10 tips for flying with children

Facilities that make a big difference when traveling by plane with children

Many people have asked me how my little one behaves so well on planes. I don't have many secrets, just a few things I've learned over time, which is why I've put together 10 tips for flying with a child.

First of all survival kit for flights with children is essential, I've written all about it here on the blog, remember? Well, it's just one of the tips I'm going to talk about here. The survival kit was a hit, lots of moms came to talk to me about it, so I decided to add to the list and tell you everything I do to improve the experience with the little one in the air.

1 - Tranquility

For me, this is the most important tip!
I know that sometimes it feels like the world is looking at us with a siren in our arms, but try to stay calm.
Staying calm and speaking calmly is the lifeblood of the business, little ones are very sensitive and become increasingly nervous when they see us nervous.

Seriously, my own experience!
This tip is worth more than gold: don't let crying get in the way! Take a deep breath, look at your little one, cuddle and understand what they need.
Especially for smaller children or babies who don't yet know how to communicate, crying is just a warning that something is bothering them.
Of course, we don't want it to get to the "siren child" point, do we? So the sooner you get the message and the calmer you are, the better.

2 - Backpack with toys (survival kit)

How can we keep our little ones from reaching the "siren child" stage? You know that doll he can't let go of? Or the stuffed animal they love the most!
On every trip with my little one I put together a new kitwith favorite toys and a few jokers that always come in handy.
When he was very small, I used to take a few shaky toys with me, as well as a lot of breast and bottle feeding. As he got older, building toys started to make their way into his backpack, along with crayons and colored pencils.

Now that he's two and a bit years old, we have stickers, pens, playdough and his beloved farm.
Every child has his or her favorite toy, so don't forget your child's and put together a kit too!
If you want more ideas, click here and read the full text on the survival kit.

3 -Comfortable clothes to make the most of flying with children

Half a breath is enough to annoy someone who is already annoyed. Imagine spending an entire flight with a shoe
or a blouse that isn't very comfortable?

I talk about this in the flight survival kit, but I think it's worth reinforcing, because it's not just the little ones who need to be comfortable.
Sometimes we have to go out of our way to change the baby or feed them, or simply to make them sleep comfortably on top of us lol.

If the clothes we're wearing aren't comfortable or don't allow us to move around in them, our stress levels increase and, consequently, so does our little one's.
Make the most of baggy pants and nice blouses! Shoes without heels and that aren't tight are also very helpful, both for you and for the little one.
Ohhh and extra clothes are very necessary in flight, after all a juice can always fly at you.
So, more than ever, this is one of the tips for flying with children that also applies to us.

4 -Lanchinhos

These days, you never know when there will be snacks on the flight or not, let alone whether your little one will enjoy them. Another option is to take baby food and bottles, but remember that not all airplanes have the means to heat them up.
Making them hungry is not a good thing, both for the limits of the "siren child" and for their little stomachs.

Our power of decision diminishes when we're hungry and we end up making the wrong choices. Always have a cookie for him with a juice and a cereal bar for yourself.
I, for one, become a beast when I'm hungry. I always use this trick to regain my composure and be able to choose better options, even if it's where we're going to have a snack at the airport.

5- Ears and medicines to take on the plane with a child

This was the doubt that alarmed me the most before taking off with our little one. I looked for lots of tips on flying with a child, but I didn't find anything that relevant.
So I asked the pediatrician all sorts of questions: how could a two-month-old baby fly without feeling his ears? How was it going to do with the bottle? Can you bottle-feed? Do they feel pain?

I flew and the tricks kept changing, first the little ear was cured with breastfeeding on take-off and landing, the rest of the flight was all sleeping lol.
Then there was the bottle. My little one never had warm milk, not least because of the difficulty of heating it up, not all airplanes have the equipment, so this made it much easier. I took the measurements, water and that was it! He took off, bottle and pacifier, landed, same thing.

Mummy, bottle and pacifier are gone, now what? A biscuit on the way up and down is the solution! I taught him the technique of pretending to swallow water, it worked for him and he NEVER complained about his little ears, a blessing.
But one thing that hasn't changed to this day, and shouldn't, is medication!
Every time, without exception, I make a pharmacopoeia with the pediatrician.
I tell her where I'm going and she sets something up with me, I even took antibiotics to Thailand.
Corticosteroids, antiallergic drugs, fever and nausea remedies are always there!
Can you imagine a fever in the middle of a flight? God forbid! So don't forget to pack your pharmacy too.

6- Tours

Can you imagine a child sitting still for more than two hours? Impossible, right? Children have a LOT of energy and we have to know how to deal with it.
If we force them to sit still, it could be worse.
So strategic walks are essential!
I love stimulating little ones' curiosity!

I walk around with him and show him every detail of the plane, talking to the stewardesses and showing him the mechanisms.
It's even better when Dad joins in, showing his passion for aviation. Will our little one follow in his father's footsteps?
Of course, a lot of things he doesn't understand, but it's a way of distracting him and also helps to pass the time.
Not to mention the importance of walking for circulation during the flight.

7- Documents

This is one of the tips for flying with children that you can take with you for life!
This is very important and makes it much easier on national flights, I made an ID for Emmanuel as soon as he was born, so he doesn't need a birth certificate when he checks in, taking the ID is much easier because it's smaller and easier to keep!

When traveling internationally, it's important to provide all the documentation well in advance, you never know when there will be problems with issuing it. Strikes, appointment availability, consular holidays and the like can happen, so be prepared!

Ahhh, another very important thing, I always take the original documents, but I have two photocopies saved and photos on my cell phone and in the cloud in case I lose the documents, i.e. they get stolen.
Having photos or xeroxes to prove the documents not only speeds up the process when it comes to getting a duplicate or going to the consulate, but also helps to prove that the child really is your child in any emergency.

Find out how to issue documents in cases of emergency in the country of destination.

8- Airline

Some airlines are perfect for flying with children, they provide total support! From special snacks to complete entertainment kits!
Choosing a company where you know your little one will be welcome is very good and the result even better.
Do your research before choosing your flight, sometimes the price difference isn't huge, but the little gifts and snacks make all the difference.

Although this is silly depending on age, it works superbly with my 2-year-old!
Can you imagine a chocolate drink at snack time? Or a teddy bear or even a toy airplane?
He loves every mimooo! And so do we.

9- Alternative timetables

Depending on how long your flight will be, choosing the right time is crucial!
After all, being on a plane with a child for a long time can be very annoying at times.
I always choose long flights at night, it's much easier for him to spend the hours sleeping than entertaining him for too long!

I try my best to play all flights longer than four hours at night.
When we went to Thailand there was no way around it, we took a night bus and a day bus.
What we used as a strategy was to run and dissipate a lot of energy at the airport where we made our connection.

10 - News

Novelties are great for distracting the little ones, you know when they start to get bored and don't want to know anything? I always divert their attention to something new, a new toy or even an old one that was forgotten!

This works 100% of the time.
At least my little one loves a good novelty and when he starts to cry, I ask.

-What's that? You get distracted and forget that it was getting boring at the time.

That's why I still say, the right company helps a lot with the entertainment that only they provide.
There was a lot new on each flight, and our flight with the kids was perfect for us to play a lot.

Heyyy, did the tips help you know how to fly with a child and a baby? Do you have any other cool tips? Let me know in the comments!

See here our adventure in Thailand, starting with accommodation in Bangkok
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and enjoy all our trips in real time.
Or travel with us in our videos on YouTube! 
See a bit of our last trip too! This way