How to fly with kids
Flying with kids is never easy. Even if your child is well-behaved, you'll still have to suffer through all the mean stares and glances you'll get from other passengers as they board the plane and realise you're taking the little tykes onboard too. It's not easy for the little ones to fly either, or being confined into any small space for a long period of time let along one cramped with hundreds of people who are also restless and anxious to get to where they're going. But there is hope and a few things you can do to make the journey a bit smoother for your little ones.
- Book the right flight. It's better to fly over-night and make sure that they are plenty active on the day of the flight so that they're more willing to sleep through the journey. When choosing seats, pick them strategically. At the back, you're close to the toilets but if you've got a fidgety one, then a bulkhead spot would probably be a better choice.
- Keep them busy by bringing a new book or toy that they haven't seen before. That way they'll be totally distracted for the first little while. After that, make sure you've got a couple of their favourite programs or movies on your iPad or laptop.
- Just in case, always pack more diapers, wipes, food (especially ones that don't melt or crumble like trail mix or homemade sandwiches), clothes and other supplies than you'll need. Cancellations and delays should be expected rather than feared.
- At the airport, explain the security process to your little darling before approaching. The whole machine and situation could turn out to be frightening for them!
- Pack some ginger cookies or candies in case of nausea. Also, foods like fruits and grains usually do very well in turbulence. For ear popping, lollipops work well to relieve ear pressure and for really little ones, it's good to breastfeed during take-off and landing.
What was your child's first flying experience like?