Flying with children can be a stressful situation for the parents and the children, especially if it is a long flight. Some people feel like flying with their kids is impossible and they resort to hours on the road just so that people around them won’t have to suffer when their children have tantrums or other types of disturbing behavior. Fortunately there are many things that you can to make the trip easier on everyone involved. Try these tips and tricks to make your flight more enjoyable for you and everyone around you.
1: Entertainment
Usually the reason that children are loud and complain a lot on flights is because they are bored and don’t want to have to sit in one place for a long time. When you are packing their carry on bag, make sure that you include something that will help entertain them on your flight. Portable DVD players are a great investment if you plan on flying with your child. You can take several movies for them to watch, so no matter how long your flight is, they can have plenty to watch.
If you are taking cheap flights and have to work on a budget, then you can try decks of cards, pocket games, or other small items that can be played alone or together. Small hand-held video games are also great for kids on a plane.
2: Snacks
Young children always tend to get hungry and thirsty on long trips and even though longer plane rides sometimes include a meal or snacks, you want to make sure that you bring something extra for the kids. Believe it or not, even having something to munch on can keep your kids satisfied for a while, especially if it is their favorite kind of snacks. Trail mix, cookies, crackers, juice boxes, and toaster pastries are great to take on a plane. They are also small and don’t take up a lot of room.
While you are taking snacks, make sure that you take a small amount of medicine in case you have to deal with an upset stomach. Sometimes children don’t handle the altitude changes well and get a form of sea sickness in the air.
3: Flight Time
If you are taking a long flight, it is important to try and make sure that the time of your flight is just as convenient for your child as it is you. If possible, try to schedule your flight times just before their bedtime. Many times they will sleep through a large portion of the flight and you won’t have to deal with a lot of problems. If you are taking a last minute flight, then you may not be able to schedule your flight around that time, but it is something to keep in mind for vacation flights.
4: Rewards
Some parents have children that naturally just do not like traveling and become very belligerent when they are forced to travel. If you are adamant about taking your child on a plane for these vacations then you may need to offer your child some kind of reward for behaving well on the flight. Many times this can work well and make your flight a lot easier. Many people would think that this is spoiling your child, however for the peace of mind that it gives for the few hours you could be on the flight, it’s worth the peace and quiet.
5: Hype Up Your Trip
Children get excited about vacations and trips away from home. If you get them excited about where they are going, they are more likely to behave on the trip there. No kid wants to be in trouble or grounded when they are wanting to have fun. Make sure they know how much fun they are going to be having and that the more they behave on the trip, the more fun you will have when you get there.
Article by Richard Greenwood of Flight Centre Australia, provider of cheap flights worldwide including discounted London flights. Richard is a keen traveller and having moved to Australia from the UK is well used to coping with long haul flights to visit friends and family.
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