Survive the crying baby hell trip

Author: Lisa Bartlett

Have you ever taken a plane trip with your children yet as much
as you love them you were so appalled by their behaviour you
wanted nothing more than to throw them out of the emergency
exit?

Don't feel bad. You are not alone.

We recently did a snap poll on flying nightmares. It turns out
almost 50% of the 529 votes received consider crying babies to
be the worst fellow passenger.

I shamefully admit that I was once one of those children but
I'm still alive, which means something must have worked...

Here are some tips to survive a plane trip with kids.

If they are your own:

• Be smart

Children get bored very easily. So for those long trips try not
to get them into the plane until the final boarding call. If you
are travelling with very young children have your husband or a
flight attendant pre board to set up the car seats while you and
the kids play in the waiting area until the final boarding call.

This way, the children aren't cooped up on a crowded plane long
than necessary. They play, get tired and will hopefully fall
asleep (if you're lucky)! If not, read on.

• Goody bags are fun

Having some 'goodie bags' on the trip prevents kids from
getting bored and working on each other's nerves (and yours!).
In each bag, put a snack and a small diversion (such as index
cards and a ten-color pen, black notepaper with a glitter gel
pen, or silly party-store games).

When the kids get irritable, hand the bags over and let them
play.

• Prepare for delays and messes

When packing your carry-on case, try to use a back pack because
it frees up your hands. Once your luggage is checked, your
carry-on becomes a veritable magician's hat. Some things to have
on hand in the event of delays or messes

1. A change of clothes for your child. 2. Wet wipes, they
always come in handy. 3. Re-sealable plastic bags to hold dirty
clothes or diapers. 4. Any medicine your child is taking. If
it's trapped in the suitcase, flight delays may keep you from
reaching it at the scheduled dosage time. 5. A colour photo of
your child (in case they get lost). 6. Gum to help relieve ear
pressure during the descent (it helps a lot!).

• Make them feel independent

Allowing your child to fill his or her own backpack gives them
a great sense of independence. They will enjoy making selections
for themselves and participating in the 'grown-up' activities of
planning the trip. Better yet, they'll want to carry it which
will lighten your load.

• You've survived the flight...

You've managed to survive the plane trip. When you collect your
luggage your kids will want to take a ride on the motorised belt
- its carousal effect will have them totally hypnotised.

So, unless you want your youngest daughter to wind up in the
luggage hold of Estonia Airways Flight 208, keep your kids well
away from it and under the watchful eyes of an adult.

If they're someone else's:

•Play a tune to drown out the noise

Your mp3 player is always a good thing to have with you on your
trip. There are great movies on long flights but if it is a
short one, travelling to the sounds of Duffy will be extremely
soothing. (and much preferred).

• Refrain from touching what's not yours

Don't touch them if they're not yours, especially if they're
sleeping, no matter how cute their little toes look and no
matter how chubby their legs are. Not only will you have a
cranky baby to deal with... you'll have their mom on your case
as well...

• Plan in advance

If you know that there is no way you can cope with a crying
child on a flight, make sure you book in advance and stipulate
your seating preference. If you are late, you'll have to take
what you get...

• Pack in a sweet or two

You may be wondering why, especially if they aren't your
children. Unfortunately, some parents have so much to deal with
that packing snacks for their kids is sometimes the last thing
on their minds. If the kid next to you is cranky, a lollipop can
be an effective plug... That should keep them quiet until you
think of the next plan of action.

• Sacrifices oh sacrifices...

If in the unfortunate event you are placed next to a child and
you are the one sitting next to the window, give it up for the
kid. They would have a lot more fun next to the window than you
would at the end of the day.

In all seriousness, when last did you get excited about the
fact that the cloud you just passed looked like Barney the
Dinosaur?

About the author:
GoTravel24.com is South
Africa's leading travel website. With information covering every
aspect of travel, from how to fly with kids to upcoming events
and affordable
packages, GoTravel24 is really your one-stop travel shop.