So, you want to go on a lovely overseas holiday. For two weeks you want to lie on the beach and sip cocktails watching the dipping sun. You want to take your kids, but considering the stress of taking a four-year old and a two-year old on a long haul flight to Thailand leaves you torn between leaving them with your mother, and asking your parents to join you so they can look after the kids!
Ask anyone who has braved the world’s airways at 30 000 feet with a toddler or two and a newborn baby in tow. Airports are not the most people-friendly places and the confinement on aeroplanes is sometimes difficult to handle. On top of this, you have to keep apologising to the passengers around you for your child’s boisterous behaviour and your baby’s constant crying.
Flying with children can be tricky, but proper planning can make the experience less stressful for you as a parent. The adventure of travelling in an aeroplane can be a very exciting one for your kids – the trick is to accommodate their needs and focus on the fun. Here are a few tips.
1. Ask friends or your travel agent for advice on children-friendly airlines. If you are flying with a baby let the airline know at least 48 hours before you depart and ask about their services.
2. If flying over a long distance, try to book an overnight flight to coincide with your child’s sleeping habits.
3. Make sure that your baby is covered by your travel insurance. Take your child to the doctor for a medical check-up and ensure immunisations are up-to-date. If not, arrange to have it done. If you are travelling without the other parent get written permission to do so. (In recent years, concern about parental abductions has prompted border officials to be more cautious when they encounter a child travelling with just one birth parent.)
4. Decide if you will purchase a seat for your little one. Under-two’s can sit in your lap, but they are safer in their own seat. For very little children and/or babies, most people will take a car seat with for the flight. Alternatively, ask if there is a bassinet or sky cot available – these are usually only for very small babies (around the six month old mark).
5. Try to pre-book your seating. Check-in online if you can to secure the best seats possible. Ask about seats with an extra oxygen mask if you have not purchased a seat for your baby and consider aisle seats so that walking up and down the aisle is possible. One option is bulkhead seats. The extra leg room can be very useful. The downside is that you often don’t have a tray and if the child is on the floor, you have to move your feet out of the way. Also, the armrests are sometimes permanent and can’t be lifted up. Older children will appreciate having a window seat. If two parents and two kids are flying you can consider getting two window seats. This way both kids can be entertained by one parent at a time and no one has to sit alone.
6. Combined car-seat stroller units are the most convenient way to get everything on board. If your flight is delayed, your baby will also have a comfy place to nap. Another option is snap on wheels for infant car seats, which can be taken onto the plane. An alternative to a heavy car seat is a CARES Airplane Seat Harness. It doesn’t weigh much, and keeps a child secured in a regular airplane seat. For more info and where to buy, go to www.kidsflysafe.com. Consider taking reins or a harness for a toddler, so that he can walk around the terminal and still stay close by. An infant front pack is also very useful because you can push a luggage trolley while carrying your baby.
7. Find out if the airline offers an allowance for infant luggage. Some airlines will allow you to check in a small piece of luggage and a car seat or stroller. Consider getting a cabin bag with wheels, it’s a lot easier to cart around. If your stroller has a cover or fits in a bag, take it, as it will probably travel in the hold.
8. Choose comfortable clothes that are easy to wear and layer it, so garments can be removed if you get dirty, which you will. But do wear spunky clothes and dark glasses so that you don’t feel washed out before you even get on the plane. Wear discrete nursing clothes like bras with clip-on cups and tops with clip-on straps. When I was still breast feeding, I wore these under batwing shirts, so I didn’t have to remove any clothing in order to nurse while sitting on a crowded airplane. I just covered myself and my baby with my shawl, it was so easy!
9. Dress your kids in bright colours so that they stand out in a crowd. This will come in handy if they get lost in a crowd at the airport.
10. Always keep your tickets and passports together in your baby bag. This way you’ll always know where it is and will be able to get to it quickly. I also use the baby bag for my personal belongings, so I don’t have to carry my handbag while in-flight.
11. Ask if your flight is full when checking in. If not, you can ask them to give you a seat next to a vacant one. This will be very handy for a toddler who will otherwise be sitting on your lap!
12. Some airports will have fast-track customs and immigration check points for people travelling with babies. Look out for them. Some parents prefer to board at the last minute so the children don’t have to spend any more time on the plane.
13. Some airports have play areas. Enquire at the information desk and take your kids there to get rid of some energy before you board. Also, change your baby’s nappy before you board. Airplane toilets are very small!
14. On the plane, make sure you are friendly with the people sitting around you. Hopefully they won’t be annoyed later if your children cry or behave boisterously.
15. Airplane bathrooms are not spacious, so I keep a nappy, small pack of wipes, bum cream, plastic change mat, nappy disposing bag and a small toy in a separate pouch, which I keep in the baby’s bag. Then I can take only these essential items into the bathroom for a nappy change and restock it later.
16. If you are a breast-feeding mom, keep two diaper pins in your baby bag. If you can get a window seat, you can take a towel or a blanket and attach it to your seat and the seat in front of you for a privacy screen.
17. If there is no suitable material on the video channels on board, bring out one toy. Let your child play with it until she’s bored with it, then pack it away and bring out the next one.
18. The change in cabin pressure during take off and landing can hurt your child’s ears. To ease the pressure you should get her to swallow at the right time. Try to time your baby’s feeds for during take off and landing. This works best, but a dummy could also help. Feed dry foods during the flight, so she will be thirsty when you land. Give your bigger child something to drink or eat or something to suck on, but they must still swallow (so a lollipop may work). Ask your doctor about ear drops which numb the eardrum. Sometimes they can be used to ease the pain.
19. Try to avoid your kids getting cranky. Arrange in advance for children’s meals – these are normally served first and with a hungry child on your hand (or lap) it helps if you don’t have to wait that long for your food. Take a pillow and small blanket to make sure they are warm and comfy on a cold flight. Let them wander as much as allowed. Don’t reprimand them unnecessarily and too often. If your child’s behaviour gets out of hand, deal with it, then other passengers will cut you some slack.
20. Keep your make-up bag within reach. When you have a spare moment, touch up your lipstick, you’ll feel better instantly.
Remember: Airline policies change regularly and some airlines are more accommodating than others. So it’s always a good idea to call your travel agent or check your airline’s website whenever you are going to fly to ensure you know what to expect.