5 tips that helped me when flying with kids

Flying with kids can be stressful - especially when you are the only adult with them. Here are a few things that have helped me in the past:

BRING SNACKS AND ENTERTAINMENT: if it’s a short flight, always make sure that you have snacks as well as whatever entertains your kid. I usually pack some toys and some crafts for my toddler - ideally something new that he hasn’t seen before. At the same time, I make sure that our iPad is stocked with shows that he likes to watch. It’s not my first option, but in our family, we have the rule that during travel, kids can watch as much iPad as they want, because it just sucks to be stuck in a seat and not be able to move around. At the same time, I know that if I need him to be quiet for a bit because I need to look after his brother, I can give him an iPad and he will be happy and entertained. For the baby, I will bring snacks, milk and some toys, but he is also easily entertained by the stuff in the plane, like the security instructions card. If he is wiggly, I will let him crawl around on the floor around our seats for a little while, making sure that he doesn’t escape or bother other passengers.

CHECK OUT FAMILY FACITILITES AT THE AIRPORT: some airports offers play areas or even family rooms. It’s definitely worth checking those out, because even a small play area can keep my toddler entertained for a good while. I try to get him to move as much as he wants to and can before the flight, so he either sleeps on the plane or is at least happy to sit down. This ended up in him running around on the playground at Changi airport until 1am one night, but then he fell asleep during take off and slept for 8h. It only happens once every 1-2 years so that’s fine with me.

EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS CALL FOR EXCEPTIONAL MEASURES: in my opinion, air travel is an extreme situation. You are required to sit down, often belted, cannot move freely and are surrounded by many other people. For my nerves as well as those of fellow travellers, I bend the rules during flights: screen time is not limited, snacks will not always be healthy and new toys might be bought. I want my kids to behave and not be a burden on other travellers, and I know that already for me, air travel - especially long flights - can be annoying and boring. So why not give them little treats to help them pass the time a little bit.

LET GO OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS: I know a few mothers who are afraid of flying with their toddlers because they worry that they might scream during the whole flight. I won’t deny that I worry about that too. I also know that when I travel without kids and I hear a baby scream, I will just turn up the volume of my music and continue whatever else I was doing. I think fellow travellers are mostly understanding, especially when they see that the parents are making an effort at looking after their kids. And at the same time, when I am travelling with my children, I am fully focused and presents with them, especially with the baby. That means that I try to focus on him and his needs, but am not so bothered if he screams a little bit, because I am trying to understand what could help him in this situation. By doing that, I don’t really have any time to focus on what other passengers could be thinking. I was lucky that up until now, we haven’t had any negative reactions during any of our flights and on the flights I was travelling on my own, there were always people offering help.

ASK FOR HELP: and talking of help, if you’re lucky, someone will see that it’s hard with two kids and offer it. If not, ask for it! The most challenging part of travelling with two kids is all the stuff that I need to pack for the flight as well as for emergencies, such as delays or luggage that does not arrive. So I’m usually dragging around 2-3 bags as well as my toddler’s backpack and the stroller that needs to be lifted, folded up, stored away… Even if no one offers any help, just ask someone around you, because in my experience there is always at least one person around that will be happy to give you a hand (at times, it’s the businessman you might fear will be annoyed by your kids, but who is a father himself and totally gets the situation).