Ok, so you have some super excited kids, that have to be restrained in a seatbelt inside a metal tube for several hours, your at 36.000 feet so you have no where to run and you have to endure anything for an hour to twelve hours of torture! How can you possibly walk away from this without mental scarring ???? If you want to travel the world with a young family then here are my top tips as an air stewardess.
Well as a fellow parent and long serving stewardess, who has witnesses lots of children on flights, I am going to give you some helpful hints to make this as easy and enjoyable as possible.
When I spot trembling parents on the plane trying to keep it together I always say to them ” If your children scream, cry or misbehave on this flight Don’t worry! You will never see any of these fellow passengers again, so relax!
Chilled out parents always have chilled out kids and stressed, agitated parents have a flipping nightmare ! Being prepared is the key to a successful flight and Here are my top tips to let it flow !
Food and treats to travel the world with kids !
Lets be honest, airplane food is generally pants and if your child is a fussy eater on the ground, they are certainly not going to change while in the air. A Hangry child is not to be messed with, so try and order a child’s meal when you book your ticket or self cater. Many a time I have had a desperate looking parent beg for something other than beef and vegetables or pasta swimming in a chunky olive sauce, and even though I would love to help, our catering is often limited and I do not have an option of popping out to the supermarket. Dairy Lee stackables are a fab piece of kit to pop in your bag as the children can build their own lunch AND it is time consuming! Always over cater on the snacks from fruit to pringles and your covered in the unfortunate mishap of a delay ! Always take time for breastfeeding if you have a baby.
Entertainment and Devices
Make sure all the children’s iPads, tablets and devices are charged before you set off. This is the difference between “Mum, I’m bored are we there yet ?” and golden silence.
Pack chargers in your carry on luggage as many up to date planes have built in USB ports which can keep the juice flowing. We recommend a portable charger like the Power Bank, Anker .
Often many of the headsets are much too big on the plane and the children have the constant battle of constantly repositioning the headsets as they fall forward. A simple and fool proof solution is to roll a sock and place it between their head and headphones, this genius method has saved many a stressful holiday showdown !
Boredom bashers to travel the world with kids
There are sooooooo many things that you as a parent can do to keep you all happy. Pick up some little craft packs and make some crafty things such as pom poms, card making or even little crochet kits. These are not only fun but also time consuming which really is what you want. Sticker books and playdough are also a great distraction. Remember to be cash savvy if your planning on buying things for holiday or for the journey, and buy through quidco, so you get cashback on your purchases such as sun cream from Boots, a new bikini from M&S etc.
I often get the children to draw the Captain a picture to say thank you for a safe flight and get them to hand it to the Pilots personally. This will be a highlight for them, especially if the pilot will give them a quick tour of all the buttons in the cock pit !
OUCH !
Look after their health. Landing can be really painful for some children as this is where the change in cabin pressure can effect our ears, and although you cannot stop it completely, you can ease the discomfort. About forty minutes before landing, the plane will slowly decrease its altitude, so give the children a dummy, lolly pop or something to suck on. Get them to open their mouth like a fish and encourage them to swallow.
Do not forget Time zones !!
I have come a cropper big time with this little issue. We had a night flight from the UK to Hong Kong and because they are 8 hours ahead, I did not take this into consideration ! The children slept all the way there which I was so pleased about, however come two AM, I had two toddlers wide awake in the hotel room, with no Peppa Pig, Cbeebies or any other form of TV salvage that could help me. With fear of the fellow hotel guests banging my door, we ventured out with our only respite being a 24 hour supermarket, a MacDonald’s and the hotel reception. The next day when we went to Disney land, I was pushing around two flat out children, missing the Disney parade and I am sure people though I was in a zombie costume as I looked dreadful ! So with air travel, be warned, you need to take time zones into consideration. If it means waking your peaceful children earlier than planned on the plane, so be it.
I hope this little guide has helped you and hopefully put some of your travel worries to bed. If you have any tips that could help fellow passengers, please comment and share.
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