Late last year we flew 20 hours halfway across the world with our 1-year-old tot. I did my due diligence to prepare for the long haul flight since this is our first time traveling with a toddler.
But what happened during those long hours inside the flying tube caught us off-guard. Below are the mistakes I wish I had anticipated before flying out with our son.
Not booking a seat for our little tot.
Our son was less than 2-years-old at that time, he gets to fly for free sitting on our laps. We wanted to save money. However, we've come to regret that decision later on.
Our son wasn't able to sleep. (Yes, he never did!) He was fussy and tired. We had to comfort and pacify him all the way until we reached our destination. (Remember, this a 20-hour flight!) We were completely exhausted.
The dynamics would have been different if he had his own seat. We could then purchased this or this so he'll be able to lie down comfortably. Maybe, just maybe, all of us could get some rest.
Not bringing sleep-aid medication.
I used to be that parent who is against giving drugs in any form (yes, including sleeping pills) to our son. But those long grueling hours inside the plane made me repent my decision.
We flew at midnight. This made me a little bit confident with my decision to not bring a sleep-aid medicine (even for worse case scenarios).
Unfortunately for us, the exact opposite happened. Our little boy wasn't able to sleep. I've wisened up on our return flight back home. I've made sure to secure the medication. And guess what?! We had a smooth flight. (Note: We've consulted a local pediatrician before doing this.)
Not packing enough diapers.
This shouldn't be an issue, right? After all, diapers are available worldwide. Yes, unless your kid suffers from bad allergies. This is true for our son who had eczema. He had bad allergic reactions from the diapers back in the Philippines. Glad we found this brand. It's gentle enough for his skin.
Knowing what I know now, I'll be more prepared the next time around.
Did you have a similar experience? How did it go? What would you have done differently?
Did you have a similar experience? How did it go? What would you have done differently?