To keep their little ones calm during a flight, parents are prepared to do anything. A carry-on full of fun activities, snacks, and books becomes a must for those aiming to have a tolerable journey. Even various electronic screens and devices become within limits for the sake of everyone’s sanity.
However, not all parents are as prepared, which this teenager felt inclined to share with people online. During a flight with his aunt and cousins, the kids quickly became bored without any entertainment. Naturally, they started targeting the tablet he was watching movies on. However, he repeatedly shut down their requests, making the flight tougher for everyone.
Having entertainment for kids on a flight is a must for a tolerable journey
Image credits: APchannel (not the actual photo)
However, this mom didn’t prepare it for her kids on a long flight, making the plane ride tougher for everyone
Image credits: Grey_Coast_Media (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics (not the actual photo)
Image source: ImperfectlyImportant
Air travel doesn’t have to be stressful, boring, or frustrating, neither for kids nor for the rest of the passengers
It can be difficult to sit in one place for extended periods of time even for adults, so it’s no surprise that kids get fidgety and restless during plane rides. However, air travel doesn’t have to be stressful, boring, or frustrating. All it takes is a few activities to keep them busy and engaged during those long hours in mid-air.
The founder of Full Suitcase, one of the world’s leading family travel blogs, Jurga Rubinovaite, says that when it comes to preparing for a flight with children, less is more. “While packing for a family road trip you can always add a few extra items; when flying with kids, take only what you really need!”
This means resisting the urge to stuff a bag full of toys. “The chances are big that your kids will take all the toys out of the bag, play with them for 2 minutes, and announce that they are bored or that they want that one toy they left at home.” They have a pretty strict one-toy per-child policy that tends to work for them pretty well.
Such a strategy saves space in the luggage, prevents any tears if a toy gets lost or broken, saves parents from having to break up fights for them, and even stimulates their creativity by playing with pretty much anything else they see, like stones, leaves, or seashells.
Something Rubinovaite mentions that ensures success while packing is letting kids help. “Let them choose one toy or a travel game to take on the plane. It will keep them busy for a while as choices like that are not easy for a child, but they will appreciate the fact that you let them decide and will be more willing to cooperate.” However, there need to be some limits or rules, and the last word should always be the parent’s. “You could let the kids pack whatever they want as long as it fits in one little packing cube, a ziplock bag, etc.,” suggests the family travel blogger.
“No activities will work well in keeping very young children busy if you yourself are not involved as a parent”
Some items that are always in their carry-on when flying with children include twistable crayons, pens, and paper. “If you take one item on a plane, make it this one,” Rubinovaite emphasizes. She advises making sure to have enough paper and, particularly, the twistable crayons, as they don’t break easily, don’t have to be sharpened, and don’t dirty up their hands.
Additional things to have are workbooks, a boogie board with a writing pad, one cuddly toy, or a blanket, UNO or single-player travel games, and a digital tablet. Snacks and lollipops are also musts. They found the latter to be a lifesaver that allows kids to sit quieter in their seats and prevents them from having any ear pain from the changing pressure.
As far as food goes, “apples, grapes, and cookies are always a big success with our kids,” she says. “Sometimes we take sandwiches as well. Try to avoid any food or drinks that can be messy. You don’t want to deal with dirty clothes or sticky fingers on the plane.”
To make the flight more enjoyable and comfortable for the kids, she suggests dressing them in comfortable clothes (as well as having an extra set of them) and keeping their feet toasty with warm socks, as planes can get a bit chilly at times. Paper tissues, wet wipes, medication like painkillers, nose sprays, and band-aids can also come in handy when accidents happen.
However, Rubinovaite reminds parents that “no activities will work well in keeping very young children busy if you yourself are not involved as a parent. So don’t expect to put on your headphones and watch three movies during the flight. If you want to avoid tantrums and survive the flight, you really have to be there for your kids.”
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The readers thought that the teenager’s behavior was justified
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