And we’re off! I am officially in Hawaii for the next 8 days as a travel nanny! We (and by we I mean all of us adults) made it through the flight with 3 kids under the age of 3 and we are all A ok. I’ve been on multiple flights with little ones, and you never know what you are going to get. Lucky enough for me, I haven’t had to deal with any children that scream bloody murder. Everyone seems to be for the most part fine, because of these little tricks. Every child is different so these might not work for everyone, but these are all things that worked for us on this flight and also have worked for other children that I have flown with over time. Let me know what you think!
1. Technology
This one for people is always an iffy one. If your child watches TV all the time, he or she might not be that interested in watching even more TV on a plane. This tip is for parents who have controlled time on technology with their children, because in this case time spent on the internet or watching videos is a little more exciting and a little more of a privilege. Watching cartoon shows or YouTube videos will be new to kids who aren’t around it 24/7, so this always helps! For the babies, not so much.
2. Breastfeed during take off and landing.
This one is obviously directed for women who breastfeed their child still, because it helps the baby with their ears popping. I heard this tip from a friend who I went on plane with and it seemed to work great considering you didn’t hear a peep during take off or landing!
3. Toys?
This one is an iffy one for me. When flying with babies I’ve seen people pack tiny bags of toys for every hour, and then only bring a handful of toys for the whole plane. Especially if it is your first ride, they’re going to be VERY interested in what is going on around them and they are going to be wanting to see everything. I would personally only bring a handful of toys, since being in a new scenery with a whole lot of people can be a sight to see!
4. Snacks Galore
Puffs, cheerios, whatever you feed your little for a snack will be your best friend during a flight. Eating something snacky and yummy will help keep their cool if they tend to lose it. It also keeps them full in between bottles and/or meals! It is better to have a full tummy with snacks then a little bit empty with just main courses.
5. Dollar Section at Target
This is a must. Go to Target the day before or whenever you have time before the trip, and let your little one (or you choose) pick something for the plane ride. Make sure it is clear that they get to open it when on the plane, and it makes it that much more special. Buy 3 or 4 things depending on how long your plane is, and let them open a different one every hour. Since it is the dollar section, most of the items should be small and be space savers.
Thank you so much of reading and I can’t wait to share with you my adventures in Hawaii! 🙂
XO,
Danielle Alana
