I just flew with my two toddler nephews on a family trip to Florida and am more impressed with parents than ever before. I love my nephews, Charlie and Declan, and write about them often. They are perfectly energetic and rambunctious kids who are always up for a trip. So, when my family travels, I often fly with my brother and sister-in-law to give them another set of hands.
We flew from LaGuardia to Jacksonville for our annual family vacation. And while my nephews did great on both flights, it wasn't by magic. Here are the three most important things I learned about flying with toddlers.
All hands on deck
I commend my brother and sister-in-law for asking me to fly with them as often as possible. I can grab one of the boys and go for a walk through the airport if the other needs more attention. I'm ready to change a diaper, hand out snacks, or simply point to airplanes flying in the sky if needed. I poured milk for Declan and held him while my brother grabbed his bag. I grabbed Charlie's blanket for my sister-in-law and dug through their tote to find his fruit pouch.
Of course, not every family can ask a childfree aunt to hop on a flight with them. In most situations, it is just a parent and their kid on the plane. In those situations, I still think "all hands on deck" is the smartest way to fly. Ask the flight attendant to pour milk for your one year old. Rely on the older father sitting a row behind you to fix the broken airplane window. Chat with the fellow solo mom traveler in line at Hudson News.
We don't constantly repeat Hillary Clinton's iconic phrase "It takes a village" for no reason!
Airplanes = TV time
There is a ton of conversation in the parenting world about screen time. New York University sociologist Jonathan Haidt argues in his New York Times Bestselling book, The Anxious Generation, that children shouldn't have smartphones until 16.
"The simplest fix, and it costs no money, is phone-free schools," Jonathan told PEOPLE. "That means when kids come in, they put their phone in a locked pouch, or a locker, and get it back at the end of the day."
As an almost 30-year-old who grew up before the explosion of social media, I agree with this take.
But, I also think that there are moments where kids can lean into personal devices. Air travel is one of those times. Growing up, I watched episodes of Spongebob Squarepants on my VideoNow – an old school portable video player released in 2003. I was lulled by the compressed air and my cartoons.
On our recent flight, my nephew Charlie experienced the 2025 version of my experience. He has become obsessed with PAW Patrol and wasn't allowed to watch it before we left for our trip. But, on the flight, he was given free reign. Charlie sat in his seat, feet not touching the ground, decked out with PAW Patrol headphones, and locked into Adventure Bay. Once we landed, Charlie knew that PAW Patrol time on the iPad was over. But the cartoon, just like my VideoNow, allowed him to get through the flight without tantrums.
Running before the flight is a good thing
I'm the certified fun aunt for Charlie and Declan. When I show up, I'm there for entertainment. I play with them, toss them in the air, and draw them whatever cartoon character they can think of. In the airport, I chase them around. Charlie is very fast. He runs with his whole body, pumping his arms up and down while wearing a serious face. In the Jacksonville airport, I chased him back and forth to big windows so he could watch planes take off.
I held him and ran on the moving walkway, calling him the "fastest boy in the world." He giggled as I chased him, wearing himself out before our flight. It was a perfect way to spend the hour ahead of boarding. Charlie got all his energy out, ready to snuggle in his airplane seat for the ride home.