. I've been busy selling stuff online via Ebay. I just didn't have the time to sit down and write a few posts.

I also shut down my Brad's Reader blog. After 6 years of writing about literature, writing, ebooks, eReaders and self-publishing, I decided that the blog had run its course. I lost the passion for what I was writing about. And it showed in my posts.

However, I am going full steam ahead with this Brad the Dad blog. I want to eventually get off this Blogger platform and move to something a little more professional looking. I also want to write more toy reviews. After celebrating a 2-year old birthday, I have plenty of new toys to review!

I will be back to posting regularly soon. 

Sometimes The Simple Toys Are The Best

We have a lot of toys for my little DS. Actually, I should say, we have A LOT of toys. Sometimes we feel like our house is being overrun with toys (which it probably is).

I've noticed something with toddler toys: It's always the toys that are most simple that my son seems to take pleasure in the most. A lot of our toys have all kinds of cool lights, buttons, things that spin, things that make very annoying sounds (all of them) and take batteries (all of them).

Yes, he has fun with those toys too. But they break. The batteries die. We have to hide them because they are too annoying. But he still plays with those simple toys we bought when he was younger and less toddler-ish.

For example, the toy below:

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I can't remember when we bought it, but he still plays with it. We also have a wooden train set that he plays with.

The cool part is that these toys are very durable. He throws them around like rag dolls and they never break.

Most importantly though, they are very inexpensive. Without all the bells and whistles (and batteries) that a lot of toys come with nowadays, the price on the basic ones can be great.

My point is to not feel bad about getting these classic wooden toys. Kids love them (at least, my son does) and they'll last longer than most newer toys. And you can easily pass it down.