5 Tips for Flying with Kids

Are you planning a trip on a plane with your baby, toddler or small children? 

Are you scared of possible stress involved in air travel with kids?

I have done it twice and I know it.

Travelling with kids is exhausting whether it is the first time or not and flying is the most challenging part of it especially if you are not well-prepared for it.

Even a two-hour-flight trapped on a plane may seem endless unless you have planned a couple of activities, toys and snacks to kill the time and make it less chaotic and stressful.

I have gathered 5 tips based on my previous mistakes that can make flying with kids more tolerable and smoother.

1- Bring your snacks

I used to think that there is no need to carry extra weight and grab snacks for kids as we were going to be served a meal on board.

That's a huge mistake.

Kids usually don't seem to like the meals on board and their freshness is also doubtful.

So why not do some grocery shopping and put together a bag of snacks? You can include anything bite-size like pretzels, crackers, biscuits, fruit chips, baked rolls.

Lollipops can also do wonders as they will keep your kids entertained for a good deal of time (keep wet wipes nearby:)plus they are said to be good if your child has trouble with ears popping during the takeoff or landing.

Having a good amount of your kids' favorite snacks must be a success. You can use it as a little bribery and promise them their special treats if they behave well on the plane.

2- Have your child carry a backpack

Let your child carry a light backpack where you can put everything he might need during the flight: wet napkins, a favorite toy (of course not something noisy, preferably a soft toy), one new toy, one new activity.

As most of the airlines offer cups without lids, it will be wise to bring your own bottles and spill-proof cups.

I would take 2 bottles, one full of water and another empty bottle in case your kid wants to drink some juice offered on the plane. 

3- Bring your fully- charged electronics 

Even and especially if you limit your kids on screen time, it's a great idea to fully charge all sorts of electronics you own (Kindle, tablets, cell-phones) and load them with all sorts of offline games and cartoons and films.

Bringing electronics on board must be a huge success too as kids are usually not allowed to spend lots of time playing video games so this trick can be used to remind them one more time to behave well and keep quiet and not kick the chair of the passengers in front:).

4-  Carry a purse besides a backpack

I used to think that backpacks are more practical to keep your hands free but they are not really very handy when you constantly need to reach for a diaper, a napkin or your documents. 

Nowadays, when waist belts are coming back in fashion, you can get one for easy access staff while you can use your backpack for carrying your laptop, camera and chargers.

5- Watch your intake of drinks before the flight

You don't want to run to the toilet every now and then when you are checking in or boarding. 

Though it is well-known that hydration on board is very low and it is recommended to drink lots of fluids, but if your flight is not that long try to reduce the intake of fluids before and during the flight as you can't keep the kids unattended most of the times.

You can always resume drinking lots of water once you have landed to avoid dehydration and headaches.

As a bonus, I have included a free four-page downloadable printable I made a few years ago when I was planning my first visit to my dream destination, Spain. 

I hope it can be of use to someone who feels anxious before travelling and wants to feel more secure and organized.

You can download the printable below

MY TRAVEL Printable by on Scribd

Even if you plan everything beforehand you can't expect everything to pass perfectly and smoothly. 

Lower your expectations and focus on the positive and enjoy the moment.

Feel free to share with your tips for flying with kids in the comments below.

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