The thought of travelling with children can fill you with dread. It's bad enough hearing 'are we nearly there yet', endless quarrels and bickering when it comes to simple car journeys. So you might be wondering how on earth you'll survive a long haul flight! Luckily there are things you can do to make the journey as hassle free as possible.
Bring lots of things to do
Books, puzzles, travel sized games, colouring- you name it. If it's going to keep them busy and occupied, it's worth the space in your hand luggage. We all know that boredom is the route of all evil when it comes to kids, so keeping them entertained is key. A tablet and some headphones can work wonders, use a Youtube downloader like https://yeetdl.com/en to download all of their favourites before you go so they can watch them offline. Hand held games machines can be good too. You could treat them to a new game before setting off so it's something entirely new for them, which should hold their attention for longer!
Come armed with snacks
Plane food can be a struggle for even the least fussy adults out there, let alone a picky child. If you know there's no way your child is going to touch the food on board, make sure you come armed with your own food. Feel free to pack some sandwiches and savoury foods, most solid foods are allowed on board. You're just not allowed to bring on foods with a liquid content over 100ml. Having a good meal at the airport before the flight can also be useful. It at least gives you a good couple of hours to settle on board, until you have to deal with grouchy and hungry kids.
Speak to kids beforehand
Of course this is dependent on their age, but having a speak with children beforehand can be helpful. Explain that they're going to be sitting in their seat for a while, and it's important for them to be well behaved. This means sitting in their seat unless they need to stretch their legs or use the toilet, and to use their 'inside voice.' Let them know what you expect of them during the flight. If you explain what's going to happen (especially if they have never flown before) it gives them an idea of what to expect. This can prevent them from getting too excitable or overwhelmed.
Try and book a night flight
If you book an evening or night flight, there's a good chance children will be tired enough to sleep for a good proportion of it. This will make the journey go more quickly for them, and it's less time you need to spend keeping them entertained. Plus at night the plane will be quiet and the lights dimmed, there will be a lot less exciting commotion going on around them.
do you have any tips for taking long haul flights with children?
