Flying with kids is unfortunately an essential thing you will have to get over if you want to visit other countries with them. I do think the fear is worse than the actual experience though. The toughest age for flying with kids is probably 9 months – 2 years as (unless you pay) they don’t have their own seat, they are mobile, and they don’t have the attention span to watch a film. Here’s our top tips for travelling and flying with kids.
At the airport
There is nothing more stressful when in an airport with children, than being in an airport with children and being late! Give yourself enough time! Even if it means you have an extra hour, it doesn’t matter – the kids will be happy exploring the terminal and have a good run around is no bad thing ahead of a flight. Make sure you have all your liquids and electronics in one (the same) bag to clear security – and be aware that play doh is classed as a liquid. We got caught out with that. Security for us is the most stressful part – it’s busy and you are always rushed through, and as a family you have so much more stuff than the business traveller behind you. Also, did you know you can take water/drinks for under 5s through security – just tell them as you get there.
On the plane
Don’t make this a big deal – genuinely. There are other babies and children on the plane. They will kick off. They might not sleep. They will cry and moan. Everyone’s tensions will rise! If you approach it with this mindset then anything that isn’t like that is a bonus – and remember most people on the flight are understanding so focus on your child and not other people’s thoughts. Whether it’s short haul or long haul, these are our top tips:
1.Don’t get stupidly early flights. We took one at 5.35am once which meant getting up at 2am and it ruined us for days and days. And we slept a few hours when we got there which meant we lost a day really. It may be £30 cheaper per person, but be kind to yourself. We aim for anything post 8am if possible.
2. If flying long haul speak to your airline to ensure you have an infant bassinette seat. Children up to about 9 months can lie in these and it made a big difference having one – even it is is just for putting stuff in it!
3. Don’t worry if your toddler is watching films – whether that’s on the in-flight system or on an ipad. It’s ok. You would be watching films too if you weren’t trying to survive the flight! Bring a tablet or ipad if going short haul. I flew solo with the kids to Faro and I gave them their ipads as soon as we sat in our seats – so what! They are going to be out and about doing stuff your whole holiday.
The tablets we use for the kids are the Amazon Fire Tablets and we’ve trialled loads of headphones. Our favourites are bluetooth ones (although remember you have to charge them!). The ones in the image below we replaced with smaller over-ear ones which have been incredible for our recent travels now the kids are old.
4. Small children who won’t watch something – buy a few small new toys for the novelty factor and give them to them on the plane. Stickers are also great – we did one flight where the entire seat in front was covered in them, but my daughter was happy for the entire flight! Books should also not be underestimated – get interactive ones. Even if you read the same 3-4 several times through the flight, that’s at least an hour of the trip! The Dolly Sticker Dressing Up books have been a huge hit with Alicia since she was 3, and she still loves them at age 9. Or for smaller kids just buy small sticker sheets of their favourite characters.
4. Other good plane activities are ‘water painting’, rubiks cube, mazes, puzzle books, pens, dry wipe marker pen and books. We found lego as something that just kept getting dropped and then was a pain to pick up again so we’ve avoided that after the first attempt!
5. Snacks and food – bring some! The more small finger food the better as it takes them longer to eat it. Think blueberries, nuts (the flight will advise if anyone on board has a nut allergy), broken biscuits / crackers, breadsticks, small cubes of cheese, carrot, cucumber etc.
6. Bring a blanket, their favourite cuddly toy and give lots of cosy cuddles – just like you would at home.
7. Let them sleep when they flake – a plane is exciting, they aren’t going to want to sleep when you board even if it is their usual nap time. Let them enjoy it and they will probably flake in their own time. Babies will enjoy the white noise and that still applies for our 5 year old today that he mostly nods off now to.
8. Take a spare t-shirt for you as well as them – there’s a high chance of something getting spilt or sicked on! You’d rather have something fresh to change into.
9. Wait for everyone else to get off the plane – there’s no rush! Your transfer won’t go without you. Your bags will be there – and the passport queue may have gone down by the time you get there!
10. For any child under 3 – a carrier is a great idea for getting on and off the flight – it means your hands are free and you know they are safe! We used our ergobaby one for years and years and it was a god-send when travelling. We used it from newborn (with the insert) right up to 4 years old (on our back). It was also super for getting the kids to sleep – especially on a plane where we would stand hovering and bouncing with them in the area near the emergency exit.
11. Take more nappies than you think – we took off from Manchester to Bangkok once and our daughter decided that was a great time get get a minor case of the runs…….we went through a new nappy every 30 minutes.
12. The flight crew will be able to give you boiling water for making bottles (and will wash the bottles for you) so just ask! They are there to help. They don’t usually have milk however.
In transit
From our experience, transit in an airport not in the UK is actually really easy. We’ve been through a lot and there are usually pushchairs to borrow (as yours goes straight through to your end destination). It’s worth grabbing one as soon as you see one. Let the kids have a good run – don’t worry about what people think. They have been couped up in a small space for a long time so let them run free. Try and get some food and drink down them ahead of your next flight and then they may sleep as the novelty will have worn off and they then wont be hungry. Airports in the Middle East and Asia nail it however!
