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You are here: Home / Momlife / Flying Solo With A Toddler – You Can Do It!

Flying Solo With A Toddler – You Can Do It!

February 21, 2017 By Kari 2 Comments

Flying Solo With a Toddler-1

I’ve flown solo with my son Wyatt several times. Each experience has been completely different, depending on his age and what he was going through at the time. Flying solo with a toddler is all about survival. Toss out your normal rules of parenting.  Your only goal is to make it to your destination intact, annoying as few people as possible along the way.

These tips aren’t the be all and end all of flying solo with a toddler; more so a few tried, tested, and true strategies that work well for us.

A few tips:

  • Keep your kid confined. Be hands-free to deal with the security process, be able to find snacks, and fish out your boarding pass ten different times. Wyatt is always in a carrier or his stroller. Remember, you will likely have to take your babe out at security no matter what.
  • We check his car seat and Pack’n Play (if we even need to bring those items) and gate-check the stroller.
  • Carry-on: I have a cross-body diaper bag and small roller suitcase (which I pack with his diapers and wipes for the trip along with an emergency change of clothes for both of us). When Wyatt was forward-facing in the front, I packed a backpack instead of the diaper bag.
  • Your diaper bag is your bag of tricks – your arsenal of items to keep your little one happy. Snacks, toys, movies, and stickers are life savers. The key is to unveil the items throughout the travel time. If you bring everything out right away, you’ll run out of options quickly!
  • To avoid discomfort and pain from ear popping, bring something for your little one to suck on for both take-off and landing. Use your boob, a bottle, or a squeezy pack.
  • Avoid overpacking! My biggest mistake when flying with Wyatt was packing more than I actually need. Having too many things can be stressful, especially when you’re parenting alone in the air.
  • Dress comfortably. You don’t have to rock your gym clothes, but wear something you can move around in. I like to wear my hair up and out of the way.
  • Book your seats either at the back of the plane and be the first ones to board, or at the front of the plane and be the last ones to board. Either way, you’re disturbing as few people as possible, and you have room to unload and reload. (You’re also likely close to a washroom.)

 

 

Keep your toddler occupied during the flight:

  • Bathroom visits. I know…odd suggestion, right? Trust me. Don’t rush the diaper changes. We make faces in the mirror, take our time washing hands, etc. Look for anything to help pass the time and change the environment for your kid, while being respectful of others in line waiting to go.
  • Don’t let him run the aisle. I know it’s tempting, but once he knows it’s an option it’s all he’ll want to do. I walk with Wyatt in my arms through the aisle for short periods of time, but he’s never allowed to run free.
  • Accept help! The woman who wants to load your carry-on in the overhead compartment? Let her! The flight attendant who wants to hold your baby while you get settled? Absolutely! The man in front of you who is playing peek-a-boo with your kid? Bring it on. Any opportunity you have to take a break…accept it!

Flying Solo With a Toddler-3

Squeeze Pack | Favourite Book | Heys Roller Carry-on | Stokke MyCarrier | Skip Hop Change Pad | Crossbody Diaper Bag

More than anything, try not to stress if your little one is losing it. I’ve found the majority of people I share the plane with are kind and sympathetic to my situation. Whatever challenge arises, remember: this too shall pass. You’ve got this!

What are your survival techniques to flying solo with a toddler?

xx

Related

Filed Under: Adventure, Momlife, Parenting

Comments

  1. Colette says

    February 21, 2017 at 10:03 am

    I actually to board last no matter where I am sitting that way that’s less time on the plane. Also when choosing snacks check the sugar info. We took things like cheese and fruit, nothing worse then sitting with a hyped up on sugar kid. And we had a small suitcase that was things that our daughter hasn’t seen, new book new movies !!! Also as they get around 2-3 search and find books are amazing and can entertain over and over. Happy travelling

    Reply
    • Kari says

      February 21, 2017 at 10:57 am

      Great ideas! Especially the no sugar rule. I’m going to keep that in mind for next time. Thanks Colette!

      Reply

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Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
when you feel like you've hit your max bump but th when you feel like you've hit your max bump but there's still nine weeks to go. 😳

It's truly amazing what our bodies can do. 💛

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Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

kariskelton

Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
when you feel like you've hit your max bump but th when you feel like you've hit your max bump but there's still nine weeks to go. 😳

It's truly amazing what our bodies can do. 💛

#31weeks #sunsoutbumpsout #beachball
Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

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