Surviving Long Flights With Children

How Parents Can Manage Kids while Flying

Jul 1, 2009

Keeping children entertained, feeding them right and preparing for air travel sickness are ways to manage kids while flying long distances.

Children can’t sit still for long. When confined in an aircraft for a few hours, they often turn cranky and noisy, much to the embarrassment of their parents.

While there are no magic pills to prevent wailing and boisterous kids on the plane, there are several things that parents can do to manage kids while flying. Here are some tips for surviving long flights with children.

Keep Children Entertained on Plane

Let each child bring a favorite toy on board. For toddlers, it’s okay to bring a few small toys but don’t take them all out at the same time. Let the child play with one toy first until she’s bored with it. Then take the second one and keep the first one out of sight. Keep doing this will all the other toys.

For older kids, some paper and color pencils will be useful. Many airlines have coloring kits, puzzles and mini game sets for children. If the family is visiting friends or relatives, take along a small photo album with pictures of them. Show the pictures to the kids and tell them about these people – their house, pets, places they will take the family to, etc.

Most long distance flights also provide entertainment like kids’ programs and games on the TV screen in the back of the seat. Make use of these. Also, bring the child’s own mobile games if possible.

Feed Kids Right During Flight

Make sure baby’s or child’s meals are ordered when booking the flight. Parents with babies may want to bring their own baby food and use disposable bibs and bottle liners. They should also ask for milk or baby food to be warmed way before it is needed as there is no microwave on the plane and food can only be heated using hot water in the galley, which can take some time.

Meals served on flights are often very hot, hence the need to test the food temperature before feeding the kids. Some kids get very adventurous about food during flights as they don’t get to eat on a plane that often. So order kids’ meals even though Mum has already packed some food for fussy eaters in the family. The novelty of experimenting with airline food will keep the kids entertained for at least half an hour!

Prepare for Air Travel Sickness

Air sickness may afflict some children. Use the air sickness bags provided if needed. Diaper bags that can double up as air sickness bags too. Jet lag is another concern. Parents can help children manage jet lag a few days before by adjusting the kids’ schedule bit by bit and letting them sleep as much as possible during the flight.

Some kids also complain about ear pain during take-offs or landings. Get babies to suck on pacifiers and older kids to sip and swallow water to relieve the ear pressure. Parents can also get soft ear plugs from pharmacies. These can equalize the air pressure on each side of the ear drum and reduce harsh noise naturally.

Children have the unfortunate knack of turning a flight into a nightmare for their parents. Still, surviving long flights with children is achievable. Parents can manage kids while flying by keeping them entertained on the plane, feeding them properly and preparing them for any air travel sickness that may occur.

Spencer, Penny. “Jet Lag and Children”. Aussie Kids. Melbourne: Aussie Kids Publications, June 2009.

The copyright of the article Surviving Long Flights With Children in Parent-Child Outings is owned by Wei Yin Wong. Permission to republish Surviving Long Flights With Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.