[oceanica]

So dd has gradually started having more temper tantrums, and since we are going up north on a plane (three hours) for thanksgiving, I found this article to be quite helpful. I wanted to pass it on to you.
Any other tips would be appreciated!!

Screams on a plane: How to quell tantrums - Parenting & Family

[Cjmeck]

A portable dvd player was an absolute life saver for us. We flew when dd was 15-16 months old, and again when she was 19 months.

[robandjulie]

Ohhhhh...flashbacks. Yikes. The worst EVER for us was at the US Embassy in Guatemala and DS fell asleep for a bit but then was woken up 20 mins in and would have fallen asleep if we could have been left alone for 10 minutes but every body kept walking over and bugging us every 5 minutes and he'd perk up and then start over and they finally came over the speaker and made us leave the embassy and we went outside and the gaurds yelled at us and made us go back inside and oh-my-goodness-the-embassy-SUCKED and we were there 5 hours and I may have a nightmare tonight now just remembering that.

Lessons learned: lots of snacks, a thick skin, perhaps something to keep you from shoving others down the stairs.

Also bad was the time I was flying alone and a mother with 2 small very cute kids on a late (7PM) flight was waiting in the gate area. Kids were great, plane was late. And later. And later. By the time we boarded the kids were exhausted and crabby and pitched a fit and the other passengers pitched their own totally immature fit (shut up passengers, just ask for a drink or some earphones...) and had the poor woman and her kids kicked off the plane with no other flights that night and she was stuck in Chicago. I almost got off the plane with her I was so mad for her; but I had an interview the next morning and couldn't.

Lesson learned: drinks for all the other passengers. Ok, wait, liquid restrictions won't allow that. Lots of $5's.

[reetoreet]

That article is great!! And I would also recommend the portable DVD player. I don't let Lily watch a ton of TV but she LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So I got a couple Mickey DVD's and she was so excited!

[Magic_Hat]

Originally Posted by robandjulie

had the poor woman and her kids kicked off the plane with no other flights that night and she was stuck in Chicago.

They do that?!?! I would refuse to get off the plane.

[robandjulie]

Originally Posted by Magic_Hat

They do that?!?! I would refuse to get off the plane.

They did! The kids were about 18 mos and 3 and the 3 year old was wailing and carrying on and wouldn't stay in her seat to be buckled in. She probably would have in about 5 more minutes--less time than it took for the woman to gather up the kids/bags/etc and get off the plane--but they said if she couldn't get the girl to sit and put on her buckle she'd have to take them off the plane. They gave her about 30 seconds and then told her to leave. The horrible passengers (most of whom where clearly drunken football fans in their team spirit clothes on their way to Pittsburgh) actually CHEERED as the woman left. It was horrifying.

[Steph-Jason]

Hmmmm.... just make sure your hubby is with you so you can run into the bathroom & hide when the tantrums start

Seriously- good luck. We're getting into the tantrums with M!!

[yehudit]

Great article and great ideas. I go even further with #1 and wrap the little toys in spare wrapping paper or newspaper. So he has as much fun opening the toy as he has playing with it. Also, I usually use toys he's seen before but hasn't played with in a while.

I also pinch some lollipops from his halloween stash and give them strategically.

And yes, DVD player is a must. Can't be overemphasized. Just be sure it's fully charged and that you don't turn it on until you are in the air and able to use electronics. If we are delayed on the ground he will pitch a fit if we have to turn it off for take-off.