How to organize your first trip with a 1.5 year old baby. Flight

Traveling around the world is very pleasant and interesting. It is always curious for myself to discover something new, communicate with the locals and taste the national food. For me, the main thing in travel is my family. I really love to travel with my husband. How pleasant it is then on winter evenings to remember the flight trip and plan your further voyage. One would not be so great. A couple of years ago, a new family member was added to our travels - a beloved baby.

Traveling for us remained the same pleasant experience, but also added a little hassle. Today I will share my experience and tell you how to organize the first trip with a 1.5 year old baby. Perhaps my advice will be useful for parents who want to relax with a small child, but do not know where to start. The first part of the post will be about the flight.

I want to repeat that these are my personal, introductory advice. For more accurate and detailed information, you need to contact the airline's website, the embassy (to obtain a visa) or the Federal Migration Service (if the question concerns a passport).

What you need to do before the trip:

The documents

Now a passport is issued from birth. A passport is issued for 5 or 10 years according to the standard procedure at the FMS at the place of registration. There were no problems with a Schengen visa, they were issued at the Spanish Consulate (for stay in Spain).

After reading a bunch of reviews on the network before the trip, I stocked up with all the necessary documents for the child. I took my birth certificate and power of attorney with me.

A birth certificate may be required at the border to establish your relationship with the baby.

I needed a power of attorney (notarized) to obtain a visa. Having collected a whole package of documents, I did not need them at the border, they simply did not ask me. As soon as we approached passport control, Petya began to smile at everyone around him with a radiant smile of 12 teeth). But I still strongly recommend that you take all your documents with you. Just in case.

During the flight:

Check-in and boarding.? A small child in your arms is a big plus. The queues for inspections, registration and passport control disappear immediately. With the kids, they let you through without any problems and smile at the same time.

During check-in, you can ask for the very first row in the aircraft cabin. Some have a place in front of the first row, where you can fix a special cradle for babies, and there is more legroom there. But it is better to clarify such details before departure, with the airline.

With all these advantages, we were not lucky, our Petya was 1.8 years old at the time of the flight, so we stood in line like everyone else.

In the airplane

For children under 2 years old, the air ticket is free without a seat (or with small fees, you need to check with the airline). From 2 to 12 years old, tickets are sold at a discount, but you also need to clarify. We decided to take a separate seat for the baby, which we never regretted. During takeoff and landing, you will be asked to hold the baby in your arms, but the rest of the time - the extra seat is just a salvation. The child could lie down quietly (even sleep) and go about his business without problems.

If you do not want to spend extra money, then a sling can be a very convenient thing for you. But again, this is for those kids who are familiar with him. It is very convenient to hold the baby on the breast of the mother, it is so much better to feed and sleep. And mom's free hands will always come in handy for other things. Petya grew out of a sling, so I had already forgotten about him.

Since a small child does not know how to regulate intracranial pressure, it is recommended to drink or feed him during takeoff and landing so that his ears do not get blocked. We have no problems with this, since Petya was breastfed at that time. I just sat him on my knees and held him closer to me.

Several older children, Peter, flew not far from us, so they were very capricious during takeoff and landing. And babies, in general, tolerate the flight perfectly. Petit's first flight was very successful and calm. I hope the following will be the same.

Advice! Buy tickets for a day flight whenever possible. Nightclubs are cheaper, but less comfortable. Do not expect your child to oversleep all the time, he will be distracted by a new place, people, noise, light and other little things that adults do not notice. And if the child does not get enough sleep, then sleep disturbance and bad mood are guaranteed for a couple of days. It's not for me to tell you about this. Be sure to take this fact into account when traveling and changing climatic zones. The best thing is to find the best flight for your baby's schedule.

What to take with you:

Nutrition

As I wrote above, Petya is breastfed, because the food is always with me, and therefore with the baby. You can easily carry water, baby food, juices and other baby food into the aircraft cabin. Perhaps, in terms of volume, there are some restrictions (you need to look at the websites of airlines), but having a child in your arms removes all prohibitions. Since we do not eat mixtures, I only had water, juice, cookies and fruit. The flight lasted only 4 hours, and for this time there was enough food. Now, before the Olympics, the rules for transporting liquids have become a little more complicated, but I think this is a temporary measure.

For a nursing mother, nutrition is more important for herself than for a child. So you better take some food for yourself. Even if you feed the babies with formulas, you can take all this with you. It is advisable to bring an extra bottle / nipple with you in case it falls and needs to be changed quickly. Do not forget to put curds and other dairy products in special refrigerated containers or bags.

Clothes and stuff?

You must take a couple of sets of change clothes in your hand luggage (in case of unforeseen circumstances), as well as diapers, a bib and wipes (wet and dry). You may also need a set of warm clothes, socks or a blanket. It is sometimes quite chilly on the plane. Of the above, we only needed napkins and a pair of diapers.

If there is a queue for the toilet on the plane, then you will probably be allowed to go with your child without it. But this is provided that there are few children on the plane. For the summer months and popular destinations, this advice is not relevant, everyone flies there with the kids. If your baby has already grown out of diapers, then it is very convenient to take a travel potty with you, for example the Potette. A very convenient item and takes up a minimum of space in your carry-on baggage. We then took it with us and on road trips.

Toys / books?

It is better not to take many toys into the aircraft cabin. The kid will quickly get tired of them, and why do you need an extra load. I recommend taking only the child's favorite toys and books. And he will be calmer, and you will have a few minutes to rest. Our Petya is very fond of books with stickers. Trouble-free flight was ensured, the child could deal with stickers for up to half an hour. However, provided that I took part in the process. Petya also loves looking at family and travel photos. Can consider them and comment on them for a very long time. It's very fun to watch and communicate in this way. Here is a developing method for you.

Many children at this age like to draw and listen to audio stories and watch cartoons. In this case, you need to stock up on pencils, a player or a tablet. In this case, a quiet flight is also guaranteed to you.

Baby carriage

You do not need to check in the stroller as baggage, it will still come in handy after checking in for the flight. If the baby is capricious, then it is enough to put him in it and calm him down. It will be very difficult to walk with a child 1.5-2 hours before landing in your arms.

Upon entering the plane, the stroller must be folded up and given to the flight attendants. You can pick it up either at the exit, or together with your luggage, or in a separate place near your luggage. Where exactly, you will be prompted. Before the trip, we bought a specially lightweight Maclaren stroller.

Here, perhaps, are all the basic tips for flying with a small child. Nothing complicated, right? If you forgot to write something, tell me in the comments.

And the most important thing during the flight, and throughout the trip, is probably the calmness of the parents. Don't be nervous, behave naturally, and everything will go fine. Let the first trip with your baby be the beginning of a joyful and interesting life for you.