Hello all, I may be going to Taipei for a week! But..... I have an 18 month old daughter and a pregnant wife that would be traveling with me. We will be flying into Taipei from Minneapolis with one stop eachway. Should I even consider this? I think our daughter would do well compared to other children I have traveled with but.... is it worth the hastle? I know we would miss her if we were to leave her with the grand parents back in MN.
I was just over a year old and my mom was preggers with my brother when my parents went to Aruba. I turned out alright!
I'm worried about my sanity. In your experiance how do children around 18 months old handle more than 8 hours in the air?
I would say this is asking for melt down city. Flying with kids for more than 2 hours is risking it. Sometimes just taking off or landing can set them off with the ear pop. good luck to you if you decide to do this.
It really just depends on the kid. some are great and some i want to stuff into overhead storage.. and I know your wife should consult the Dr. if she is pregnant and thinking about flying
Let me have a crack at this... I have 1 or 4 kids.... Depends on how you have raised your kids.. We flew back to Australia with a 3yr old, 2 yr old and a 6mth old baby... thats a total of around 30-34hrs of flying journey (the leg from LA to AUS is 11hrs ITSELF..) We could see people staring at us when we got on the plane hauling our kids... we knew what they were thinking... When we got to Australia we had multiple people come up to us and compliment us on how well mannered and behaved our kids were and how impressed they were with how they handled that flight... Make sure you have plenty of snacks.. even if you dont let your kid snack heaps.. its an exception NOT your normal routine.. Have something chewy for the take-off and Landings in case it upsets their ears... most people are understanding with that part, but if you kids is a PIA and whines the whole flight.. I DONT BLAME THE KID I BLAME THE TARDED PARENT I agree with the Plumber... even the best kids can have a bad flight.. patience... just dont be a parent who ignores the kid... also my wife flew when she was well over 6mths pregnant.. as long as she is doing well and is healthy it shouldnt be an issue.. PS: You are asking advice from people on a site that is full of people who dont have kids.... kinda like asking Chet how to find a girl or not break transmissions
If you bring your kid, bring a bunch of NEW toys and NEW books (that will keep them entertained for a bit). If you can cough up the extra $, get a seat for them so they don't have to be on your lap the whole time - or at least you have an option. If possible, keep the kid up the day before and plan the flight during nap time. Also, bring food, snacks and drinks that they like. We flew to WA with our son when he was about that age and it went great. Like TSTRb0y, quite a few people were impressed that he didn't scream the whole time. Instead of chewy snacks, we had his favorite juice and every minute or two we would ask him to drink some so his ears popped. But yes, be patient, its not the kids fault if it's an awful experience. We also let him run around about all that he wanted in the airport which turned out to be a great idea... He slept most of the way on the way back.
so far I'm getting the idea it may be a crap-shoot weather it is a hellish flight or a fair flight. I'm not eager about bringing a child this young with, nor leaving her behind. I'm nervous about this either way, and I have about 3 months to plan for this. I will revisit this thread with further questions as they come up. Thanks guys!
I agree alopt with most of what have been said here, the biggest thing that I would worry about when traveling with kids is the presurization. I personally have experienced bad landings where it felt like my head was about to explode. I can remember a fair number of kids screaming at the time. It seemed like their partents did not realize that maybe their kids were crying because they were in PAIN! other than that everyone gets bored on planes, keep them amused
I just did the fargo-MSP-portland trip with my three kids 7, almost 3, and 1.8, and we've flown many times with fewer children at other ages. The best thing i found for the little kids is to splurge on the extra seat, so they don't have to fight with you and sit in your lap, and it's supprising how much "play" room thosetiny freaking airline seats provide for the kid. get three across, outside for the pregnant and frequently peeing wife, middle for you, inside for small squirming playing child. Also: listen to the new books, new toys, and snacks. it will make your life better. My philosiphy on travel after children has always been"do it" I would imagine you will always regret it if you don't, and if it sucks, it will make traveling with your kids or by yourself later in life seem so much better
