Flying with kids can always be a challenge to parents especially with the issue of keeping them well-behaved during the entire flight. As everyone knows, children can be restless and irritable when they are kept in a place they can’t explore or they have very limited things to do. To help parents to cope up with this situation, here are some travel tips that might help to keep children behave properly while they are up in the sky.
1. Schedule your flight well.● As much as possible, book a flight which coincides with the sleeping hours of your child. Nothing would be perfect than having your child asleep for the entire duration of the flight. Aside from the fact that you will be spared from several hours of saying “shhh” every now and then, you’ll have the opportunity to re-charge your energy for the tasks that awaits you upon landing.
● If you will be airborne with your kids for several hours, consider taking flights which has a break in between as even well behaved children can be restless when they are kept in a place with very limited things to do prompting tantrums and other improper behavior. Flying non-stop with your kids might not be advisable because letting them exercise their small limbs during breaks might work some magic to their moods.
2. Keep them occupied.
● Don’t forget to include materials to keep your children occupied while packing for the trip. Stuffed animals to cuddle and play with might save you from hours of walking behind your children while they wander around the plane. You can also bring art materials such as coloring books and pens, stickers, dolls, toys, cards, story books to read. Bring out one activity at a time to keep things properly organized. This will save you the trouble of repeatedly picking up things underneath the seats of irritated passengers around you.
● Some airlines do provide complimentary activity packets for children however you can’t be sure of it so it would be wiser to bring your own rather than risk having your children throw tantrum or keep bothering other passenger because of lack of activity to do.
● Include a CD player or other gadgets that they can listen to while they are being confined in an airplane. Make sure to bring earphones that fit their ears as well to be sure that they are comfortable.
3. Keep them well fed.● Most kids get cranky when they are hungry so remember to bring your own supplies of sandwiches fruits or snacks in sealable plastic bags to keep them happy. Just remember to keep things tidy to avoid unpleasant reaction from nearby passengers.
● Having their favorite snacks will make them satisfied so make it a point to bring their preferred brand of drinks in small packets instead of forcing them to settle for what are available in the plane. However you might need to check with the airline company regarding this matter.
4. Make them comfortable as much as possible.
● Temperature in the plane might be too cold for children so a light quilt or blanket might be of great help to keep them comfortable. Some airlines do provide blanket upon request however the texture and the thickness might not what your child needs thus it will be safer to bring your own.
● Small pillows to provide comfort might make them sleep longer therefore bringing one will be a great idea.
● Dress them appropriately making sure that their movements are not restricted by their clothing. Jackets might be necessary to keep them warm especially when there are no blankets available in the plane.
5. Examine your own expectation.
● Don’t expect your child to be behaved perfectly because they are in the plane. Nowadays children are more responsive so they communicate easier expressing their thoughts and ideas so let your child speak to other passengers as long as they don’t mind. Conversation with little ones can sometimes be a refreshing experience for some adults who are not parents yet so allow your child to entertain other people.
● Let your kids wander around the plane as much as allowed every now and then to help them ease the feeling of boredom. Ask the flight attendant for some guide regarding what is allowed or not to make sure that your kids are not in the way of other passenger.
● Refrain from saying “sshh” to your children every minute. As long as the sound they are making is not loud enough to cause distraction to other passengers, let them be.
● Hope that there will be other children in the same flight who behaves less desirable than your child so that your child won’t attract much unpleasant impression from other passenger. You won’t feel good for sure being referred to as the parent of an undisciplined child.
● Don’t let the unpleasant behavior of your child gets the better of you. If the other passenger can see that you are doing your best to make your child behaved properly, they will give you some credit and won’t blame you for the way your child is behaving.
Traveling can be one of the best opportunities to spend quality time with your children so don’t let the concern of taking air plane rides with your children hinder you from creating memorable family moments. Just remember these tips when you are doing the flight booking for your family vacation and you’ll have a better chance of having a good start of a fun-filled holiday!