5 Tips to Handle a Long Flight with Your Kids

Any flight with small kids brings a lot of challenges. It cannot be easy to take your little ones in a closed tube, stuck in a small space, and surrounded by other people who are looking at you. Despite all the enthusiasm that comes with the holiday, you have to take care of all the details that come with taking a long flight with your kids. No one says that traveling with kids is easy. However, as long as you plan things in advance and “train” your kids in advance for the long trip that’s expecting them, things are not going to be so dramatic. Keep reading this article and you will discover some of the most useful tips to handle a long flight with your kids.

5 Tips to Handle a Long Flight with Your Kids

• Fly during the night, if possible

The explanation for taking a night flight when you travel with kids is obvious. Your kids will most probably sleep during the night, which means that they will save you from a big headache. Even though, most probably, your kids won’t sleep during the entire flight, if he sleeps for five or six hours, you can consider yourself lucky. In addition, there will be just an hour or two for meal service when the lights in the plane are on. Once it is ready, all the lights will go off, creating the ideal environment for your kids to sleep. It is also very important to keep your kids comfortable on the plane. Therefore, if you want them to easily fall asleep during the flight, you should dress them comfortable. For instance, you can dress them in something soft which can be easily taken off due to the plane’s air conditioning.

• Make sure to have the phone and tablet at hand

Even though you are not so flexible when it comes to letting your kids play on mobile phones and tablets, during a long flight you can make an exception. You can download all their favorite songs, videos, games, and apps on a phone or tablet and have it ready to keep your kids busy on the plane. It doesn’t even matter how old your kids are. You can keep them easily distracted during the flight with a catchy song or game. For example, one of the most popular games that kids are playing in the plane is Furchester Hotel. On the other hand, even if you keep your kids busy, this doesn’t mean that you should disturb the other passengers with the noise. Therefore, it is always a good idea to invest some money in an efficient pair of headphones. You can even pick some with a funky design, thus encouraging your kid to wear them. In addition, after watching videos and playing for a couple of hours, your kids will get tired and they will most probably fell asleep.

• Pack their favorite snacks

“Snacks are the best “weapon” if you want your kids to shut up. There are a lot of parents who don’t easily give snacks to their kids to please them. However, during a long-haul flight, there are plenty of snacks which will keep your kid still. For example, lollipops or chocolate bars will make your kid happy and make him stand still”, says Michelle Williams, a CEO at top writing services websites. Furthermore, the way you pack the snacks is also important. You can use ziplocks or spill-proof containers and fill them with your kids’ favorite snacks. In addition, if you don’t want to spend your entire flight time cleaning your child, then you should stay away from chocolate or snacks filled with cream. Therefore, you can pack snacks like crackers, pretzels, or gummy snacks which will keep your child happy and not make a big mess.

• Walk the plane’s aisles

You can keep your kids busy with games, videos, and snacks. However, after some hours stuck in the plane seat, they will start getting uncomfortable and start moving around. It is not easy to keep an energetic child on a seat for 10 or 12 hours. Even though they are not in the category of people who can suffer from vein thrombosis during a flight, kids still need to move around. Therefore, you can keep them distracted and walk the plane’s aisles. This is how you help them stretch their legs and make them get comfortable again. In addition, they will see other faces and it will become easier for them to accommodate during long flights and patiently await the landing. It is better to walk with your kid during the daytime or when the flight attendants don’t serve meals.

• Take advantage of priority boarding

When you book your flights, pay attention to the check-in and onboarding process. When you have small kids, you have more luggage than any regular traveler. Therefore, if the airline company allows it, you can take advantage of priority boarding. You can use this advantage to put all your baggage in order, find your seats, and settle your kids. What is more, you will have enough time to put all the necessary stuff at hand. For example, you can put diapers, wet napkins, snacks, or games at a reachable distance. Thus, whenever you need any of these, you don’t have to disturb the other passengers to take them and your kid doesn’t have to wait for too much to get them.

It is always easier to give tips on handling long flights with kids than actually doing it. The secret of a peaceful long-haul flight is planning things ahead. What is more, even though things don’t go as planned, you shouldn’t lose your temper and try to see the positive side of the journey. If you get anxious, your kids will immediately become agitated. The more peaceful and relaxed you are, the same your kids will be. Moreover, even though you are against allowing your kids to receive snacks and play video games, you should do an exception during long flights.