Vacation Time: Part I - Flying with children.
It's that time of the year. Vacation time! Yayyy!! Or is it "Oh No!"?
Many of us will be boarding flights to some destination, where we hope to get some rest, relaxation and peace.
Hope to. For mothers of young children, that may be a vain hope. Especially since many of our daddies seem to have meetings that prevent them from traveling on the same day with us. Or even when they are with us, they are conveniently seated away from the action hub! Convenient, yes?
Beginning with the flight from home, we are already frazzled. Excited children, bored children, badly behaved children. Our children belong to one or more of these categories.
Travelling with young kids can be trying but the stress can be minimized, believe it or not.
I remember being so terrified at the thought of traveling with my two and a half year old daughter and her 14-month old brother that I spent a whole day researching ways to minimize the stress and prevent toddler meltdowns! I knew my daughter was a natural traveller - stress free kid, did not fuss and the cabin crew loved her - seriously! But I did not know how my son would fare. I just did not want to be that mother on the plane with an out of control child!
Here's what I learned then and applied over the years with my own kids.
First things first - you have to approach this with military precision. Planning ahead is key.
Night/overnight flights are the best. Their body clocks will wind down and force them to get some rest.
Try to get the toddlers to take a short nap in the afternoon. A short nap translates into a less cranky toddler at the airport. Once you get past security, let them run around a bit. This way, once you board, they settle down fairly quickly, ready to conk out!
Do not wait till they are hungry to feed them. Hungry children = cranky and badly behaved children. A proper meal is best and will avoid the temptation to just give them what is available - sugar filled pastries, which give them a sugar-high, turning them into little bouncy balls of energy.
No sugary treats or drinks for about 6 hours before your flight and if you can avoid it, during the flight. Pack a few snacks - plantain chips, chin chin, even crisps - for the journey.
Have a new toy or book handy - the novelty of the item will give you a few hours of peace and quiet. For the techy ones, a newly downloaded game (I prefer iPads - so many free games there!) And, this is NOT the time to complain about how much time they spend on their iPads!
Always have lollipops or some chewing gum handy for children with pressure in their ears - caused by the descent of the plane and the subtle change in cabin pressure. Or feeding bottles if you have a baby or a toddler who is still bottle feeding. Once the pilot makes the announcement "twenty minutes to landing," that is a good time to start the bottle or hand out the lollipops or gum. It helps reduce the build up of pressure most of the time.
And, please, please, do not wait until the last minute to take the children to the restroom - long queues for the bathroom and children desperately needing the restroom are not a good combination. Designate restroom times - before boarding, once the seatbelt signs go off, just before you want them to fall asleep and about 1 hour BEFORE landing.
And do not listen to the "I don't need to pee" whine - you listen to that and then when the plane is 10 minutes from landing, cabin crew belted in, what you will hear is a high pitched "Mummy, I need to peeeee!!!"
Also, pack an extra set of clothing - spills happen, toilet accidents too. If your toddler is still being potty trained, best to use the pull-ups if that's what you just stopped. Or use a diaper and pack extras.
Again, this is not a time for fussiness or sticking to the program.
You do what is best for YOU, mummy!
Next, I will share my tips and ideas for packing, how to get through security without being delayed and other ways to have a fairly restful holiday.
Many of us will be boarding flights to some destination, where we hope to get some rest, relaxation and peace.
Hope to. For mothers of young children, that may be a vain hope. Especially since many of our daddies seem to have meetings that prevent them from traveling on the same day with us. Or even when they are with us, they are conveniently seated away from the action hub! Convenient, yes?
Beginning with the flight from home, we are already frazzled. Excited children, bored children, badly behaved children. Our children belong to one or more of these categories.
Travelling with young kids can be trying but the stress can be minimized, believe it or not.
I remember being so terrified at the thought of traveling with my two and a half year old daughter and her 14-month old brother that I spent a whole day researching ways to minimize the stress and prevent toddler meltdowns! I knew my daughter was a natural traveller - stress free kid, did not fuss and the cabin crew loved her - seriously! But I did not know how my son would fare. I just did not want to be that mother on the plane with an out of control child!
Here's what I learned then and applied over the years with my own kids.
First things first - you have to approach this with military precision. Planning ahead is key.
Night/overnight flights are the best. Their body clocks will wind down and force them to get some rest.
Try to get the toddlers to take a short nap in the afternoon. A short nap translates into a less cranky toddler at the airport. Once you get past security, let them run around a bit. This way, once you board, they settle down fairly quickly, ready to conk out!
Do not wait till they are hungry to feed them. Hungry children = cranky and badly behaved children. A proper meal is best and will avoid the temptation to just give them what is available - sugar filled pastries, which give them a sugar-high, turning them into little bouncy balls of energy.
No sugary treats or drinks for about 6 hours before your flight and if you can avoid it, during the flight. Pack a few snacks - plantain chips, chin chin, even crisps - for the journey.
Have a new toy or book handy - the novelty of the item will give you a few hours of peace and quiet. For the techy ones, a newly downloaded game (I prefer iPads - so many free games there!) And, this is NOT the time to complain about how much time they spend on their iPads!
Always have lollipops or some chewing gum handy for children with pressure in their ears - caused by the descent of the plane and the subtle change in cabin pressure. Or feeding bottles if you have a baby or a toddler who is still bottle feeding. Once the pilot makes the announcement "twenty minutes to landing," that is a good time to start the bottle or hand out the lollipops or gum. It helps reduce the build up of pressure most of the time.
And, please, please, do not wait until the last minute to take the children to the restroom - long queues for the bathroom and children desperately needing the restroom are not a good combination. Designate restroom times - before boarding, once the seatbelt signs go off, just before you want them to fall asleep and about 1 hour BEFORE landing.
And do not listen to the "I don't need to pee" whine - you listen to that and then when the plane is 10 minutes from landing, cabin crew belted in, what you will hear is a high pitched "Mummy, I need to peeeee!!!"
Also, pack an extra set of clothing - spills happen, toilet accidents too. If your toddler is still being potty trained, best to use the pull-ups if that's what you just stopped. Or use a diaper and pack extras.
Again, this is not a time for fussiness or sticking to the program.
You do what is best for YOU, mummy!
Next, I will share my tips and ideas for packing, how to get through security without being delayed and other ways to have a fairly restful holiday.
So true !! great tips.. thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete