“If you’re wondering how to fly with kids, who better to ask than the experts? I’m of course referring to the wives of professional sportsmen – those who have to take regular, solo, long-haul flights with their babies, toddlers and teens.”
Getting out of the house with kids on a regular day feels a lot like preparing for the Hunger Games. Do we have the wipes? Check. Snacks? Check. Extra clothes? Check. Sun cream and bum cream? Double check!
Now throw an overnight stay, a long-haul flight, and a few thousand air miles into the mix, and you’ve got yourself prepped for modern-day warfare. Flying with kids isn’t usually something that parents look forward to, but with air travel becoming more accessible, many families need to, at one point or another, board a plane with their tiny tots. If you’re wondering how to fly with kids, who better to ask than the experts?
I’m of course referring to the wives of professional sportsmen—those who have to take regular long-haul flights with their babies, toddlers, and teens. These are the super moms who not only have to fly regular long distances but oftentimes have to do so solo. Whether it’s for a family visit, moving to another country for their husbands’ new contract or on holiday. To help other moms who might be taking their first flight with young kids, I’ve asked some of them to share their top tips on how to fly with kids.
1. Prepare before takeoff
“Planning is everything”
Just like the pilot has to do some pre-flight preparations, parents have to put some thought and effort into the planning phase of flying with kids. I’m a firm believer in talking to your little ones about big things. So, if you know that a flight is coming up, start bringing it into the conversation. Show them pictures or videos of other kids on planes. Simply speaking to them about the planeride and what it will entail, makes the whole idea less foreign.
Preparing for the flight will also mean booking your seats in advance and, for some airlines, booking your child’s meals beforehand too. I always make sure to give my kids a bath, a meal and enough water before we leave for the airport. Then I have to remember to time the bathroom breaks too!
Expert tip: Plan for the airport! Don’t use up all your aeroplane activities, snacks and surprises at the airport. Use this time to allow kids to run around and burn some energy before the flight.
2. Night flights vs Day flights with kids
“Kids can sleep comfortably in uncomfortable positions”
Nighttime flights with kids
The obvious benefit of overnight flights is that kids can mostly stay in their normal routine and are tired enough to go to sleep for a few hours at a time, delaying the “I’m bored” part of flying with kids.
The sound of an aeroplane cabin is similar to white noise, which can be soothing to children and drown out all other background noise. More often than not, I’ll hear moms say that their kids slept about 7–10 hours during an overnight flight.
The risk with an overnight flight, though, is that some kids might struggle to fall asleep or struggle to stay asleep (cue turbulence and overhead announcements at 2 am!). Flights that depart late at night might also mean that your little one can be overtired and cranky by the time you take off. 82% of my very humble Instagram community also prefer flying at night with their kids.
Daytime flights with kids
Daytime flights will require more effort, and the “I’m bored” part of the journey will arrive much sooner. You also have to take into account that some daytime flights depart early, which could mean a 4 am wake-up call for your toddler.
If your tiny traveller does struggle to sleep during a daytime flight, they won’t disturb other sleeping passengers. Lastly, it also means that kids get to sleep in a comfortable bed that same night, and you get to convince yourself that it’s really just one day.
Expert tip: Before deciding whether to take a day or night flight with kids, think about your child’s current sleeping schedule and how he/she handles changes in that routine. What works best for my family might not work for yours.
3. Screen saviour
“The screen is NOT the enemy”
We can debate screen time all we want until robots start packing school lunches. But when it comes to long flights with kids, most of the moms I spoke to suggested that screens were saviours. Be it an iPad, a tablet, or a phone.
Even if you are not a silky mom like me, and don’t allow screen time at home, desperate times call for desperate measures. Screens, when used appropriately, can be both educational and entertaining.
Many moms suggest getting some kid-friendly earphones so that Ms. Rachel’s voice doesn’t bother you or other passengers.
Exploring the games and shows on the aeroplane’s screen is also a good way to pass the time if you want to save your electronics for later in the flight. But give them a good wipe-down beforehand. In fact, give the armrests and the tray table a good old-fashioned sanitising session too.
Expert tip: Make sure that all electronics are fully charged and that you have downloaded a variety of their favourite shows, movies and games.
4. Pack appropriately
“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it”
I could probably do a whole post on what you should and should not pack when you’re flying with kids, but the gist of the matter is that you need to pack the right amount of the right things.
Take an extra set of clothing for your entire travelling party because the chance of a spilt juice box only ruining one outfit is next to nothing. Bring something warm, even if you’re coming from and going to a warm climate. Aeroplanes can become quite chilly, especially if you are sitting still for hours on end.
It’s a good idea to pack snacks that are actually nutritious and filling because you never know if your kids will want, or be able to eat aeroplane food. That being said, nothing beats a yummy candy as a bargaining tool in high-stress situations.
Expert tip: Remember that the change in cabin pressure can cause their ears to hurt. Give a bottle or dummy during takeoff and landing to help with this. Lollipops work great for older kids.
5. Flight-friendly activities
Apart from electronics, you should definitely pack some flight-friendly activities for your kids. Here are some tried-and-tested aeroplane activities for younger kids and things that your kids can do independently:
- colouring books (don’t forget the crayons!)
- sticker books
- activity books
- story books
- playing cards
- magnetic toys like Magnetex
- Lego (on a baseboard)
- kinetic sand
I would also advise you to bring a few different activities and stagger them out during the flight. Make sure that they are all portable and in line with all the airline’s safety guidelines. Toy guns and toys with lithium batteries, for instance, will not be allowed on the aircraft, no matter how dramatic the toddler tantrum is.
My personal tip: I always take a small tub of Play Doh and have a wrapped mid-flight surprise ready.
Approaching Touchdown
All in all, flights with kids are never easy, but they’re also never as bad as you thought they would be.
But whenever things do get overwhelming, I like to repeat this mantra: ‘In less than 24 hours, this will all be over. You are doing the best you can with what’s available to you at the moment. You will never see Complainy Janey or Sighing Shaun ever again.’
And if you are the Complainy Janey or the Sighing Shaun on the flight, know this: That mom you keep sighing at with the loud toddler and the crying infant is more stressed than you can imagine and twice as tired as you will ever be. Please stop making evil eyes at her, put your headphones on, and enjoy the rest of your childless flight.
May the odds be ever in your favour, moms!
Very good advice
Screen is definitely not the enemy 😜