How to Adopt a Stress Free Approach to When Traveling With Kids

Traveling with your little ones can be a nightmare, but it doesn’t have to be. While children can make travel a little more complicated, there are a lot of ways that you can manage things to make the journey a little easier.

Here are some helpful dos and don’ts for travelling with your little ones:

·         Do pack a change of clothes for each of your little ones. You never know when they might spill juice on themselves or otherwise soil their clothing. They will be very uncomfortable if they have to spend the rest of the flight wearing wet and dirty clothes.

·         Don’t panic if your child starts to cry. Yes, you will feel bad about disturbing the other passengers and interrupting the peace and quiet- but your little one will pick up on your stress and it will make them even more unhappy. Instead, soothe your child with calm and gentle tones and distract them with their favourite food or toy.

·         Do consider the option of an airport taxi service. Airport taxi Gatwick services will take you directly from your home to the airport, which makes things so much easier when you have kids.

·         Don’t pre-board if your child is hyperactive and needs the extra time to burn off some of the energy. For some kids, the longer they sit in their seat the more likely they will get bored and start to fuss. However, pre-boarding might be useful if you will need more time to organise your bags and baby seat.

·         Do make sure that you have changed your baby before you get on the plane. Changing a baby mid-flight can be awkward.

·         Don’t let your child run up and down the aisle of the plane. It will disturb the other passengers and it is also dangerous. If the plane hits turbulence your child could fall and hurt themselves and the flight attendants could trip on them if they are underfoot.

·         Do pay attention to what your child is doing. If you are too busy reading a magazine you will not notice that your child is kicking the back of a passenger’s seat, which can be very annoying.

·         Don’t bring noisy toys. They might keep your child from crying but they can be just as annoying to other passengers as a crying sound would be.

·         Do bring a blanket for your little one and some warm socks, as the plane can be somewhat chilly and this can make them upset.

·         Don’t bring a lot of sugary sweets as on-board snacks. They might make your child happy, but after the sugar rush will come the inevitable blood-sugar crash which will make them cranky and tired. Instead, opt for healthy snacks such as raisins, nuts and bananas which will give your kids sustained energy.

·         Do try to schedule your flight for very early in the morning or late at night, which means that your young ones will be more likely to sleep for most of the flight.

·         Don’t be afraid to pack plenty of nappies with you. They are small and soft, so they can even be used as pillows during the flight or to cushion your electronics. It never hurts to have plenty of nappies with you in case you need them.

·         Do be friendly and smile at the passengers sitting around you. If it feels natural, strike up a conversation and introduce your children. Let them know that you will do your best to keep your little ones quiet and calm.

·         Don’t assume that the flight attendants are your own personal nannies. They are there to help you when you need it, but they have many other passengers to attend to as well.

Most of all, don’t avoid traveling because you have children. Flying with little ones might be a little more challenging than flying alone, but it is totally worth it. Travel is a great experience for children as it gives them a chance to visit relatives or see another part of the world. It will be an exciting experience that they treasure for many years to come, so do what you can to make it more enjoyable for them!