Introducing Debbie Dubrow:
Debbie writes the superb DeliciousBaby.com. We’re very pleased she has agreed to share some of her hard earned travel wisdom with Family Hack.
With the holidays fast approaching, it seems like almost everyone I talk with is stressed about bringing their kids on a plane ride, and trying to figure out how to encourage them to be on their best behavior. As with everything else, a little advance preparation and having a few tricks up your sleeve won’t guarantee perfect behavior, but it sure helps!
Here are my top 10…,make that 11 tips for enabling young children to behave well on a plane.
1. Information is King
Good behavior starts by helping your child understand exactly what is going to happen. Without building things up too much, you can begin to talk about the trip a few days before you leave (even for kids as young as one year old). Talk about where you’ll be going (e.g. grandma’s house) and how you’ll be getting there (on a plane). On the day of the flight, lay out exactly what is going to happen. For example: first we’ll take a taxi to the airport, then we’ll go through security, and then we’ll get on the plane and fly to grandma’s . Even very young toddlers understand more than you think, and even if they don’t understand the details, they’ll understand that there is a plan and that everything is ok.
2. Set Expectations
At each stage of the trip (especially through security) point out what is happening, and explain to your child what you expect of them. “Look, there’s the conveyor belt, we get to put our shoes, sippy, and lovey on the conveyor belt and then we will get them on the other side.” Knowing what is expected of them (before they’re in trouble) will help keep your child from getting stressed out and loosing it. Books can help de-mystify travel too, one of our favorites for travel is Planes Board Book
3. Become an Advance Planner & “Do-er”
Do everything earlier than you think you need to. Pack earlier, check in online, get your child ready early, leave earlier for the airport, etc etc etc. Nothing riles up a toddler more than parents who seem to be anxious or in a rush. When something does throw a wrench in the works, you’ll be able to be patient knowing that you have a little extra time.
4. A Well-Fed Child is a Content Child.
Bring some hearty (not sweet) snacks and pack them where they’re easy to reach. Here are some of our favorites: Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter, freeze dried fruit, peanut butter sandwiches, cheese slices. Remember that any liquids need to be packed separately, so it’s easiest to avoid bringing liquid snacks like applesauce.
5. Divide and Conquer.
Send one parent ahead to do some of the trickier tasks (checking baggage, buying snacks, pre-board & install car seats, etc) while the other waits nearby with the kids.
6. Run Them While You Can.
A kid who has been cooped up too much already is not going to sit well on a plane. After you’ve cleared security, give your kids some time to run. Many airports have play areas, so be sure to ask the gate agent for details. If there’s no play area, you can often find an empty gate area to play in.
7. Clear their Ears.
Takeoff and landing are hard on toddlers because they don’t know how to clear their ears. Bring a sippy or a cup with a lid & straw so that your child can drink milk or water during takeoff (try to avoid juice as the sugar will only make the flight more difficult for everyone). Not every airline has milk on board (and some reserve it for coffee only), so buy some in the airport or bring some powdered formula from home.
8. Expectations are Everything (Part II)
Expect that you’ll spend the entire flight tending to your child (or children). If you start off on the right foot, the kids will be delighted with the extra attention, and you’ll feel rewarded when they do get in some independent play time or a nap (instead of bitter when they don’t).
9. An Engaged Child is a Happy Child.
Bring a variety of toys, books, and music (even a one year old can use adult earbuds). Be creative. Make toys out of everything around you. Barf bag puppets, scavenger hunts in the airline magazines, old fashioned seatbelt buckles. Teach yourself a few new finger rhymes (e.g. where is thumbkin) and games before you leave home. When it comes to toys, our rule of thumb is one new toy per hour that we expect our children to be awake. Introduce toys one at a time, making sure that your child has exhausted its play value before moving on to the next. There’s nothing more fun than unwrapping gifts, so try wrapping each toy before you leave home. While I’d never spoil the kids like that at home, it’s useful to have them associate long play rides with fun .
10. Bring the Binky
Don’t forget (or check) your child’s comfort object, whatever it might be. Travel is stressful. They’ll need it.
11. Sleep is Golden
If you think that your child is sleepy, do everything you can to create a comforting, sleep inducing environment. Sing quietly or play music (with headphones) for them. Go through their sleeptime ritual, and them that it will be a long plane ride, and they’ll have more fun at grandma’s house if they get some sleep now.
When all else fails, remember, it’s not whether your child is the best behaved on the plane. it’s whether anyone else’s child is worse.
Related Links:
Ten Tips for Keeping Your Child Busy on a Plane
Ten Great Travel Toys you Already Have at Home
Helping Your Baby or Child Sleep on a Plane
Flying with Babies, Toddlers and Kids
Ten Essential Packing Rules when Traveling with Kids
About the Author:
Debbie is the mother of two delicious kids, 1yr and 2.5yr, she loves to read, eat, and travel. Debbie shares her experiences travelling with kids, and her travel advice, on her blog www.deliciousbaby.com
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Don’t forget to add the Downtime Sleepy hat to your list of must-haves for travelling with a little one. It is a life-saver for helping babies fall asleep in difficult places, such as on an airplane. Check it out at: http://www.downtimebaby.com.
I found your post from TravelHackers Carnival - thank you for reinforcing the tips. We have traveled a lot with our kids and use all the pointers you have above. One thing that I have found useful is to bring along a couple games/books/distractions that they have not seen before, to give them something to look forward too. Michaels has great $1 craft projects (with little tubes of glue even) that can keep my daughter happy for a long while.
Thanks for your post!
I’m glad you liked the post Gudrun, I didn’t know about the craft projects at Michaels! What a great tip.
Thanks for contributing this article to this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at the so-called me on Monday, December 10, 2007! We have many other wonderful entries, so stop by and read a few!
Interested in hosting the Carnival? The schedule is posted at Colloquium.
How is milk or water supposed to help your ears during takeoff or landing? I have never heard of such thing so I am curious.
@Mark - The milk or juice causes the child to swallow which relieves the pressure in the ears during takeoff and landing.
@ Mark — I often think as I hear babies crying during takeoff about how much easier the flight would be for *all* the passengers (especially the baby) if the flight attendants would tell parents this trick during boarding (making some milk or water available to the small children during takeoff would be even better)
I find that trick very interesting. I myself am a SCUBA diver so I simply hold my nose and blow my nose out. I don’t know if that would work for kids like pretend to blow your nose during landings. It doesn’t work when going up in altitude. It sounds like the drinking trick works the best for small kids and their eardrums. Ill certainly let my fellow passengers know if I ever get lucky enough to sit next to one again.
Can any flight attendant reading this answer why they never tell anyone this trick?
@mark - it works for grown-ups, too. older kids and adults might prefer to keep chewing gum handy (i think hannah mentioned this in her post on traveling) because it increases your saliva production and makes you swallow. i never get on a plane without a pack of gum.
yawning is another good way to relieve the pressure in your ears…certain textbooks might do the trick in this case.
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