flying with children

Posts Tagged ‘flying with children’

How to Survive Meltdowns & Meanies when Flying with Children

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

You’re packed and ready to board the airplane with your child. Snacks? Check. Beloved cuddle toy? Check. A carry-on full of games, coloring books, and maybe a DVD or two? Check. Check. Check. There’s no one more prepared than you. But even the best preparation won’t guarantee a stress-free flight.

Airplane Tantrum

Occasionally, a worn-out child will throw a tantrum no matter how how many DVDs or bags of Cheerios and fish-shaped crackers you’ve brought. Once that happens, the mean passengers seated nearby will sigh audibly and throw why-can’t-people-control-their-children looks your way. Here are three unexpected tips for dealing with these meltdowns and meanies when flying with children.

Break the Rules
My two-year-old daughter loves to dig through my purse. It’s a no-no, and she knows it. But if I leave it anywhere within her reach, she’ll start rooting around in it the second my back is turned. Her favorite items are my tin of lip gloss, my camera, and my wallet. My theory is that she’s fascinated by these things precisely because they’re off-limits.

On one particularly long day of travel and changing planes, my daughter had had enough. She wanted to put the tray table up and down, up and down, annoying the passenger in front of her. After asking her to stop several times and offering every snack and distraction I could think of, I had to be firm and buckle her into her seat belt so that she couldn’t reach the tray table. She lost it. She screamed and kicked and wouldn’t stop.

Until I pulled out my purse.

I told her that if she stopped with all the racket, I’d let her take out one item. She chose the camera. Luckily, I had already uploaded the pictures. She pressed the buttons and took blurry pictures of me and the seat cushions for the rest of the flight.

The camera is still a no-no, but it was my saving grace that day. If I have to, I’ll use it again. Or the lip gloss tin or my wallet. Honestly, I’d rather clean up lip gloss from daughter’s hands and cheeks or greasy fingerprints from my camera than sit through an in-flight meltdown.

Whatever safe no-nos you have, I say bring ‘em out. But only when absolutely necessary. Use no-no items only to cease a melt-down that has already begun, not to prevent one. You certainly don’t want the access to these items to become an expectation!

Let. It. Be.
Once you’ve done everything you can, you have to give in to both the meltdown and the meanies. I don’t mean give in and let your daughter kick the back of the chair in front of her or run up and down the aisle. I mean, let go of the idea that you can control everything.

You’ve tried everything, right? You’ve used up all your tricks. You’ve apologized profusely, and you may have even offered to buy your row-mates a drink (when absolutely necessary, this can come in handy). It’s time to realize you may not be the one in control. I know it’s easier said than done, but you might be better off letting the tantrum happen and ingnoring the glares from unsympathetic passengers. Chances are, a cranky, crying child will wear herself out eventually.

As for the meanies, you just have to remind yourself that they’re out there, and there’s nothing you can do about it. The more you try to control something you have no control over, the more frustrated you become. And you’ll probably never see those mean people ever again.

Think Into The Future
You know how we say, one day we’ll all laugh about this? Well, next time you’re on an airplane (or in the grocery store or wherever) and you’ve done everything you can, but the meanies and the meltdowns take over anyway, imagine yourself sitting at coffee with friends and telling them the story of that horrible flight.

So Junior is throwing a fit because he wants strawberry yogurt instead of blueberry, and I overhear the lady in the seat behind me say, “Why won’t she control her kids?” Never mind that we still have two hours to go. I swear if someone doesn’t give me a glass of wine and a shoulder massage right now, I’m going to tear my hair out.

I promise you, it will help. If even just enough to keep your hair in your head.

Elizabeth Salaam is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to the San Diego Reader. She and her husband have two children, ages 2 and 13. As an objective journalist, Elizabeth doesn’t often get a chance to gush about the wonderful people she meets every day, so she created theYukiPages.com, a blog where she gushes about her favorite San Diegans and they, in turn, share their favorite San Diego restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, and hikes with her.

Your Travel Questions Answered

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Every now and then I receive emails or comments from readers with helpful travel tips, interesting questions, or some thoughts about how TravelMamas.com helped them travel better with kids. I thought I’d compile a few of them to share with you in hopes it will help your family travels a bit!

Pack Right!
“I was so happy to see packing lists on your website! My husband and I (along with my mother-in-law) are going to Disney World in two weeks with our five sons. I know I have to pack early. I know I have to pack thoroughly. I knew I was going to stress myself out writing up lists and lists in order to do it all! The fact that we have never had a family vacation before also made the task seem most daunting. With a wide range of ages, I was so pleased to see I was able to find lists that covered all them. So here’s a big THANK YOU for having these lists for moms to print up. You just saved me a whole bottle of ibuprofen I bet.”
~Heather Haas

Dear Heather,
I’m so glad I could help with your trip (and save you from a headache)! The Packing Lists have been a hit since Travel Mamas launched almost a year ago. In fact, besides the home page, Packing Lists is the most popular page of my site!

Stay Healthy!
“I took your class last October and have been meaning to send this to you ever since! I think I mentioned it in class, it’s a pack ‘n’ play cover (by Cover Play) that you can bring with you if you are using a hotel or borrowed pack ‘n’ play.
~Erin Thomas

Dear Erin,
With airlines charging fees for checked baggage, it makes sense to use the portable crib provided by the hotel instead of bringing yours along. This slipcover seems like a wonderful way to keep a portable crib germ-free while traveling! I’ve already added the Coverplay Play Yard Slipcover (pictured above) to our Travel Gear to Buy page! Thanks for the handy tip!

Fly Safely!
“I have a travel question…My son will be ten and a half months old when we travel to Club Med Ixtapa next month. We bought an extra seat on the plane for him. We really don’t want to bring his car seat, but he may not be 22 pounds yet. Would you still suggest the CARES Harness, or do you have other ideas?”
~Cori Shiffrin

Dear Cori,
Thanks for your question, Cori! I love the CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) and I purchased two CARES that I use for both of my children when we fly. However, I would not suggest using a CARES for a child who does not meet the age and weight restrictions for the restraint. CARES was safety-tested and approved specifically for for children aged one and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds.

So, to keep your son safe in the air, you will need to bring an infant or toddler car seat with you instead. Installing, uninstalling, and carrying an infant seat is much easier than using the toddler seat. If your infant car seat’s safety requirements allow for a child your son’s size, I would go with that.

Check out Go Go Babyz rolling carts that carry toddler and infant seats, making navigating the airport easier. Another option is the Sit ‘n’ Stroll, which is a stroller, booster seat, and car seat all rolled into one. It can be used on an airplane instead of a car seat and is suitable for children from newborns up to 40 pounds. If purchasing one of these is too expensive (especially if you plan to switch to a CARES soon), I suggest asking around to see if you could borrow one from a friend, or you could rent one from a baby gear rental gear company instead.

I hope that helps!

Thanks to all of the Travel Mamas mentioned in this post and the many others who read my blog, make comments, and send helpful travel tips my way! It means a lot to me to know that I am helping other parents enjoy their family journeys!
~Colleen Lanin
“The Travel Mama”

Do you have a tip, question, or suggestion you’d like to share? Please add a comment below!

For more information on this topic, see:

• 4 Packing Sanity Savers

• Get a Good Night’s Sleep on Vacation with Babies & Children

• How to Stay Healthy & Fit While Traveling

• The Bright Side of Flying with Kids

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Tags: CARES, flying with children, packing lists, travel crib
Posted in Family Vacations, Toys & Gear, Travel Tips | 2 Comments »

Take Off with The Flying Pinto, Winner of Our Blog Contest

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Travel Mamas and Travel Daddies like you voted for their favorite of three finalists’ stories in our first-ever blog contest. All of the finalists received lots of positive comments and votes but the winning blogger is Sara Keagle for her story, The Bright Side of Flying with Kids.

Sara Keagle, Winner of the Travel Mamas Blog Contest

As a little girl, Sara dreamed of one day becoming a writer. Now she writes about her 16-year career as a flight attendant in her blog, The Flying Pinto, which gives travelers a look behind the galley curtain and provides tips on how to make the most of in-flight experiences. Sara also writes as the resident flight attendant for the national digital travel magazine, Hip Compass Escapes. In a recent article, Sara wrote, “Being a flight attendant has taught me to go with the natural flow of life.”

Her easygoing attitude is apparent in her winning contest entry, which shows us how to make the best of something many of us dread – taking a flight with children. One reader, Captain Doug Morris, said, “As a pilot, father, and observer of passengers with children, Sara’s article is a great read.”

Sara is a Travel Mama to her daughter, Lucy (age 2) and stepdaughter, Bethany (age 12). In her story, Sara asks busy parents, “before you pack those DVD players for your trip, why not look at your flight as a way to spend some quality family time?” It should, therefore, come as no surprise that her favorite memory of traveling with her children involves flying. She describes her favorite moment as a Travel Mama as, “being in the airplane with Lucy and seeing her realize we were up in the sky and (observing) all the excitement that she was feeling.”

Sara has traveled the globe during her career but if she could choose one destination to visit with her children she would pick the Galapagos Islands. She said, “I think it would be magical for everyone, but especially the kids, to see those beautiful creatures in an area still mostly untouched by humans.”

It is ironic that Sara has become such a world traveler. Her most exotic childhood vacation memory was when her family drove to Provincetown, Massachusetts all 77 miles from Plymouth, Massachusetts. She remembers the trip fondly. She said, “It was a great adventure staying in a motel and exploring Cape Cod.”

Sara said the most important piece of advice she would like to offer to other traveling parents is to, “keep your sense of humor!” From one Travel Mama to another, I will certainly try to keep my sense of humor, Sara. But I’m bringing the DVD player along, just in case!

As the winner of the Travel Mamas Blog Contest, Sara will receive a $100 gift certificate to Diapers.com, which offers a wide selection of staples like diapers and baby food, plus toys, books, strollers, baby carriers, and more – much of which is perfect for traveling with children.

Read Sara’s tips for making it through a flight, not only with sanity intact, but also with a smile on your face in her winning entry, The Bright Side of Flying with Kids.

Thank you to everyone who voted, and a very special thanks to all of the bloggers who entered the contest!

Do you enjoy air travel with children? Do you have any tips for making flying with children fun? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Airplane Carry-On Kit for Babies & Toddlers

• Air Travel Resources

• Air Travel Tips for Babies & Toddlers

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Tags: blog contest, flying with children
Posted in Giveaways | No Comments »

The Bright Side of Flying with Kids

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Most families I know have full schedules so jam-packed with work, school, and extracurricular activities that they barely have time for family dinners anymore. So, before you pack those DVD players for your trip, why not look at your flight as a way to spend some quality family time? Here are a few ways to make your flight an experience your kids will remember…and yes, enjoy!

Sara’s daughter, Lucy (age 2), is pictured above
reading the safety information card before takeoff

Before You Go
Get your children excited about flying, especially if they have never flown before. Start talking about your trip a few days beforehand. Point out airplanes as they fly by, tell them that you will be on an airplane….up in the sky! Your kids may not understand at that very moment, but they will eventually be able to piece it together as you get on the plane and then take off.

Take them to the library or book store, and get age appropriate books related to flying. Use this as a learning experience and choose books on the history of flight or maybe a book related to your destination.

One of my favorite activities for kids of any age is to keep a travel journal. I started my daughter Lucy’s journal on her first trip. She was only three-months-old so I did the writing, but now at two she scribbles where I write, and eventually she will take it over. We’ve also saved every boarding pass from our trips together.

Inflight Activities
It’s a good idea to have a couple of surprises ready. The Dollar Store is a wonderful resource; you can buy a bunch of new things without breaking the bank!

Coloring books with pictures of airplanes are fun. Be sure to pack some triangle-shaped crayons, like those made by Crayola. You don’t want to spend your flight picking up crayons that rolled off your tray table.

You can also play games in flight. One example is “Pack a suitcase.” Start by saying, “I’m packing a suitcase and bringing a ____.” Then your child repeats the sentence and adds another item. Keep going back and forth until someone forgets something. Then start over. You can find more ideas on “games” to play in the card set 52 Fun Things to do on the Plane.

Inflight Toys

Coloring/Activity Books
Sticker Books
Mr. Potato Head
Play-Doh
Travel Scrabble
Lego Models

Preparing to Board
Give yourself oodles of time. Kids feel your stress, which is pretty inevitable on travel day. I usually have to take moments out while packing, preparing or loading the car to bend down and talk to Lucy to let her know everything is OK. You won’t be in your normal routine and your children will need some reassurance. It really helps if you take time to set their expectations instead of rushing nervous, possibly tired, anxious kids out the door…not a great stage to set for travel day!

Allow your children to help in whatever way possible. If your children are big enough, let them pack and carry their own little suitcases or backpacks with their activities. This will get them excited and ready to go!

Onboard the Airplane
Be sure to have your camera ready while boarding. As you board, point out the flight deck to your kids. If your children are interested ask the flight attendant to ask the captain if your kids can pop in for a quick visit. I have never met a pilot who wouldn’t take a few minutes to show a child around the cockpit. Now get that picture!

Once at your seats, let your child sit in the window seat if possible. Of course if you have two children, you can divvy up window-sitting time. There is the return flight, or one child can have the window for take-off and the other can sit by the window for landing.

Take the safety information card out and explain a few things. You don’t have to tell them it’s for an emergency. Keep it age appropriate. Show them the picture of the passenger buckling the seatbelt and explain that, like in the car, they will need to stay buckled. Let older children buckle their own seatbelts so they feel involved.

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy that flight you were dreading…it may just turn out to be fun.

Last but not least, ask your flight attendant for a pair of plastic wings. They make a nice souvenir of your travels…and the wonderful time you had inflight!

Sara Keagle is a flight attendant and author of The Flying Pinto, a blog that gives travelers a look behind the galley curtain and provides tips on how to make the most of their inflight experiences. She has a daughter, Lucy (age 2) and a stepdaughter, Bethany (age 12).

Do you enjoy air travel with your children? Do you have tips for making flying with kids easier that you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!

Child-Friendly Airlines and Airports

Monday, April 20th, 2009

As parents we often endure long flights, layovers, and unexpected delays with squirming, whining children and the stares or comments from less-than-sympathetic fellow passengers. Don’t despair! Airports and airlines are offering additional services and facilities to help parents make it through, and even enjoy, flying with children.

Travel Daddy Sean Huet from New York asked Travel Mamas if we could put together a list of parent-friendly airport facilities to help during long layovers.

Well, Sean, you will be happy to know many airports now offer play areas and even babysitting services. Boston’s Logan International Airport offers play areas with a baggage-claim-style slide and climbable make-believe air control tower. San Diego’s Lindberg Field offers rocking chairs for parents. Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport provides “baby care” rooms with nursing seats and vending machines stocked with diaper-changing necessities. Some airports, like Athens International and Munich International, provide supervised childcare facilities to give traveling parents a break during layovers. To read more on airports that cater to kids, read Cookie Magazine’s Airport Survival Guide by Christina Ohly Evans.

Airlines are getting in on the child-friendly trend, too. Air France offers an in-flight kids’ channel that plays cartoons for the little ones. Virgin America has teamed up with Disney, the Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. for travel entertainment. Lufthansa offers its young passengers toys themed around its mascot, Lu the traveling stork. Scandinavian Airline provides children with Pippi Longstocking travel kits.

United Arab Emirates fulfills any parent’s needs with on-board baby changing tables and bassinets, kids’ television and movie channels, special children’s meals, and Emirates’ own online and paper magazines for kids. They will even provide children with a birthday cake if flying on their birthday!

Sean also said, “The other thing we have struggled with when traveling is finding decent kid food because restaurant kid menus are all breaded chicken nuggets, fish sticks and spaghetti with nary a fruit cup or organic anything in site.” I hear ya, Daddy! Here’s an article on the best eats in airports, Eating Well on the Fly, by Joe Brancatelli, Conde Nast Portfolio.com.

What is your favorite airline or airport for children? Leave a comment about it below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Airplane Carry-On Kit for Babies & Toddlers

• Air Travel Resources

• Air Travel Tips for Babies & Toddlers

Tags: airlines, airports, flying with children, kids, parents, restaurants
Posted in Family Vacations, Travel Tips | 3 Comments »