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The holidays are approaching, and you want to bring your child together for a holiday, or you are travelling solely for business, and you have no one to take care of your minor at home, so you are bringing your little one with you on the trip.
Whatever the reason, we can’t deny that as borders start relaxing, travel is up - and the possibility of bringing your little one on a flight becomes higher and higher. And when you do need to get your child on flights, that will be another ordeal to think about - worries such as crying non-stop on flights, being unable to calm down, screaming continuously, and angry passengers begin to cloud your mind.
Undoubtedly, it can be a stressful experience for both parents and child alike - especially if the child is young, like highly young. However, it doesn't need to be a stressful experience! If you plan your trip out and be purposeful with your intentions from the start to the end of the plane journey, your flight experience with your little ones will be seamless!
Both you and your young one will benefit and enjoy the flight - isn’t it a win-win situation? You can take countless steps to achieve that, but I have summarised it down to a few that are important and could make a massive difference in your plane trip!
Number 1: The timing and the duration of the flight.
The timing and duration of the flight are crucial to keeping your infants and toddlers quiet.
As for timing, you need to choose flights that coincide with your child's sleeping or napping time to allow them to sleep during the flight. This ensures they will not have the energy to fuss or scream during the flight and just peacefully go to sleep. In this case, red-eye flights are your best bet.
Regarding the flight duration, can the flight be broken down with layovers? Many have recommended not to fly non-stop flights if the destination is far - one example is to not fly the 18-hour route from Singapore to Newark, America. Instead, break it down, and have layovers.
Having layovers will allow your child to rest from being in the air and gives them the opportunity for them to move about. Often, it can be pretty uncomfortable for young ones to fly due to many factors. Hence, allowing them to have a break and move around on land will allow them to regulate their emotions better and give them the chance to move about freely without any restrictions!
Number 2: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Hydration is key. When in the air, we dehydrate exceptionally quickly due to the lack of humidity in aeroplane cabins. As a result, this will cause our lips, throat, and skin to feel extremely dry, making it an uncomfortable experience - especially for our children.
And as you are aware, if our young ones are incredibly uncomfortable, they are likely to become cranky. So, whenever possible, hydrate them when they are awake. That way, they will feel comfortable, and they will not be dehydrated while in the air.
Number 2.5: provide milk and juices during ascent and descent.
Ascent and Decent will have the most changes of pressure, which can make our ears pop. This can be highly uncomfortable for children. Hence, providing milk or juice will help your little ones keep their ears unclogged!
Number 3: Bring toys and books; bring out the spiel to distract them!
Make the flight fun for them to be distracted if they cannot sleep! Bring along toys they have not played with before, and read books they have never read before - the distraction can help them be calm and engage in some form of activity, allowing them to sit down and be fully engaged!
Space out your toys and books inventory - do not give your young one all you have in an instant. By doing that, you risk causing your little one to lose interest quicker, causing them not to be engaged for a more extended period. As you space out your inventory, you allow your child to play with something else as soon as they lose interest in the toy they are currently playing with, keeping them engaged.
Number 4: Play with them!
You got the resources, so why not play and engage with them? After what they have been through, they deserve some sort of playtime! Play toys with them, allow them to interact with the toys and you, clap their hands, experiment with their toys, make-believe - whatever gets them playing in a confined metal tube while respecting others.
Playing with them makes them more tired and conducive to sleeping soundly and peacefully, giving you the downtime you will need from the hustle and bustle of travelling! Plus, no screaming fusses! Your neighbours on that flight will be extremely pleased!
Number 5: Satisfy their needs to the best of your ability.
Usually, younger children are cranky because they have some unmet needs. Maybe they are thirsty, they are bored, they are tired, they are hungry, or they need to use the loo because their diaper is full. Hence, to make them not cranky, satisfy their needs to the best of your ability to keep them calm and happy!
This also means ensuring that you have a steady inventory of items on hand so that when the time arises, you will have the means to satisfy their needs (diapers, snacks, toys).
However, should you be unable to satisfy their needs due to wrong circumstances, say they are complaining that the seat belt is uncomfortable even though the seat belt sign is on, or they want to walk down the aisle, but the crew are starting meal service, making walking down the aisle dangerous.
In these situations, you can promise them that you will make it up to them and will satisfy their needs as soon as the time is right, and you will only make it up to them if they cooperate with you. That way, your young ones will know that their needs will be met later on and likely cooperate.
However, suppose they still don’t cooperate and still stir a considerable fuss, unfortunately, in unideal circumstances. In that case, the best bet is to ride it out, and as soon the opportunity arises for you to address their needs, do it immediately.
Number 6: Always have a calm demeanour!
Children are susceptible to emotions, especially younger ones. They will know if you are stressed out and be affected by it, causing them to be stressed out and cranky.
So, be calm; when they are creating a fuss, do what you usually do and calmly address their needs - it can be challenging, I know, especially with all the grumpy passengers that stare at you as your child is causing a stir. Still, it will mean a lot to your child when you are calm, as they will soon become calmer once you address their needs calmly.
The bottom line is keeping them engaged and ensuring that their needs are met when awake; if they are sleeping, great!
Flying with your little ones need not be stressful, so as long as you have a solid plan before the journey and are purposeful with every step you take, everything will be a-ok!
Do you have any other tips to share? Leave it in the comments below, or drop a comment on our Instagram post!
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