Dear all, I am looking for some advice about travelling with a nearly 2yo child.

We have just legally become the parents of our newly adopted son. It’s been quite a journey for all of us, most of all for him; social workers, foster carers, court orders, etc., but finally the adoption paperwork is through, and we have a passport! Given that we are keen travellers, we thought ‘let’s get him on a plane before we have to pay for his seat’. A bonus, or so we thought! Then reality hits...

To say we're "anxious" would be an understatement. As new parents, we are both terrified and excited by the prospect: excited for him, of course; and terrified that we/he might cause a nuisance to our fellow passengers. Suffice to say, he has never flown before.
We chose a relatively easy hop to/from LHR/AGP in January thinking that the whole experience of airport/plane etc. it would be subdued after the Christmas rush. But our toddler thinks that an "inside voice" is a suggestion...

We feel that we're already pre-apologising to the people in row 12!

What if he hates the ear pressure? What if the "fail-safe" iPad suddenly isn't interesting?

I’ve read the wikis, but I'd love some "real world" advice from the FT veterans who have survived the toddler years.

Should we use the family pre-boarding to get settled, or have one parent board early with the bags while the other lets him run out his energy at the gate until the last possible second?

Besides the obvious snacks, what is that one "holy grail" item that saved your sanity on board?

Do those "goodie bags" for neighbours actually help, is this good etiquette? Or are they just a waste of time?

We really want this to be a positive milestone for him (and us!), but right now we're just bracing for impact. Any tips on how to manage the stress, and the toddler, would be much appreciated.