Air Travel Tips for Parents of Young Children
Are you the parent of an infant, toddler, or
preschooler? If you are, are you also in
the process of planning a trip that requires air travel? If you are, you may be dreading your upcoming
flight. After all, complications are all
that many parents can think of. With
that said, there are a number of ways that you can make flying with your young
children not only easy, but fun as well.
For children under two years of age, you will first want to
examine the pros and cons of getting them their own seat. Many airlines allow children under two to sit
on the lap of an adult. Getting an extra
seat for a child under two will cost money, but you may be able to get a small
discount when contacting the airline in question. On the other hand, you will be able to have
your own seat, which will be nice. Most
car seats can fit into airline seats.
Speaking of which, if you need to bring a car seat or a stroller, it
will need to be scanned by airport security.
As for strollers, they are a good idea, even for children
who can walk. Most parents of toddlers
are urged to give them a close look.
Most airlines will require you to handover your stroller before boarding
a plane. Once you arrive at your
destination, your stroller should be waiting for you at the gate. Using a stroller makes it easy for you to
move around the airport and quickly.
This is ideal if you must hurry, like if you have short layovers.
Also, be sure to bring some formula, juice, and snacks for
infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Although you will find some restrictions, most airport security officers
will allow a child’s drink to pass through, as long as it is a small quantity
only. As for older children, like
toddlers and preschoolers, you should be able to buy juice, water, and snacks
at an airport store past security checkpoints.
Doing so is nice, as they are no security concerns about doing so.
It is also important to bring a bag for your child. This bag should be filled with items that
interest them. Depending on the age of
your child, great items include books, stickers, coloring books and few
crayons, small toys, and flash cards.
These items will have to be scanned through airport security, so try to
leave anything, namely toys, at home that may cause complications or delays.
Speaking of airport security, it is important to talk about
the screening process and prepare your child for it. For many toddlers and preschoolers, the whole
ordeal can seem a little bit overwhelming and scary. Your child will likely have to walk through
the metal detectors themselves. If you
are traveling with another adult, have one go through first, so that your child
can walk towards a familiar face. You
may even want to arrive at the airport early.
This gives and your child the opportunity to watch others go through the
screening process first.
As for the flight itself, toddlers and preschoolers may love
having a window seat. If someone in your
traveling party is assigned a window seat, try to let your toddler or preschool
sit there instead. As for the bag full
of goodies you brought, refrain from giving everything to your child all at
once. This is likely to reduce
boredom. For children who may have their
own seats, portable DVD players and laptop computers are advised. They are a great way to keep a fussy child
occupied. If using a laptop computer, be
sure not to choose a movie that will exceed the laptop’s battery life, as this
may result in a very unhappy child.
The above mentioned tips are just a few of the many that can
help you, as a parent, when traveling by air with young children. For addition tips, just use your best judgment. As a parent, you should know what will help
to keep your child interested and happy.
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