Any parent has been there. Screaming child in public. Feeling other’s eyes burning through the back of your head as they judge your parenting style. The last thing you want is that meltdown on a plane on your first vacation since the pandemic. It can be exhausting trying to make sure your little one is quiet, not running around or disturbing other passengers. You deserve a fun trip. Here are some tips to get that fun family vacation…well the flight at least!
- Prepare & practice with your child before the flight
Children learn best from repetition and clearly communicated expectations of their behavior before they are in a new environment. Taking babies, toddlers and kids on a flight can be one of the most stressful times for parents. Children can become overstimulated and excited when they are out of their typical routines and in a new place, which can make teaching appropriate etiquette in the midst of a new experience very challenging. Don’t wait until you’re fastening a child’s seat belt for a five-hour flight to beg them not to scream, kick their neighbors chair or stay in their seat. Practice before you go!
The Peaceful Plane
Preparing for a family vacation can actually be a lot of work: packing everyone up, making sure you have enough diapers, toys, snacks, etc. Then getting everyone out the door in time to make your flight. Whew! It can be crazy and exhausting. Most of us forget or don’t have the time to discuss our expectations in advance with our children. That’s why I wrote The Peaceful Plane. You are doing story time every day anyway. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and set expectations for flight etiquette and behaviors well in advance.
Does your child use headphones at home to watch his or her ipad? If not, try to have them practice using them so it’s not a shock when they realize they have to use them on the plane.
- Scheduling
You can do schedule your flight around nap time or bedtime so they will sleep on the plane. Although I have tried to schedule around nap time and my kids don’t end up sleeping at all, then have missed a nap and are super cranky when we arrive. So sometimes flying with a well rested child with lots of activities can sometimes be better overall. You know your kids best.
- Seating and Sanitizing
Some people recommend boarding with you kids at the last possible moment so they have as much time to run around the airport, get the wiggles out and less time having to be confined to a chair. I like to be in the front of the plane when I’m flying Southwest so I like to board early. And if I’m on another airline, I still like to board early because I like to make sure I have overhead storage right above my seat to have easy access to my bags and I like to get off the plane as soon as possible at arrival. So I don’t think an extra 30 minutes of sitting is worth it for me to board late.
Even before covid, I also like to get on early and wipe down the seats and armrests with cleaning wipes. Not because I’m afraid of germs. I think it’s good for kids to get germs and build immune systems. I just don’t want it on my vacation. I swear whenever I used to fly, someone would always get sick. After I started wiping everything down we never did.
4. Book in advance, but if that is not an option here are some tips:
Sometimes when I fly Southwest, we board and one of us sits with baby in the isle and the one of us sits at the window seat. No one wants to take the middle seat with a baby in their row. So if the flight is not a booked flight you’ll get the entire row to spread out. And if the flight is booked up then when someone comes to sit with you I just move to the middle and they are very relieved they don’t have to sit there.
On other airlines, I always let the airline know I’m flying with a lap infant. I also let the airline staff know at the front desk that I’m flying with a baby. Sometimes they’ll make sure you’re in a row without it fully booked so you can put the carseat in the middle with you.
If you can afford the third ticket, definitely get it. If you can’t, it’s not the end of the world.
- Snacks
- Changing Diapers
I double diaper. Everyone pretty much says don’t change a diaper at your seat, but sometime you just have to. So I bring scented doggie bags and put the diapers in there it usually blocks the smell. As soon as I am able to I bring the diaper to the back of the plane and double check with the flight attendant which trash can they would like me to put it in.
- Ipad
- If you don’t have your iPad on cellular data the internet is not always reliable on planes and in airports so you may want to make sure you have shows downloaded on the iPad.
- Headphones – see #1 on here and #8
8. Activities
Even the promise of unrestricted screen time isn’t enough for a long flight. Kids do get bored with their shows! Bring more activities than you think you’ll need. Remember you have your return flight as well. A few weeks before your trip hide all of this stuff. It will feel new and exciting on the plane. I’ll do a separate post just on theses activities soon, but here are some ideas:
- Wrapped “gifts” I get some items from the dollar store and wrap them up in gift wrap.
- Toiletry travel bag that you can hang on the back of the seat filled with activities
- Books – small ones to read with your child that you haven’t read for a while
- Dry erase mat that you can color
- JesPlay window removable stickers
- Not your average crayon
- Etch a sketch
- Little playdough
- Magnetic board and white board
- Quiet book
9. A note on consequences
Whatever your parenting style is, if you are going to let your child know they will have a consequence for their behavior, don’t say, “if you keep doing xxx, we aren’t getting on the plane.” Or “if you don’t do x, we aren’t going on the trip.” Are you really going to give up hundreds of dollars for tickets? Are you really going to cancel your trip?
Or if you say, “You can’t have your iPad.” Who are you punishing? Yourself and the rest of the passengers. So maybe they earn stickers for good behavior, or can’t have a treat after dinner. Whatever it is, make sure you can actually enforce it.
Behavior Books 