When we jetted off on holiday with Zee as a baby it was, for want of a better word, easy. He was 8 months old and still breastfed. I simply fed him during take-off and landing, played and sang to him a bit during the flight and he slept the rest of the time. It was about as stress free as flying with a baby can be.
The next time we flew was a whole different kettle of fish! At 18 months old, he has a mind of his own and an independent streak that gets him into all sorts of trouble. I was dreading the flight so much I even looked into fractional private jet ownership to make travelling easier. I was pleasantly surprised at how well behaved he was on the flight in the end – but I was still armed will all sorts to pre-empt any potential situation.
1. Bring A Bottle
For kids that still take a bottle it is worth taking them for the flight, even if it doesn’t coincide with their usual nap time. You can take milk for infants through security (they are exempt from the 100ml liquid limit) and so I took a bottle of milk to drink during take off. Not only that, I bought more milk once we were through security so I could refill his bottle for landing.
You might be wondering why I was so keen to fill them up with milk, but what I was really looking for was the sucking action. By having kids sucking on a bottle it mean their ears popped easily and they don’t get affected by the changes in pressure. It also keeps them stationary for the times they have to have their seat belt on.
2. Food
My hand luggage was jam packed with snacks. I picked items to take that would make the least mess. My go to item when the kids are being difficult and I need them to be relatively still is food – and the plane would be no different!
In my bag I carry:
- Go-Go’s
- Cheerios
- Raisins
- Fruit Pouch
- Veggie Straws
3. Tablet
We have a Galaxy Samsung tablet, a mini one, which rarely gets used at home. We tend to use our phones or the laptop most of the time. There was no question of us not taking it on holiday with us though – I was relying on it for the plane. We have Netflix on it and download a few favourites to keep them entertained.
4. Books And Acitivies
I had lots of toys in my bag for the kids as toddlers, but the most important ones were books. Anything with a flap seems to hold his attention. A story combined with the milk made take off and landings a breeze.
While they’re favourite toys can fill a bit of time, hands on activities are great for keeping them going. We love Magic Pens for proving of entertainment. They are unleash their inner artist and watch in amazement as their artwork changes colour.
5. Break The Rules
Up in the air with hundreds of other passengers is not the time to start laying down the law. I didn’t usually let them have a bottle during the day, but they get it on the plane. They aren’t usually allowed to have as many snacks as they want, but they are on the plane. They’re not usually allowed to watch movies one after another, but they are on the plane.
We did anything to make for an easy flight. The rule book went out the window and we just went with the flow. And that is my biggest tip of all!
Giveaway
Do you want to win your own set of Magic Pens to make your next flight a little easier? Enter via Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTerms And Conditions
The closing date is 11:59 pm on Thursday 15th September 2022
The prize is a set of Magic Pens, no cash alternative
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