First, congrats! Flying with my daughter and wife as a family has been one of my greatest joys.
For what it’s worth, we have been making it work without too much hassle around that age using (a) slim in-ear plugs before engine start and (b) placing a child’s headset on top. Well, whenever she let us or after she fell asleep soon after takeoff.
. You can try the same if you’re comfortable with it.
Couple pointers:
- Buy the slim / small foam earplugs that are more appropriate for kids’ narrower ear canals. We use the Mack's Dreamgirl Soft Foam Earplugs, 50 Pair, Pink - Small Ear Plugs (ordered online)
- Do the regular roll between your fingers to squish the plug as narrow as possible. On the upper rear portion of the pinna/floppy part of the ear, gently hold tension slightly outboard and back while you gently insert the plug. Then hold your finger over the remaining end to minimize outward shift as the plug expands.
- Some place a simple sweat-/headband to minimize chances of the little one pulling a plug out during the flight. (Or the headset accomplishes the same once it’s on top, and verification check of plug placement every 15 min until then.)
- Use your cool, calm pilot voice as you get the plugs in / headset on. (Reminder that kids feed off our calm/nervous energy.)
- Consider getting him used to the headset at home by using it with an occasional iPad video. (While still minimizing / avoiding screen time at that age.)
- Child headset or Bose A20 (with single hinge on top) seems to work well for the kid-size cranium
The usual medical-like disclaimers apply; don’t try this at home, etc.
I’ll shoot ya a PM as well if you want to talk some more.
Ryan
(USAF pediatrician, turned flight surgeon who loves to fly with my family)