Flying with children can be tough on parents and children alike, and few things are as stressful as being with a child in meltdown inside a plane.
One of the biggest challenges of flying with children is that they, just like adults, get bored and antsy. There are also many things that kids hate when you fly: waiting for food, waiting in line, waiting in general. That results in them getting cranky. That results in bad behavior.
Bad behavior then has a way of snowballing quickly. Other passengers get annoyed by an ill-behaved child, so the parent gets stressed. That causes children to act out more. It becomes a nasty cycle.
Here are a few tactics to prevent problems before they get out of hand:
- If you are traveling with a baby or toddler, get them their own seat so they can be in their car seat. The child will not only be safer, but will be happier.
- Come prepared. While it's tough to bring items on board with current carry-on restrictions, even consider finding small toys, small coloring books or pads and multiple items to pull out to distract your child when he or she gets bored.
- Consider bringing a portable DVD player or iPod for your child to watch favorite TV shows. You probably won't want to do this for the entire flight, but this can be a great way to settle a child and make him or her content to sit for a longer period.
- Bring a portable game system for older children. Again, while this isn't the best stimulus for a child, it is an activity that encourages sitting quietly.
- Keep several small snacks in your carry-on bag. One problem, especially with small children, is that there is no control over when food will come (or how good it will be). Have a few of your child's favorite snacks tucked away so that you can keep the child from getting grumpy due to hunger.
- During times when the fasten seatbelt light is not on, take advantage to walk the aisle with your child. Just a quick walk to the restroom can be a big morale booster for a child who has been forced to sit still for hours.
- Invent games to pass the time. For example, ask your child to spot shapes in the clouds, guess how many miles you have left to fly, or count pools in the yards below.
- Practice the quiet game before your flight so you can use it if your child gets noisy and rowdy. It basically works like this: count 1-2-3 and whoever can whisper quietly the longest wins. You can even have some of the small toys above serve as prizes to your child for winning. It's a great way to focus a child on keeping his or her voice quiet.
It isn't easy to make a flight tolerable for a child, especially small children. But if you are prepared with distractions, entertainment and snacks, you can fend off many meltdowns in the air.
The copyright of the article Flying with Children in Travel with Children is owned by Kelby Carr. Permission to republish Flying with Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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