How to Survive a Long-Haul Flight with a Toddler

Nobody warns you quite enough. You pack the snacks, download the shows, buy the new little toys and then you are four hours into a fourteen-hour flight, your toddler is using the tray table as a drum, and your activity bag has been completely exhausted. It is 2am and you are nowhere near landing. Sound familiar? 

Before you board

Choose your flight time wisely. Overnight flights are your friend, a toddler who boards sleepy and wakes up at the destination is the dream. Daytime flights mean hours of active entertainment so save yourself where you can.

Book bulkhead seats for extra legroom and a bassinet if your baby is under 10kg. And pack your carry-on as if your checked luggage doesn't exist because in a crisis, it doesn't.

Bubulander Tips

• Wrap a few small new toys individually before the flight and hand them out one at a time. The unwrapping is half the excitement  and each one buys you precious time. 
• Sticker books are arguably the greatest invention in toddler travel history. They're mess-free, screen-free, and can hold a toddler's attention for a surprisingly long time. Pack two or three different ones and save the best for the hardest stretch of the flight. For babies, a simple board book with bold colours and textures works wonders for curious little hands.
• A few finger puppets tucked into your bag weigh almost nothing and can become a full theatrical performance at cruising altitude. Put one on each hand and let your toddler direct the show. Older toddlers love small world play too, a few tiny animals or figures can spark imaginative play for a good stretch of time
• Make the flight itself the activity. Count the seat rows together, look for shapes in the clouds, play a simple I-Spy or ask your toddler to spot everyone wearing blue. These tiny games cost nothing and require zero equipment.

Using lollipops or a drink during take-off and landing sucking helps little ears adjust to the pressure. Let your toddler burn energy in the first few hours by exploring and walking up and down the aisle. Save screen time for the middle stretch, when you really need it. When the rough patch comes  because it will take a breath, walk the aisle, and know that every parent on that plane is silently sending you solidarity.

When you land, you'll be exhausted. But you'll also feel PROUD. Getting a small child across the world is genuinely hard, and you did it. They may not remember the flight but they will absolutely remember the adventure.