Do you have advice for flying with small children?
We are going to be flying to Orlando with my three kids shortly (ages 8, 5 and 3). This will be the younger two kids (both spirited boys) first time on an airplane. I actually work for an airline (desk job, non-operational) and I hear all of the horror stories about kids misbehaving the entire flight, won't settle down, etc - but not a lot of good ideas for keeping the problems at bay. My two boys are pretty well behaved but they don't like to sit for long. I plan on bringing their little Nabi tablets but wonder if anyone has any good advice for keeping young children in their seat for 3 and a half hours? THANKS!
I came here to recommend Benadryl, books on tape, and puzzle type games. But I see that many wise wooters before me already said that.
So - good luck, happy travels, and enjoy your vacation!
I always pack snacks, even for myself if my kids are not with me. I have never, ever had TSA confiscate them. The only thing we have ever had to give up was a drink bottle purchased outside the security check-in.
One trick for clogged ears, tilt your head to one side pointing the clogged ear at the ceiling. Pinch your nose closed and blow into it (not too hard at first). You are trying to equalize the pressure. It will almost always open your ear, even when the clog is one of those painful ones. Repeat on the other side if both ears are clogged. Teach your kids this as a fun exercise That little trick has been a blessing for me, as my left ear is shaped funny inside and about half the time when it gets clogged from altitude changes it feels like someone is driving a nail into it. Make flying an adventure, bring some picture books of where you are going and talk to the kids about it. Talk with them about what you are going to do when you get there. From what I have overheard (no kids of my own) having the kids excited about the destination makes the traveling less of a chore for them.
I recently flew to LA for business, on what seems to have been winter break for schools in my area. There were soo many kids on my flights that I was sure that we were in for all kinds of screaming. Turns out, they were some of the best behaved kids on a flight I've been on! Parents had a lot of activities, portable DVD player/tablet, coloring books and puzzles or small toys. Kids that got fussy were quickly quieted by (imagine!) parents redirecting or comforting them. I totally don't mind hearing a kid that is making noise because they're happy.
I 100% recommend giving them something that will help with the ear pressure, if they don't know how to pop their ears. Gum for the older one, something chewy for the younger or even tootsie pops as the plane ascends/descends. Be careful with bringing your own snacks though, they will probably get confiscated by TSA at security. Have a good vacation!
@mrsbeny: My daughter has ADHD and gets extremely hyper on Benedryl and gets sleepy drinking Coke. Dramamine doesn't effect her that way, but it truly depends on the child. Having traveled extensively when my daughter was little, I can tell you the best way to keep'em out of trouble is either asleep or busy. Fruits and veggies make good snacks, but remember to add wipes to the carry on. Crayons, pens, pencils, coloring books, paper, etc... is excellent advice. I would nix the small toys only because they are hard to keep up with while trying to keep up with the kids. Be vigillant and redirect them as necessary. After you get where you are going, take them to the park or McD's playplace to get out the extra energy.
Add: Remember, It IS Vacation!!! Just stay patient and have FUN. Besides, it isn't like you can bury your kids in the backyard, as there will be none.
I also wondered about Benadryl. It tends to give me anxiety attacks and I worry that it would affect my children that way, too. I think a late flight is the way to go and the headphones for the tablets will be the first thing that I pack!
@teenracer6 @bsmith1 The plan is to do a vacation. That I do work in the travel industry makes it hard to pass up, we take a road trip once a year but the travel perks make a getaway on a flight less expensive than a drive... I don't necessarily want to wait too long to use the benefits because I never know if DH's job will take me somewhere else.
I took my son of about 22 months on two three-hour flights a few years ago. We asked the Dr. about Benadryl, and he warned against it because it can hyper a child up, too, so know how your child will respond.
It's a lot of work, but for me, it wasn't too hard. Lots of reading, lots of small toys, lots of positive attitude about the trip and the plane and all that. You don't get to relax, but it shouldn't be too bad. And people with dirty looks should've brought headphones. The airplane is for everyone.
Why are you traveling? Vacation? My advice is to not take your children anywhere far or expensive for vacation. Wait until they are in their teens before you fly with them.
Why?
A) They'll appreciate it more and remember more of the trip
B) They won't be such an annoyance to you or others
Save your money now and take them on an awesome trip when they're older.
I agree with sitting in the aisle seat, snacks, and gum/tootsie rolls. Some other thoughts:
- Avoid sugary snacks. You don't want to hype them up even more!
- Avoid letting them nap ahead of time. It would be nice if you are on a late flight and they can sleep through some of it!
- Coloring books and crayons or activity books with word finds or crosswords that are age-appropriate, as well as a book or two to read.
- PLEASE have headphones for the tablets.
- Just do your best to keep things under control. During the last flight I was on there was a young girl behind me that was LOUD and SHRILL and kept kicking my seat. Her mother did NOTHING to keep her behavior in check and I was annoyed through the entire flight. If her mom had even attempted to reign in her child's behavior, I wouldn't have had a problem. Parents who are trying will get a lot more sympathy from other passengers!
Good luck!
My best advice is dont if you dont have to.
@thunderthighs: Dramamine works too. :)
Thank you all for the suggestions. My biggest fear (other than making other customers uncomfortable) is coming back to work and seeing my name in an Incident Report...
@thunderthighs I really like the idea of the tootsie rolls. My three year old can't really do gum just yet. Thanks!
Benedryl
Gum for take-off and landing
Tootsie rolls if they're not old enough for gum (pediatrician recommended that)
New movies on portable device with headphone splitters
I think the reason that no one seems to have good ideas is because a lot of times there really isn't much you can do. If they start to act up, like the above poster said, be firm. Don't go bananas on them, but be strict enough that they listen. I think the biggest complaint from most people is that the parents just give up on controlling their kid.
That said, I've been on flights where the was literally nothing the parent could do that would not fall within child abuse to get their kid under control (the particular 3-4 year old kid I'm thinking of, I found out after the flight, was a recent adoptee with some very severe issues. Of course it was Seattle to Logan red eye).
Good luck!
Make sure they are awake during take off. If not, they'll wake up with a hell of an earache and scream the whole flight. I spent 2 hours in a plane bathroom with a screaming 18 month old. If possible, have them drink something when you take off.
@cengland0: Ha! Trust me, I've considered it! We've vacationed pretty much everywhere within driving distance....
Be firm. Pack plenty of snacks. Make sure all portable devices are fully charged and if possible, have spare batteries (don't use your devices in the terminal unless you can plug in to a wall socket). You sit in the isle seat to keep them from wandering.
My son had ear problems so, we had to have something for him to chew for take off and landing.
You can put them into the cargo section. :)
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