toddler turning 2 on the trip

[bdgg]

So my toddler refuses to wear a mask regardless of how much I practice and play with her to use it.  We are scheduled to fly in July.  The first trip will be no issue.  She will be under 2.  But she will turn 2 while we are on vacation. She will be 4 days past her 2nd birthday on our flight back.  Any good experiences with similar situations??  

[TheMiddleSeat]

Am I safe to assume that you have purchased a seat for the child for at least the return portion of the trip? Having a child in their own seat, which is required for age 2 and up, is probably a decent indicator to flight crew that the child is at least close to being two and I suspect you may be asked how old the child when you are onboard. The answer to that question will determine the mask requirement. How you handle that question is up to you.

--TheMiddleSeat

[DancingDavidE]

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@bdgg wrote:

So my toddler refuses to wear a mask regardless of how much I practice and play with her to use it.  We are scheduled to fly in July.  The first trip will be no issue.  She will be under 2.  But she will turn 2 while we are on vacation. She will be 4 days past her 2nd birthday on our flight back.  Any good experiences with similar situations??  

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How long is your flight? Our little "golden boy" super mask wearer eventually gets tired of it also, he's just turned two. He's really good and gets lot of compliments for mask wearing but he gets a little tired of it after two hours at the airports and a few in the air. We had a flight delay and so finally at about the six hour mark we had to give him a little break.

The most important part seems to be wearing it when you board. 

Break up the flight a little with some snacks or drinks when the kiddo gets fussy. If they are in a groove though I say leave it on. 

This could be a case where a connecting flight might be desirable if you can get a break and recharge if your flight was really long. 

And my last suggestion is that you practice on the outbound flight even though they are two, try to get them to wear it as a dry run especially when boarding.

They won't kick you off the plane mid flight with parachutes or divert to an alternate airport over your two year old not wearing a mask, but if the kid won't wear it during boarding you could have an issue. The kid has to at least have the intention of wearing it.

Continuous snacks throughout a flight are a bogus way for adults to try and skirt the rule and would likely be called out but a kid can probably enjoy a snack or drink a little more often.

[bwallet]

Also note that they are asking before boarding if a child is going to be able to wear a mask for the whole flight. If the child is two, for the love of G-d, say yes. Any other answer like "I hope", "maybe", or "no" will probably result in you not being allowed on the flight.

[bdgg]

It's about a two hour flight, so it's not a long flight.  It's nonstop too.  I will definitely continue to practice with her.  I really hope she gets to wear it for at least the boarding, and then during the flight I can give her snacks in between so it doesn't feel as long.  I've heard from others the same thing - they are really strict during boarding and take off.  My intention is to have her try it out on the way to our destination as well.  It will be good practice, and a good predictor of how she will react on the way back.  Thanks!!