Before you had kids, you’ve probably seen parents having to deal with crying children in the airport and onboard the plane — you may even be one of those unlucky passengers who had to endure an entire flight with a crying and/or restless child beside, behind, or in front of your seat. In some cases, you may even end up hearing airport announcements about a lost kid, or a parent looking for their child who got lost in the crowd.
But now that you’re a parent who’s planning on bringing your kids with you on a flight (perhaps for a vacation, or relocation), you’d want to find ways to avoid all that. As such, we’ll be taking a look at effective and easy-to-remember tips to help keep your kids safe and happy before, during, and after your flight.
Tell Your Kids about the Plan and What to Expect
It’s best to let the kids in on the entire travel plan, from the road trip to the airport, the flight, the destination, and so on. Keep it brief and in a way that they can understand. Additionally, for those with kids who are about to travel by plane for the first time, you should tell them to expect turbulence, aeroplane ear, and other things they may experience during a flight to reassure them that it’s all normal and that they shouldn’t be scared when it happens. Of course, if you plan on surprising them by going to a theme park, you may want to skip that detail.
Avoid Crowds by Booking Early Morning Flights
A crowded and busy airport can make it hard for parents to keep track of their kids and belongings. So, as much as possible, you’d want to book a flight in the early hours of the day. Not to mention, these schedules are less likely to experience delays in takeoffs and landing and also allow you to avoid heavy traffic when travelling to the airport.
Wear Layers
Expect drastic temperature changes when travelling to the airport, walking/navigating through it, boarding the flight, and staying in the flight. So, to keep your kids comfortable and prevent them from throwing tantrums, it’s best to have them wear jackets or layers of clothing that can easily be removed or put on depending on the ambient temperature.
Pack Light
Carrying and pulling around heavy bags can be tiresome. But add the fact that you’ll need to continually keep an eye out for your kids, and even run after them if they stray away too far, and you’d wish you’d only brought a backpack. That said, as tempting as it is to bring a lot of extra things with you for your travel, you should trim it down to the bare essentials when travelling with kids. Besides, you can always use laundry service in hotels or nearby Laundromats in your destination.
Eat and Pack Snacks
As a parent, you know how difficult it is to deal with a hungry child. So try to have a hearty meal before you leave for the airport and pack their favourite snacks for the entire trip (or at least for the flight). If you’re too much in a hurry to get to the airport, don’t worry, you can always take advantage of restaurants and other food options in Changi Airport.
The Bottom Line
A happy child is a happy parent, and this statement can’t get any truer than when travelling with kids. So remember these tips when you’re about to book your flight with them so you can all enjoy a tears-and-stress-free journey.