Airplane Travel with Kids

I have three boys - ages 15, 11, and 6 - and my first flight with a child was when my oldest was just a few months old. Easy, I thought - my 5 month old and I on a plane for five hours from Portland, OR, to Pittsburgh, PA. How hard could it be? By the time I landed, I was dying of thirst, covered in spit up, my son was in desperate need of a diaper change, and I had cramps in muscles I didn't know existed. I've since made around 20 flights with my children and have a stack of tips to share with other parents.

I've been the parent of a child who wouldn't stop kicking the seat in front of him. I've also been the person in front of a child who wouldn't stop kicking the seat. This will give you a headache in no time flat. Not only can you already feel every little movement of the person behind you when they are reaching into the pocket on the back of your seat, but kicking just jars you so you can't sleep or concentrate.

Photo by: irishflyguy / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tip: Take a travel blanket with you and tuck it into the seat pocket in front of your child. It will help keep their feet from being able to do too much damage to the person sitting in front of them.

If you book early, you may be able to grab the bulkhead row. There is extra leg room which means, if you have a child who is old enough to stand, you can more easily let them stand while you hold onto their hands giving your lap, and your child, a much needed break.

My second favorite row is the last row on the plane. Bathrooms conveniently right behind you.

If you sit in the bulk head row, you don't have a seat in front of you under which to stow your carry-on. This will have to be placed in an overhead bin until after take-off - a minor inconvenience considering the benefits of being in this row.

These days, with airlines packing their flights to the brim and with frequent fliers fighting for these prime seats, these are hard to come by and some airlines even charge an extra few bucks to get in the first few rows after first class. If you have a long flight, that extra space might be worth the money.

Crayons and coloring books are a good way to keep small children occupied, but be prepared to lose a few. These easily roll off of trays, onto the floor and are nearly impossible to retrieve. Even if you can retrieve them, you don't want to spend your flight doing so.

Bring toys that aren't too small, don't roll, and won't hurt if accidentally thrown at the person sitting next to you. It happens.

Photo by: kapkap / CC BY-SA 2.0

As planes change altitude, mostly during takeoff and landing, the pressure impacts our ears. Babies and children are more susceptible to this than adults - hence, the crying jags that rattle the nerves of parents and fellow passengers alike.

Tip: Have something handy for a child to suck on or chew during the flight, especially during takeoff and landing - a pacifier, a bottle, a lollipop, a piece of gum - all, of course, dependent on their ages. The sucking and chewing motions help relieve the pressure in the ears and can ease the pain a child feels. Which, by the way, will make you less stressed than if you're having to comfort a screaming child and wishing you could hide in the bathroom for the rest of the flight.

Photo by: cheesepicklescheese / CC BY 2.0

You can't take liquids through airport security and this includes baby milk (even applesauce and yogurt, as I discovered recently). Bring powdered, pre-packaged formula in single feedings. The airline will heat water for you to make a bottle.

Food on airplanes is rather expensive ($7 for a small lunch box) and the selections are usually unappetizing to small children. Pack dry cereal, cut up fruit, raisins, crackers, and other snacks your toddler will like.

Photo by: oskay / CC BY 2.0

Try to plan an infant's meal (breast or bottle) to take place during take-off and landing if you can. This, as I mentioned in the section on ears, will help make sure your child is hungry enough to suck on the bottle during those times that cause them the most pain. Often, this will cut down on the crying and screaming that makes a parent feel completely helpless.

Once a child sees how that little tray flips down, they want to try it too, and their fascination will go on throughout the whole flight. Suddenly, they have control of something and kids love to control things (do you blame them?). It makes them feel older and bigger. However, that tray going up and down can be felt by the person in front of them and it's darn annoying. Instruct younger children that the tray is off limits and that if they need the tray, you will take it down and put it up.