Family Travel Story: Flying With Babies Part II

PART II – THE STORY OF A NOT-SO-EASY TRAVEL BABY

Enter baby number two.

Ethan is easy-going and cautious.  He is introverted and does not like noise.  Crowds overwhelm him.  Ethan was only four months old for his first plane-ride.  At four months old, Ethan slept a lot during the day.  He was taking four naps of at least an hour each.  We took him on the same route we had taken Alisha the first time:  Edmonton to Vancouver, an hour and a half.  Things had worked out so well with Alisha that I applied the same strategy of booking to nap on the plane.

At the airport, Ethan fell asleep shortly before we got seated.  “No problem,” I thought.  “He’ll still sleep for most of the trip.”  We had seats overlooking the wing of the plane, right above the engine.  I figured the white noise would help to keep him sleeping.  Wrong!  Fifteen minutes into the flight, I had a screaming baby in my arms.  I could practically read his thoughts as he looked around in misery.  “I am so tired and I want to sleep!  What is that horrible NOISE????  And where is this strange place???  Who are all these people???”  I don’t know how long he cried, but it was longest he had ever cried and the longest he has cried since.  A walk to the restroom finally calmed him down.  What kept him “okay” for the rest of the flight (he was still miserable) was familiar toys from home.

The flight home was easier, but we still don’t book flights during his naptime anymore.  Just as Alisha used to need to know when plans were going to change before it happened, Ethan needs to confront a change in environment when he is well-rested and happy.

So what will it take to keep your babe happy in the air?  Read Air Travel Tips for Parents With Infants.

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