Top Tips for Flying with Tots
Posted by
Tracy on Thursday, October 09, 2008
Remember when we asked you guys for tips on keeping the kids in check during those long holiday flights? Well, you had a ton of great advice. We've narrowed down the best of your tips below, so read up:
1. Have a discussion on expected behavior prior to the trip, as well as a little refresher before boarding.
2. A bag stuffed with essential treats. In our case, that would be Teddy Grahams.
3. Pack plenty of books, stickers, paper, crayons, magazines, and anything else that can be read, or incorporated into an easy mess-free craft project. Remember, obviously, no scissors.
4. Fresh out of craft ideas? Here's an easy one! Bring a fine point Sharpie marker and allow your children to - just this once - add moustaches to all the faces in the in-flight magazine. Or blackened teeth. Or both! Hey, go wild (quietly, and to yourself)!
5. Three words: Portable. DVD. Player.
6. Fly a kid friendly airline like Frontier, JetBlue, or Virgin with seat-back televisions. There's almost always a channel with children's programming.
7. Request a window seat so your child can look out and lean at will without disturbing other passengers.
8. Never do early boarding. The less time on board, the better. Sitting around, twiddling thumbs (or using up all your games and activities before you even take off) while you wait for the plane to fill up will probably take longer than you think.
9. Don't hand out all the toys at once. Conserve what's out and for as long as you can. Who knows? You might not even make it through the entire bag of tricks, which can be a real bonus on the trip home.
10. For smaller children (under one year), try using a Boppy pillow on your lap, to fill that scary gap between your lap and the seat in front of you.
11. For the slightly older kids, who may potentially taunt one another: Pay them off! $5 an hour, $1, a quarter, whatever you think sounds about right. Personally, my mother would clutch her pearls at the suggestion that she pay her children to behave, but hey. I'm certainly not above it. Says the person who suggested that one, "We used this trick when going to Disneyworld, and they only lost one hour's worth of bribes.” See?
12. Let them stay up a little later the night before the flight, or wake up very early the day of. Once onboard, bring blankets and pillows and let them catch up on sleep.
13. Still in the sippy cup years? When the beverage cart comes 'round your way, ask the flight attendant to fill up those sippy cups instead of plastic cups that tend to spill.
14. See other children acting up on your flight? Remember to thank your own for not doing that, and for setting a good example.
15. If all else fails, and your child cries excessively or rubs an open pudding cup into your seat mate's face or something horrible, bring along little I'm-sorry gifts to "bribe"/"win over" your fellow passengers. A $5 Starbucks card, a box of chocolates, etc.
Have a tip of your own to share? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Reader Comments
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Air Canada also has the screen in the back of the seats. They offer a variety of channels including a children's & family channels
by Cheryl on
Thursday, October 09, 2008
I always take disposable bibs with me. No carrying around dirty bibs. Just leave them at the restaurant or give them to the flight attendant to dispose of. They are cheap and well worth it.
by Stefani on
Monday, October 13, 2008
Anyone traveling with kids overseas should get international health insurance. Pink eye, the flu, strep - any of them can ruin a trip. Make sure you know where you can find a good doctor quickly and easily without paying through the nose.
by Cass on
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I always purchase a pack of the disposable coffee cups with lids and toss them in my carry-on. Every one of us (8yo up to mom) uses them instead of the cups offered by the F/A. Sort of like sippy cups for big kids.
by Timmys_mom on
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
5. Three words: Portable. DVD. Player.
5.a. Five words: Portable. DVD. Player. With. Headphones.
I can't tell you how many times I've had to ask the flight attendant to request a parent plug in the headphones. Barney singing is *NOT* more desirable than your kid's voice.
by sayhello on
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Chill Pills - for the other passengers. It's not like they were never children.
by zzzzz78759 on
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
One word: Benadryl
Two words: Drug them.
And while you're at it, tell them NOT to bang on the seat in front of them.
by Anti-Kids on
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Spoken like someone who has no kids. Mine takes Benadryl and she gets nasty and jittery. Besides, I'm not drugging my kid because someone feels that kids shouldn't be allowed in the same space as them.
In fact, my child is a very experienced, well-behaved, frequent flyer. We often get that patented eye-roll from people who don't like kids when we sit down but I've never had anyone complain and have had several people compliment her on her behavior.
But all kids get tired, bored, stressed, sick, just like adults. I've seen much worse behavior from adults on planes than children. Spilled beer/wine/other liquor on me. Foul language. Body odor. Snoring. The idiot who absolutely HAS to have the window seat but then climbs over everyone in the row every 10 minutes to go to the bathroom or get his laptop or find his book or get a magazine...
Or the worst...the absolute worst...taking off their shoes (bad enough!) and putting their feet on the arm rests in front of them. MY arm rests.
Yes, my child is a good traveler and I'm proud of her but I also have tolerance for people whose kids are just having a bad day or may be frightened.
Oh, and by the way, telling parents their children are misbehaving is not helpful. It just stresses out the parents and it trickles down to the kids, escalating the whole issue.
Just relax...this, too, shall pass.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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by Les on
Friday, July 03, 2009
Oslo... on a business class ticket. The moral - always be sure your ticket starts or ends in the USA!!!Thanks for sharing it.
Nice article, very helpful. Thanks!
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