this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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I'm gonna be that guy in about a week, kid is 6 months. Any seasoned parents got good tips? It's not a long flight at least, only 2h.
Edit: Thank you all, I read every one of your replies. Flight goes at 6am, but we booked a night at the airport hotel so we just have to walk across the street. Baby will be in a carrier and get the bottle during takeoff/landing. Fingers crossed.
Since Roe v Wade has been overturned, I'm all out of ideas
I think most people will give you credit for trying. Parents get it, non-parents who are non-assholes will also have some level of tolerance as long as it looks like you're doing your best to keep the child calm and quiet.
Shit happens. Kids are unpredictable.
You can also try a baby dose of benadryl to knock them out just before takeoff.
Googling your benadryl solution results in what I can only describe as the Internet desperately yelling at me to NOT DO THAT
The specific search terms being "benadryl to make baby sleep", resulting in the Office of the Child Advocate Connecticut Child Fatality Review Panel's writing in all-caps
Try googling infants or children’s Benedryl. Definitely never give your kids regular adult meds. But the infant/child options should be okay.
should be okay ... administered by a parent at will?
IMO, yes. As long as you’re following the label instructions. Otherwise, it shouldn’t be offered OTC. Also, as long as your child has no health conditions that may cause unwanted side effects. Your child should be getting regular check ups so as a parent, you should have an understanding of what is or isn’t okay for your child.
I’ve given my kids OTC meds without consulting their doctor first. I just read the label and gave them the recommended dosage. Sadly, they’re still kicking (jk jk, I love my kids lmao).
To avoid the screaming ear popping, have them eat some baby food, or those teething crackers. The sucking and chewing should help pop their ears.
Also yawning, if they see you yawn it makes them yawn.
Not a seasoned parent but have been through this process. Try to get enough sleep yourself so you can give the necessary attention while traveling.
2 hours in the plane also means like another 3 hours in the car + airport queues. Don’t forget that bit.
Sleep deprivation is a great reason why parents are angry with kids and can’t focus even for a minute due to irritability.
The kids are the only ones on the plane who are going home with you
Feed them on the way up and the way down. Sucking/drinking greatly helps with the air pressure changes. We did that and worked wonders. We would walk of and people would be surprised there were children were in the plane.
When we flew for the first time (also short flight, baby was ~11 months) we had her in a carrier (ergobaby) and she fell asleep. I don't know if you planned on booking an extra seat or not, we didn't since it was a very small plane and there were no 3 seats in a row and also we didn't come by car (so bringing an extra maxi cosi would have been a nuicance). If you don't, you get a kind of extra seat belt to attach to your seat belt so the baby sits on your lap. What surprised us is that they didn't force us to take her out of the ergobaby but looked at us, basically saying "noiccce" with their eyes, and let us just sit like this. It was insanely more comfortable and actuallt more secure than with that seatseatbeltbelt consturction. I guess they realized this, I mean the baby is completely strapped to my body. Anyway, I was very grateful that it turned out there was no policy about having to use the seatseatbeltbelt and prohibiting the carrier. This way our baby was secure and slept for most of the flight (also on the way back. She slept 50/60 minutes one way and 60/60 the other.) The other obvious recommendation is breastfeed (/bottlefeed) on the lap during takeoff and landing.
Child free by choice person here, though not the child hating kind.
At the end of the day, do your best. Your kid is all that matters. Focus on comfort, stuff to help with popped ears, and other soothing things that can help your baby sleep.
Just keep loving them. Fuck everyone else. They'll get over it.
2 hours, you're good.