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Travelling by Air with Children: Nine Tips for a Stress-Free Flight
If the thought of flying with your children makes you break out into a cold sweat, you are not alone. Many parents have nightmares about fighting siblings, lost children, crying babies and disapproving strangers for weeks before they are scheduled to travel by air with their kids. However, with a little bit of planning, it is possible to have a smooth trip on an airplane-- even with children in tow. Simply follow the tips below, and you may even have a pleasant enough experience that you will want to try it again sometime!
PREPARE YOUR CHILDREN AHEAD OF TIME
Several weeks before you are scheduled to leave, begin talking to your children about what will happen in the airport and on the plane. Make sure that they understand that they may have to give their toys to a security officer or put them on a conveyor belt, but they will get them back. Talk to them about engine noises and bumpy flights, and role-play such things as going through security. If you can, you may even want to visit the airport. Children are less likely to have a melt-down in the airport if they are familiar with it and know exactly what to expect.
CAREFULLY SELECT YOUR FLIGHT TIME
Try to travel when flights are less likely to be crowded so that your children have room to stretch out. This includes non-peak times such as midday and Monday through Wednesday. However, avoid the late-night flights if at all possible. A flight at your child's bedtime is ideal, but one that takes place hours after your child is usually asleep will result in an over-tired child who is likely to spend the first hour of the flight either screaming uncontrollably or bouncing off the walls. In addition, try to avoid layovers-- a non-stop flight means less juggling bags, less waking up children, and less strapping and unstrapping a carseat.
DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU GET TO THE AIRPORT
If your airport offers early check-in, check in online the night before so that you don't have to do it while juggling bags and chasing children through the airport. In addition, carefully plan your airport hotels and parking. Airport parking can be expensive, and there is no guarantee that you will get a spot next to the terminal. There is nothing more unpleasant than walking across a long parking lot while hauling bags, pushing a stroller, and herding children, so you may want to consider using airport transfers instead. Most airport hotels offer this service, but check ahead of time to make sure that yours can accommodate children and carseats.
BRING A STROLLER OR A TODDLER HARNESS
Strollers are a great way to keep babies and toddlers in your sight and out of trouble. You can usually bring one all the way up to the gate and check it there; the flight attendant will have it waiting for you when you leave the plane. If you have young child who is too big for a stroller or needs the freedom to move around a little, consider getting a toddler harness. These attach to your child like a backpack and let him to wander a bit while still keeping him in your grasp, and unlike a wrist tether they allow him to have both hands free.
ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT AT THE AIRPORT
Resist the temptation to keep your children seated or strapped into a stroller; this is the time to wear them out so that they might sleep on the plane. Many airports have children's play areas, so find out if yours does and make use of it. If there isn't one, find an empty terminal where your children can run around a little bit or pull out a deck of cards and play Old Maid or Go Fish with them. If all else fails, seat them next to a window and allow them to watch the planes land and take off.
AVOID EXIT ROWS, DIAPER BAGS AND EARLY BOARDING
Toddlers have been known to cause pandemonium by trying to open an emergency door, so don't allow the flight attendant to seat you next to it. Diaper bags fall off shoulders, hit people in the head, and cause you to get trapped in the narrow airplane aisles. Instead of bringing one, put your baby gear in a backpack; you will be able to get through the aisles much more easily, and both hands will be free. Early boarding may seem like a good idea, but it just means that your child will have more time on the plane. If you have more than one adult, a better idea is for one to go ahead with the carseat and the luggage while the other keeps the kids until the final boarding call.
GIVE YOUR KIDS SOMETHING TO DO ON THE PLANE
According to flight attendants, the biggest mistake they see parents make is to board a plane with nothing for their kids to do. Game boys, audio books, picture books, finger puppets, decks of cards and crayons can be lifesavers on long flights. Allow each of your children to pack an entertainment backpack for themselves before you leave, and make sure that it includes a couple of new toys that have been bought especially for the trip. Have each of your children carry their own pack through the airport, but dole out the toys slowly during the flight so that they don't get bored too quickly. However, avoid toys with a lot of small parts or you may spend your trip crawling around on the floor or asking strangers to look under their seats.
BRING PLENTY OF SNACKS
Most airlines no longer provide meals, and yet children tend to get hungry quickly and hungry children tend to cause trouble. Pack a lot of high protein snacks, such as cheese sticks,to keep your children's tummies full. However, avoid high sugar snacks that may make your children hyper and fresh fruit that may not be allowed on the plane. In addition, make sure that you bring sippy cups and bottles to keep the kids hydrated.
BUY SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE RIDE HOME
The toys that kept your kids enthralled on the flight out may not be as exciting on the return flight. In addition, your children are likely to be a lot crankier on this trip due to overstimulation and the disappointment of the trip being over. If they have a new toy to look forward to, you may be able to minimize this crankiness. Either buy something at your destination and let your children play with it while you are traveling home, or keep out a few toys especially for the return flight.
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