Flying with a toddler

This past weekend, Dad and I flew to Knoxville, TN.  I have a great aunt that lives there, and I wanted to get Daughter Person on a plane before we had to pay for a seat for her.  We had a direct flight both ways and we had her in our laps.

The flight from IAD to TYS was not a very good one.  Upon the recommendation of a *lot* of people online, we scheduled the flight during her nap time, and we walked the entire length of the A/B gates at IAD to tire her out beforehand – hoping she’d sleep on the flight.  No such luck – she was wide awake and about 3/4 of the way through the flight she was “all done”, and we had to try explaining to her that we had to stay in our seats and we couldn’t leave for another 30 minutes. Flights during naptime are not our thing.

On the way home, she took a morning nap, waking up just as we were about to leave for the airport.  She was a perfect angel on that flight.  Even held onto our luggage after we’d picked it up at baggage claim while Dad wet to find where the stroller was.

We took the stroller with us, but that was just something to lug around.  She wasn’t interested at all in riding in it – instead she walked everywhere – inside the airports, at the Knoxville Zoo, and we never touched the stroller.  We checked it at the counter on the way home (which is why Dad had to go looking for it – it came out at oversized baggage).  Next trip, we probably won’t bother unless we know we’ll be out all day (like at an amusement park).

We bought some of the Crayola Magic Color markers (or something like that), which only write on their special paper – we didn’t want to have to be cleaning crayon marks off the airplane or my aunt’s house.  And we took a set of flashcards.  We’d hold them up and tell her what color or what it was, and then she’d grab one and “ask” what it was.  Those have been put away for the next long trip…

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