16 month old

[First time flyer]

Hi there, I am sure this subject has come up before on here but, would like to get ideas from other Moms who have gone home (to US) with their 16 month old (a really busy 16 month old).

What did you do for a 20 hour flight with a baby who does not want to sit?
We just came back from Thailand and he just did not want to sit at all!! and that was a short trip.  So, I am a bit worried on how he is going to handle the flight.

During the Thailand trip, I had many toys, games... it did not help at all. 

Thanks.

[Old hand]

It really is worth looking up old posts - there is some excellent advice from parents that have now left Singapore!

My advice?  Drugs!  Really!  Your fellow passengers will thank you...  You must test them before the flight though as it is believed that children under the age of 3 are just as likely to get hyperactive as they are to be sedated.

Good luck!

[not always]

A friend of mine tried the old Phenergan trick on her daughter - aged about 2 at the time.  She tested it at home and worked like a treat BUT turned her into a hyperactive kid from hell on the flight.  No guarantees with that one in my opinion.

Sorry haven't done that long flight with my little one (same age) so no advice.  Just remember that it will end though!

[car seat]

Buy him his own seat and use a car seat on the plane. I've been flying with twins between the US and Singapore since they were babies. Car seat is key when they are little and don't understand that they need to sit in their seat and stay seated. I've never flown with a child on my lap the whole way - it's way too far to the US for that!

The earlier poster is correct - have a good look in the archives here on this subject -- tons of information and helpful tips there.

[First time flyer]

Thanks everyone. Although I like the sound of peace and quiet on the plane and my son not bothering anyone and sleeping peacefully, I am a bit afraid to give him any medication. But, I will ask his doctor what she thinks and go from there.

He does have his own seat and I was thinking about putting him into his car seat because we have to take his car seat anyway but, I have to stop in Tokyo and the lay over is about 3 hours. So it would be hard to walk around with it because it's really big.

But, I will go ahead and check the archives to see what others have done.

Thanks again.

[car seat]

Yes, layover in Tokyo or Hong Kong is often the case flying to the US from here - I always stop in either place. I still maintain that the car seat is the key at that age even if you have to carry it around (yes, that part sucks, but it really helps on the flight). If you are flying business class you should have access to the airline lounge and then you can usually leave the seat stored in there while you walk around.