Confession time: I used to be one of those people who would board a long-haul flight praying my seat was nowhere near anyone with a baby or small child. Then I became a mum and was full of guilt for all those occasions when I glared at anybody who dared to travel with their kids.
Taking a child on a long flight can be an incredibly stressful experience. My daughter, ophelia, was nine months old the first time we took her to the UK to see family. When we arrived, I had never been so relieved to get off a plane.
Now nine, she’s made the trip to the other side of the world five times and it does get easier as she gets older – although the toddler years when she couldn’t sit still for long were probably the hardest.
Here are some tips that may make a long flight a little easier.
Before you go:
If your baby is young enough – usually under eight or nine months – request a bassinet as soon as you book your tickets. Remember airlines may not be able to guarantee you one and some types of planes don’t have them.
Check out the website of the airline you’re using for information on flying with children. For example, Air New Zealand’s website tells you that while cabin crew will prepare, heat and wash bottles you bring on board, they can’t refrigerate, heat or add water to your food.
Ask the airline about their rules on strollers. Some will allow small, light, fold-up strollers in overhead lockers on bigger planes, while others will make you leave them at the gate to go in the hold. Knowing how much you’ll be able to use the stroller can make a difference to what you take. If you’re using a stroller, a bag with wheels isn’t practical – you’d be better off with a backpack.
Get used to the idea that you will have to carry lots of things, from toys and extra clothing to snacks and feeding equipment. Take snacks you know they’ll eat – they may turn their noses up at unfamiliar airline food. You can take fruit, but if it’s not all eaten you’ll have to throw it in the rubbish on the plane.
Don’t forget extra clothing for yourself. I once sat across the aisle from a woman whose baby was sick on her shortly after takeoff. The poor mum spent the next 11 hours in soiled clothes.
on the plane
Try to time a baby’s feeds for takeoff and landing, as this will help avoid problems with their ears. Give older children sweets for when the plane descends.
Have pyjamas for babies and small children to change into and their usual bedtime toy so they understand that it’s time to sleep. Take a light cloth to drape over the bassinet and block out light. For older children, try eye-masks and earplugs to help them sleep.
Invest in a few cheap treats to keep your kids amused. Don’t give them everything at the beginning of the flight – keep new things ready for when they get bored. Avoid items with lots of small pieces – you’ll end up crawling around on the floor looking for missing bits.
Take a supply of small plastic bags for rubbish, dirty or wet clothes, toys and crayons once they’re out of their packets. Plastic bags can also double as sick bags, if necessary.
If you’re taking formula, put pre-measured amounts in small bags or containers.
Keep a small bag with a couple of nappies and wipes ready to go in the seat pocket in front of you so you don’t have to burrow through luggage when it’s time for a nappy change.
Suspend any usual TV viewing rules you might have for the kids and rejoice in the personal TV screens that are in the back of the plane seats.
Don’t forget a small bottle (up to 100ml is allowed on planes) of paracetamol, just in case.
To sedate or not?
Some parents swear by giving their children doses of medication such as the antihistamine Phenergan when they go on long flights, as it can make children drowsy and help them to sleep.
However, many medical professionals don’t recommend it and my Plunket nurse just about had an apoplectic fit when I raised the subject.
While antihistamine medication can knock out some children, when they wake up it can have the opposite effect and leave them bouncing off the walls. other children may not sleep and simply get hyper.
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