Flying with Children

According to a recent study, one in five parents will not fly with their children on holiday purely because it is too stressful. Six out of ten said their children could not sit still for more than 30 minutes on a plane and nearly half are worried that their child might suffer from air-sickness.  Showing a concern for other travellers 46% feared their little ones would upset other passengers and 34% were worried that their babies would cry.

• Comforters: pack them in your hand luggage and bring them out if you need to; favourite toys or story books, a bottle or drink may also help.
• Don’t mislead children: tell them the truth about how ling the flight is so they are prepared for a long one if it is going to be a long one.
• Try not to get stressed in front of them - even if you are delayed or there are problems.  They will pick up on it.
• Tell them in advance what it might be like: ie. no walking around or jumping on the seats!
• Stagger your entertainment: don't bring all the treats, toys, ideas for games out at once!  Stagger them if you can.
• Snacks: bring lots of nice food (for you and the little ones!) to keep everyone happy, especially if the children might not like the look of the food available on the plane.
• Timing: allow lots more time for things as it will take more time with little ones in tow.