Flying with a restless toddler on a plane, this daddy does something amazing...

dust bunny monsters, stale Terra blue chips... Be gone! 

This year, we've flown to Orlando twice, once in April for our first Disney World trip together as a new family, once just last week for a physical therapy conference. Phil was very good on the flight over to Orlando during our second trip, but he was restless during the entire flight back. Our trip was delayed by over an hour, and he couldn't nap. 

Phil's daddy was a real trooper during the flight; he kept Phil entertained. 

What we learned from this experience was that you must have snacks and fun toys handy, and a whole lot of patience. You will just have to let your child explore the seat area a bit and forget about germs and dirty surfaces for a second. You will also have to ignore stares, fork out an apology or two when your child chucks something at a passenger (Phil threw his dirty towels at the passenger in front of us), and quickly think on your feet to prevent full-blown toddler tantrums on the plane. You can also turn a stressful situation into a fun, fantasy story! :) Some parents also bring candies or chocolate on board, or a "snack pack" for those around them. 

Plane rides are no fun for toddlers, but great parents can make the trip more tolerable for all. Thank you to my amazing hubby for taking care of our little monkey during our flight.