Straight from the kiddie's mouth
Jun 22 '00
I am what you call a seasoned traveller. In my 20 years of life, I've moved more than 10 times, across the United States and overseas. Because of this, I have been flying since I was 2 years old, and based on this experience, here are my tips for first time flyers.
Entertainment on the plane
Never underestimate the power of a coloring book or picture book. Kids love to be entertained, and it can be especially hard on an airplane, where the space is limited. Magnadoodles (which were more popular when I was young, but seem to be making a comeback) are great for flights, because there is no risk of drawing on the seat in front of your child, or the person for that matter. :-) Now, too, they have a new Crayola Magic coloring book, where the markers work only on that variety of paper. While I can't say for certain that this product will be *as* entertaining, it seems as if it would be similarly safe and fun. My brother and I also had sticker books for long trips, and my parents would ask the flight attendants for special airline related stickers. It was a lot of fun, and it made the flight more interesting.
If for some reason you forget to bring something fun for your child, pick up a magazine at the airport and make a game with it. National Geographic is generally the best, because of the colorful pictures, but any travel related magazine will do. Ask your child to find a certain number of pictures relating to the place your going (or even simpler... ask her to find all the monkeys in the magazine) and circle them. Once she's found 'all of them', check her work and give her a prize... maybe a mint candy from your bag or a sip of your soda (my parents didn't let us have caffienated pop until we were older, so that was always a treat).
For first time flyers, a favored stuffed animal is helpful, or a blanket -something to calm them when 'scary noises' begin. Try taping a favorite story before hand, maybe while you're reading to your child at bedtime, for them to listen to if they become nervous. The combination of the sound of your voice and the familiarity of the story will be sure to soothe your child. The headphones will prevent it from irritating your neighbors - just make sure your child is willing to wear them.
If your child is older, bring along a book or a portable video game for them (if your child is that lucky... my brother and I didn't get game boys until we were much older) with headphones!!!! Noises on a plane are distracting, and can upset people around you. If they get airsick (which isn't common, but can happen), have some sort of music or story for them to listen to, so they can calm down. Being calm is half the battle.
The Layover
Many people think it sounds cruel or strange, but when I was young (around 4), my mother used to put a belt around my waist or wrist, and attach a child leash so I couldn't get away or be kidnapped. I disagree - it was great! My little brother and I pretended they were our tails, and my parents went along with it. We explored the airport with my mom, expelling some of the energy built up in the car ride over or in the plane, while my dad sat with the luggage. We couldn't get too far away because of our 'tails', and we got to run around!
If you can't find such a device, there are other ways to entertain your kids any way. Walk around, holding one another's hands (like when you're crossing the street), and tell your kids you're going exploring. Make it exciting for them - point out the local flora (plastic trees) and fauna (dogs in carriers), and ask them to fill in details. What kind of tree is it - do plastic monkey's live there? etc. If you are creative, your kids will have a fantastic time, and forget all about the waiting.
If you're not that creative, find a nice place to spread out, and encourage your kids to color. Ask them to draw whoever you are visiting a special picture as a present. Give them an incentive if they won't do it just to be nice - maybe a piece of candy or some stickers. :) Whatever your kids like is good. Color with them, and compare what you all decided to draw.
Necessities
There are certain things that are necessities when flying with children. Try never to leave without them, and you should be okay.
1) Snacks - whatever they have at home is okay. Granola bars were my mom's favorite, because they were easy to tuck where-ever. Kids get hungry right when there's nothing about, and besides, there is NO TELLING when you'll get stuck on the tarmack waiting to taxi for hours on end (see my epinion/rant on Northwest airlines for more on that.
2) Mints - when a child is nervous, sometimes an upset tummy is a result. Medicines can stress a kid out even more, so if you think its just nerves, give them a peppermint to suck on. It will settle their stomach easily, and they won't freak out. Mints are also good to suck on if the pressurization in the cabin of the plane is bad. By creating saliva in the child's mouth, she has to swallow more, which in turn helps the inner ear adjust to the different pressures (gum also works for this).
3) Batteries - you're stuck on the tarmack, your kid's walkman just died, and you didn't bring anything else for her to do. Now she's crying, the people around you are glaring, and even the stewardess won't come near you. How to avoid this problem? Bring extra batteries! Nowadays so many things are battery operated, its like leaving hope without ibprofen in your purse... just plain silly. Just make sure to find out what kind of batteries your kids' stuff takes, so you don't end up having the wrong kind.
4) Instant disinfectant stuff - whether you like the baby wipes or the new no water needed anti-bacterial hand goo, it's really nice to have something to kill the germs of a public place when your kids have been running around touching everything. Sometimes there just isn't time to wash hands after going to th ebathroom, especially if your flight is on last call. This prevents your kids from getting themselves sick, and doubles as prevention for sticky fingers after eating the mints. ;-)
5) A pen. Even if you can't find paper somewhere, there's always the napkin that comes under your complimentary beverage AND the inflight magazine. Perfect for letting your child scribble on quietly, if there is absolutely nothing else.
With these things, my mom got us to and from England, Greece, Puerto Rico, and many other places. I have no bad memories of flights when I was a child, because my mom always cared enough to have stuff to keep me occupied. And, in return, I was always well-behaved (or so she tells me). Try them out, and you'll see what I mean. :-)
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Clairysse
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Sassy: its not just an attitude, its a way of life.
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