https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 24 May 2026 06:59:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432649 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 08:37:31 +0000 erinbaderin 2432649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree that the older they get the harder it is, even if they're well behaved. We took my son on an 8 hour flight at 4 months and he was a dream, slept the whole way. 5 hour flight at 10 months was not so bad. 8 hour flight at 14 months was trickier - on the way there we flew overnight so he mostly slept but even then he was too big for the bassinet so he slept on me the whole way, and on the way home he wanted to walk around, he wanted to make faces at the other passengers, he wanted snacks, etc. 5 hours flight at 22 months and we made a vow that we're not taking any flights in 2016. And he's incredibly well behaved, never cries, etc - they're just so mobile and so curious and have no interest in being confined to a chair for any length of time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432638 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 08:32:51 +0000 PrincessBaby 2432638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It gets worse as they get older! When my DD1 was little bitty, I was like "Oh, it sure will suck when she turns 2 and can't fly for free anymore!" But the last time she flew for free she was a month shy of 2 and it was so exhausting that I was like, "She needs her own damn seat!!!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432601 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 08:04:44 +0000 ms.line 2432601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I are going to Norway when LO will be 6-7 months old - glad to hear we'll be heading off the "difficult" period (for now!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432561 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 07:39:30 +0000 looch 2432561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it can be a crapshoot at any age, frankly. You're dealing with so many variables that you really can't control. The most challenging age was between 14-24 months. My son is 5 now and he's a breeze to travel with again because he can do stuff on his own and we don't have to lug around a whole lot of gear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432480 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 05:11:55 +0000 Pumuckl 2432480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nowadays like redeye flights because both my kids sleep really well on the plane. So it makes for way more relaxed traveling than having to keep them entertained for 12h. (And both of mine aren't screen time fans). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432430 Fri, 22 Jan 2016 01:48:23 +0000 daniellemybelle 2432430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, yes. Traveling with a well behaved child is exhausting. Traveling with a poorly behaved child is truly a nightmare. And we do it SO much. I must be a masochist. </p> <p>I think one of the things I miss the most about pre-baby days is reading a magazine on an airplane. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2432012 Thu, 21 Jan 2016 20:20:27 +0000 Astro Bee 2432012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bluestriped Bee: I'm glad your twins slept through the flight, so much easier, even if overall it's still pretty tough. I remember you being worried about all the logistics beforehand. Happy to hear you survived! </p> <p>Hopefully you can work something out with your inlaws. I told DH this evening that I am not volunteering to do any more international or long-haul flights with DS even if he came along. Too draining! Good luck figuring things out and enjoy France! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2431986 Thu, 21 Jan 2016 20:13:55 +0000 Astro Bee 2431986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kitty: I've found travelling with kids takes a lot of planning, whether you are flying solo with them or with your partner. From what to carry-on (to cover off all eventualities), what do you need to bring to the destination vs what can be bought or borrowed there, to purchase a seat or go as a lap infant, to how to get on and off the plan (and when). Then there is the logistics of when to fly, how to handle naps, bathroom breaks for you and diaper changes for them. I learned some tricks here and online and figured out the rest for what worked for us and what I could handle with or without DH. At 8 months I found DS was still lulled by the white noise of the aircraft and slept a lot. He also didn't seem to want to explore as much. I don't know if being a frequent flier has helped much, as he's a pretty happy baby normally anyway. But it certainly didn't hurt. It probably helped me, though! And knowing it's okay to ask for or accept help when offered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2431845 Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:34:36 +0000 BSB 2431845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I flew with 4 month old twins last week and they slept the most of it. I don't think I want to fly again and they aren't even mobile yet. </p> <p>Our trip with twins wasn't impossible but it took a lot of planning. It was exhausting to get everyone on and off the plane. </p> <p>We might be going to France in July and they will be 10 months. MIL offered to watch them so we can go to France without kids. I'm worried about how mobile and active they will be. MIL offered to fly to Seattle and watch them at our house, but the option of flying them to her home in Florida is an option. The other issue is whether she can watch two active babies for two weeks while we are gone. I think we all need to really think about the feasibility of this trip. Maybe DH's step dad will be home to give her a hand. </p> <p>Yeah... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2431844 Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:34:04 +0000 kitty 2431844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't taken DS on a plane yet but am planning to in a few months when he will be 7 or 8 months old so I suspect I might have a similar experience to you! It's good that he wasn't fussy, but that does sound exhausting. Do you think it had an impact that he has already done so much travel? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/now-i-understand#post-2431815 Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:24:13 +0000 Astro Bee 2431815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has taken 17 plane rides over the last 7 months. He's now 9.5 months. Some of those flights were 1-2 hr connections, and some were much longer (14-15 hrs). He has always been a great traveller, sleeping lots, staying contained in my arms, not fussing or crying. I think about half of those flights I have done solo, due to travelling to meet family (I am on maternity leave) and when travelling to meet DH for a post-business trip vacation, being unable to get the same flight. I never had any issues, although I always had to juggle a stroller, baby, carry-on/diaper bag, I made it work. </p> <p>Coming back yesterday from a month-long visit at my parents' was eye-opening. DS has gotten so much more mobile in the last month, and seriously wanted to be everywhere. He leaked seats (I know, gross, right?!?) and the wall, sat on the floor, stood up, pulled up, looked over my seat back and forward. In the lounge, he wanted to crawl and cruise, and explore people's luggage. </p> <p>He wasn't fussy at all. He was his usual super cheerful self, smiling and playing peekaboo with other passengers, and occasionally giggling at them making faces. He never cried, and as usual, people commented on how well behaved he was. But...</p> <p>It was exhausting! Having to corral him and keep him contained in our seat, I felt like I needed 10 extra hands. I barely got to eat or drink anything in the lounge or on the plane and was starved/thirsty when I got home and got him settled. </p> <p>This isn't a post complaining about my kid, cause he was really great. He was just a normal young toddler/older baby. I just had no idea how much work he would be, since we'd already done so much travel together, most recently a month ago. </p> <p>So, now I understand how exhausting travelling with kids can be. I knew I'd eat my words saying that it was/he was pretty easy. Anyone else have this eye-opening experience? </p>