Flying as an adult requires a lot of patience and fortitude. We tend to evaluate carefully multiple scenarios and situations before getting on the plane. Combination of multiple factors we have to face on flights i.e. cranky passengers, lengthy boarding rows, and jet-lag make us dreadful every time. Add children to this mix, surely you can feel exhaustion even before starting your journey. Not gonna hold it back, flying with children can be humiliating, exhausting, and frustrating. The stress of flight does not help either, leave alone if you got a cranky neighbor passenger. So the question is, “how to make your flying experience better with children?”
Well, it’s kind of information you get to learn along the way. There is no exact magic trick manual to keep your journey with children comfortable, but you get better after every bad experience. Every hiccup will give you a chance to deal with these kinds of situations better next time. Anyhow, we are going to discuss some ways based on past experiences. You can jot down these tips to make yourself ready before next time you’re flying with children.
Book Direct Flights
Start preparing for your flight from the beginning. The first thing you can do is to avoid stopovers and changing flights. You don’t want the hassle carrying your luggage on and off the flights multiple times. Especially with kids, it can be a terrifying experience. The best piece of advice we can give you is to book direct flights when you’re traveling with children.
People may advise you against it. They will tell you that your children need to move around and have some fun during long-haul routes. Trust us, you will be better off staying in the airplane for the next few more hours than have a break.
Take Advantage of Early Boarding
Honestly, the best thing to take your children with you is to get early boarding privileges at airports. Airlines ease your transition with this approach, “We know it’s going to be tough next few hours, so why don’t you take care of your luggage before anyone else?”
On one hand, you get to put your luggage in the small overhead compartments, avoiding getting in lengthy rows. On the other, a few more minutes of having fun in the kid’s activity zone may avert an in-plane meltdown.
Tire The Kids Before Boarding
Lol! You may feel like manipulating your children, but these tricks will get you the much-needed comfort. Especially with toddlers, it seems like they have all the energy in the world. So it’s best to tire your children out before boarding the plane. The best way to do so is, find a fun zone within the airport zone where they can have activities. Spent most of the time there, so your children can exhaust as much energy as possible.
If the airport doesn’t have a play area, still you can encourage them to have other activities instead of sitting idly on chairs. Don’t forget to keep an eye on them, you may have to be extra careful with it. Make them move around until the very last call. You’ll thank us later.
Bring Snacks & Activities
You probably wouldn’t find anything on the airline menu that your children actually want to eat. If you’re looking forward to those tasty sandwiches, people on the front row may have devoured all of them. To fight these situations, it’s better to bring your own snacks. A bag of surprise gummy bears will help to deal with a child who is having a meltdown.
Also, bring activities to occupy your children. You will find the importance of it when you’ll have to ask for a pencil and napkin from Stewards. Just because your child keeps interrupting during your book reading. You can bring these items on board i.e. iPod, Ipad, Kindle, stuffed animals, or dry-erase books.
Make Friends With Other On Board Parents
You need to make allies because you will need it. That’s why strike conversations with people around you. Especially early on like while you’re in the waiting area. You can start these conversations with these questions, “How old is your little one?”
These interactions may not get you, lifelong friends, still, you guys can complain together whenever your toddler will have a meltdown. Nothing better than having someone to complain with. Plus, you can ask for baby things from them or your children can also have playing buddies during long haul flights. Don’t overdo it, people may seem nice, but they usually don’t want to share that much.
Stay Calm & Comfort Your Child
In case, you used every tip in mind, still expect a meltdown from your child. Their mood swings rapidly. That’s why always be ready to cuddle or sing lullabies to comfort them.
Flying can be hard for adults let alone children. It is kind of a new experience for them, they might feel a little worried. It’s best to stay calm yourself and help your child feel safe. Giving them security is the only way to get them to settle down.