10 Proven Tips for Flying with Toddlers
Are you planning a flight with your toddler? If yes, then for some, it may be fun as their kids love to fly, and are content simplifying watching videos from takeoff to landing. But for some parents, it may be, well, lets just say not that ideal.
Flying with a toddler is completely a new challenge as compared to flying with a baby. It is very difficult for the parents to make their toddlers sit still in one place, let alone a long flight with connections.
But these issues shouldn’t restrict you from flying with young children. To make your journey smooth, you need to plan properly, do a little mental preparation, pack smart, and follow these tips:
To help you out, here are some useful tips that you can follow while traveling with your toddlers.
1. Book a no-nonsense direct flight
Lets face it, flying with your toddlers is hard enough, let alone if you have to make a connection somewhere. Your first step to a less-stressful flight starts at flight booking, where if at all possible you can opt for a direct flight. Having a direct flight also helps your toddler to have a sound sleep throughout the journey.
In case you do not find a direct flight for your destination, then try to minimize the stoppages or connecting flights in between.
2. Fly at the right time of the day
Depending on your youngster, it is advisable to fly during the nighttime (ie the famed ‘red eye’). This is simply because there is a decent chance that your child will sleep throughout the journey.
For a shorter flight, you can opt to fly in the middle of the day. This is helpful as you do not need to wake up your toddler early in the morning. Moreover, you will reach your destination before the bedtime of your child. Keep in mind the effects of time changes when your journey lasts more than a couple hours and your flying east or west.
3. Select your seats wisely
Most of the time, your little ones love to look out of the window of the plane. So, it is advisable to choose one of your seats as a window seat.
Having a window seat can help to distract the mind of your child, and allow them to wonder at the sights below, and the colors of the sky and clouds. Moreover, you share the experience by explaining what they are seeing.
4. Grab your seats in advance
Try to book your seats well in advance, if possible. It is helpful as you can increase your chance that your family sits together. Booking a seat in advance also gives you the benefit of selecting a seat of your choice.
5. Board armed with entertainment tools
Try to pack some interesting books, activity kits, crayons, and more so that your child can engage themselves. In this way also your toddler can spend some time quietly without disturbing you.
6. Pack your own kid snacks
Sure, you could get to the airport and search high and low for a decent snack or lunch for your small child, but it's hard enough getting to the gate on-time dragging all their items (plus yours!). When you're done packing for your flight, consider making a list of snacks you can carry-on to keep those hungry mouths satisfied.
7. Don’t fly under (air) pressure
If your toddler is suffering from a cold or an ear infection, then you should consult your doctor before flying. It is due to the change in the air pressure of the cabin that can cause pain in your toddler's body, usually soon after take-off, and on descent.
So, try to avoid flying during such situations. If unavoidable, you need to carry proper medications to avoid the situation becoming worse for your child.
8. Travel with basic medicines
For children who are prone to motion sickness, take along extra plastic zip-lock or diaper bags that can be used as sick bags. These extra bags are also helpful for storing smelly clothes.
If you want to have comfortable journeys with your toddler, then take all the basic medicines along with you. Moreover, these medicines can help you to make your child feel better as fast as possible.
9. Pack the essentials
When you are flying with a toddler, make sure that you have packed all the essentials, including dippers, milk, favorite toys, and extra clothes. These items help you to engage your child and make your journey smoother.
10. Talk to your kids about what to expect
Toddlers are big enough to understand some common and basic rules of flying. So try to communicate with them. Get them ready in advance by talking to them, letting them what is expected from them during the journey. Pull up your flight's status and show them where your flight is on a map.
You can tell them how they have to behave during the journey and at the time of landing of the flight. Maybe your child will not remember everything, but at least little is better than nothing.
If your child is curious about what’s going on in the cockpit, or any other aspect of flight, read here a pilot describing all aspects of flight.