4 Life Hacks for Parents Flying with Kids

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As a parent, you may love the idea of traveling with your young children, because you can think of no better way to expand their horizons and cultivate their curious minds than by introducing them to new countries, new cultures, new people, new sights, and new experiences!

However, as we know from the Star Wars movie franchise, there is a dark side of the force out there somewhere — and for so many parents out there, it is that dreaded time in the air. Indeed, while some kids love flying and decorate their rooms with pictures and models of airplanes, many kids would almost rather go to the dentist (almost!) than board a flight. Of course, they are too young to know or care how airplanes work. But that is beside the point. They know what they like, and they know what they are not keen on and for some flying is firmly in the latter bucket.

Fortunately, if you’re the parent of an unwilling or unsure passenger, then you don’t have to limit your adventures to destinations that can be reached by car, bus or train. Here are 5 great life hacks that can help turn an in-flight nightmare into a smooth, stress-free flight for all involved — including you!

1. Aim for an early morning flight if your doing short haul as they are usually less crowded, and there is a lower chance of delays on takeoff and landing, making it a less stressful trip all round despite the early wake up call. We did this on our trip to Amsterdam a few years ago. If you are going for long-haul an overnight flight is always the better option as you have a chance of getting them to sleep and hopefully passing the hours quicker.

2. Mitigate the impact of air pressure on young ears by having your child drink warm water as soon it is safe to do so after takeoff, and especially within about 45-minutes to landing. The swallowing actions helps relieve pressure, and the warm water is hydrating.

3. Bring kid-friendly snacks to avoid any hangry moments. Unfortunately, most airlines don’t cater particularly well to kids so having a few nut-free breakfast bars, fruit and savoury snacks is a good idea, just double check before you leave what you are allowed to bring on board in terms of consumables. Here is a post I wrote about snacks to pack on a trip.

4. Pack kid-friendly activities. While some airlines have back-of-seat screens and kid-friendly programming, don’t count on this (especially since those back-of-seat screens tend to have a mind of their own, and work as often as they don’t!). Instead, you can bring age-appropriate puzzles, sticker books, travel games and audio books. Also packing their favourite toy can bring comfort and ease any feeling of homesickness.

Bottom line

When your child gets older, he or she will either learn to endure flying — or better yet, even enjoy it. But for now, it’s up to you to try and minimise the discomfort, fear, and boredom. It’s not an easy job and there is no magic wand. However, the life hacks above should help make your mutual time in the air as tolerable as possible, and set the stage for a great adventure in an exciting place! 

Of course there are always other options if your children (or adults) really do fear and dislike flying or are looking for more sustainable ways to travel. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will also know that we love a good road trip and I have driven all across South Africa, UK and parts of Europe and if you really wanted to do it in style you could hire a classic car restoration service to refurbish an old classic! We often opt for the Eurostar if we are heading to Europe and have also taken the Ferry from the UK to Holland twice.