Nothing can be
more fun than a family vacation. And nothing can get you there quicker
than a plane. But, the trip can feel a lot longer than it really is if
you are traveling by plane with kids and you aren't prepared. Being
prepared means packing the right things and having the right ideas to do
before and during flight. But, it also starts even before you book the
flight.
You want to find
the right airline that will be most family friendly and most kid
friendly. First of all, if you have a baby, you have a couple options
for seating, depending on the airline and how you prefer to travel. If
you hold the baby on your lap during the flight, you will not have to
purchase an additional seat. Or you have the option of bringing their
car seat on the plane. The advantage of this is, if your baby or young
child is already used to and enjoys riding in their car seat in the car,
this will provide them something familiar. For those toddlers who have a
hard time sitting still, if they are already used to sitting and
staying in a car seat in a car, having it on the plane may be to your
benefit, whereas a plane seat may feel like more freedom and make it
harder for them to want to sit still. However, if you do not prefer to
use a car seat on the plane, but you will be needing it at your
destination, such as in a rental car when you arrive, be sure to find
those airlines that will let you check in your car seat as luggage for
no additional cost. I always prefer to book airlines that don't charge
you extra for luggage anyway.
Another thing
to consider when finding the right airline to fly on is to look for
those that sometimes offer activity books and crayons to kids, will
sometimes give the kids a quick tour of the cockpit before the flight,
and are happy to offer additional snacks to kids. Some airlines are
simply more kid or family friendly than others. For long flights that
serve a full meal, certain airlines even have the policy of serving kids
first. Also, look for those airlines that let you check in online the
evening before and also offer early seating for families with young
children.
Once you've found a suitable airline to meet your need, consider what
time of day may be best for you to fly. Some recommend early flights to
avoid delays that sometimes happen with flights throughout the day.
But, another thing to consider in regards to choosing the timing of your
flight is that you may wish to book the flight at a time where your
child usually naps or rests. If your children are pretty regular on
their sleep schedules, then you can guarantee that they will at least
get some rest time on the plane.
But, for those times they are awake, kids have a lot of energy. And
you'll want to get that energy out while you have the chance. So, don't
use that time that you are waiting in the airport just sitting around.
Take the kids to walk around and explore, make up some fun games, get
out the energy that you can before they have to sit still on the plane.
When you are allowed up in the plane, you may be able to walk up and
down the aisle with them a little bit. But, definitely try to get them
up and moving before boarding the plane. Also, use the restroom as much
as you can before the flight, especially if you have children who are
potty training and have a harder time waiting.
You may want to consider prepping your kids ahead of time for the
trip. You can always go visit an airport if you've never been or read
some book on planes and airports. You can talk to them about what kind
of things they'll see and what will happen in the airport and on the
flight. Not only will it ease any uncertainties they may have, it may
make it more exciting for them if you make it sound exciting.
For the trip through the airport, you may want to plan ahead of time
as well. When you have kids, you already have enough to worry about and
hold onto, along with anything you are taking on the plane, so make
going through security as easy as possible. Wear shoes that can slip off
and on easily, for the whole family. Also, a small bag for your loose
change, wallet, watch, etc. may be a good idea. It'll save you time in
the security line by not having to take all of that off and you can just
put it all on or in your pockets after security. Traveling through
airports with bags is also much easier if you can put things in
backpacks. And if your kids are old enough, they can carry their own
with all the stuff that will keep them entertained for the flight.
Now, whether
you were able to choose your seats ahead of time or not until you got on
the plane, try to give your child a window seat if you can. For some
kids, that can be entertaining for hours. It's always fun for kids to
see how small the towns, buildings, farms, etc. look from all the way up
in the air. And also being able to look out and fly right by the clouds
that they normally only get to look up and see is exciting.
Now, let's talk about what you should have with you on the flight for
the kids. First, I'll discuss the practical things you should pack. The
first thing to remember is the air pressure change and how that affects
your ears. For babies and children, that is a new and unpleasant
feeling. To keep them content during those times of take-off and
landing, there's a couple options. For babies, the best thing is to let
them have their bottle during that time or a pacifier, anything that can
help take that pressure off. Even for young kids, drinking something at
that time may help ease their discomfort. Kids may also enjoy chewing
gum during this time. Not only will the chewing help with the pressure
in the ears, gum is also probably not something they have often so it
will be a nice treat and distraction for them. Speaking of snacks and
drinks, you may want to pack some of your own, even though they do give
snacks and drinks. Consider special snacks they wouldn't normally have
that would be exciting. And for the drinks, consider bringing a cup with
a lid to avoid those spills. An extra set of clothes is also a
practical idea for babies and young kids. You just never know. Wipes are
always essential to have as well. They just can be used for so many
purposes.
Now we'll talk about the things you want to pack for entertainment. Some planes show movies or have screens on
the back
of the seats with games or movies. But, if not, having your own device
to put movies on for your kids is definitely a great idea. That could be
a
portable dvd player or your
laptop or whatever device you have that you know has this option. If you
have multiple kids though, instead of bringing multiple devices, simply
purchase a headphone splitter, so they can both listen at the same
time. You will need headphones for whatever electronic devices you are
bringing. You don't want to disturb those around you with loud movies or
loud games. Some other electronic devices you may want to bring are any
game devices or a Tag Reader if you have one. Just make sure you have
all the batteries you need or the devices are all properly charged ahead
of time.
Maybe your kids have favorite books or movies they love to watch
again and again. Or maybe they would be excited with something they've
never seen before. Consider going to your local library ahead of time
and checking out some new books and movies to make the trip more
interesting.
Some kids love to draw and color, so again, the airline may hand out
kids activity books and crayons or you may bring your own paper or new
coloring books. You can even play plenty of games on paper: hang man,
tic tac toe, or get creative and make up some games of your own.
As far as toys, there are a couple neat ideas you can do here. The first option is you can get just a few little
dollar store
toys before your trip, things they have never seen before and surprise
your child with them on the flight, maybe even a new one each hour to
keep them interested. Or consider bringing some random things that
aren't even considered toys. If your children are young enough, they
could be fascinated for hours with things like painters tape, aluminum
foil, sticky notes, etc. Maybe even give kids their own disposable
cameras to take pictures they can develop later.
Article source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/flying-with-kids-ways-to-make-it-easier-6449207.html
Something else you can do is create a scavenger hunt of sorts. Create
a list of things ahead of time that they need to look out for during
the flight and see how long it takes before they find everything. Give
them a special treat or prize when they've found everything.
With these tips, your current and future flights can be easy. Once
you've made it through once, not only you, but the kids will know how
much fun flying can be.
