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Parenting Survival Guide – Flying With Kids

1
It’s quite possible you are facing your first flight with children and (smug) others have told you how amazing the experience will be.

I want to manage expectations about this right now. There are ways a flight can potentially be made easier with children, but gone are the days when you read a book, a trashy magazine all the way through, got drunk or had a dribbly snooze on board.

Take a change of clothes

Firstly, pack spare clothes in your hand luggage. Take it from someone who failed this on their first ever flight with a baby. At five

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2
months old, my bubba did something horrendous that leaked through his nappy and onesie. I had not brought any spare clothes on the plane. Epic fail. He spent the rest of the flight wrapped in only a nappy and a muslin.

Naps and snacks

Try and time nap and feed times with the flight. Of course, we all know this is impossible as little ones are completely unpredictable, but I feel good for suggesting it in theory.

Take a bag full of snacks – loads of them. You honestly can’t have enough.

Ignore the noise

Be prepared for wails due to air

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pressure, noise, a general change of scenery. On the plus side, you may get wails of pleasure due to being on an ACTUAL aeroplane, on a, gulp, runway.

If your child is under two, they will be required to sit on your lap. I’m not going to sugar coat this; it’s bloody annoying. There will be cuddles, but equally a shed load of squirming, fidgeting and severe absence of you having a cheeky kip.

Entertainment

Toddlers love a window seat. Make sure they’re in it. You won’t have that seat again.

Take an iPad and headphones if they are old

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enough. You will thank me for it, as you might (don’t hold me to this) get a moment to read your paper. For takeoff and landing give them books.

Put protectors on your elbows if you have to conduct a nappy change in the toilet. You thought they were small on your own, try changing a nappy in there.

Fellow passengers

Be ready for other passenger looks of disdain when they realise they are sitting near you, or next to you and your brood. Remember, it used to be you dishing out those evils before you had kids and flew carefreely.

Enjoy your

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flight, be aware that you might want to stick to short haul and make yourself aware as soon as you board where the nearest toilets are.
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- 19 Jan 19

It’s quite possible you are facing your first flight with children and (smug) others have told you how amazing the experience will be.

I want to manage expectations about this right now. There are ways a flight can potentially be made easier with children, but gone are the days when you read a book, a trashy magazine all the way through, got drunk or had a dribbly snooze on board.

Take a change of clothes

Firstly, pack spare clothes in your hand luggage. Take it from someone who failed this on their first ever flight with a baby. At five months old, my bubba did something horrendous that leaked through his nappy and onesie. I had not brought any spare clothes on the plane. Epic fail. He spent the rest of the flight wrapped in only a nappy and a muslin.

Naps and snacks

Try and time nap and feed times with the flight. Of course, we all know this is impossible as little ones are completely unpredictable, but I feel good for suggesting it in theory.

Take a bag full of snacks – loads of them. You honestly can’t have enough.

Ignore the noise

Be prepared for wails due to air pressure, noise, a general change of scenery. On the plus side, you may get wails of pleasure due to being on an ACTUAL aeroplane, on a, gulp, runway.

If your child is under two, they will be required to sit on your lap. I’m not going to sugar coat this; it’s bloody annoying. There will be cuddles, but equally a shed load of squirming, fidgeting and severe absence of you having a cheeky kip.

Entertainment

Toddlers love a window seat. Make sure they’re in it. You won’t have that seat again.

Take an iPad and headphones if they are old enough. You will thank me for it, as you might (don’t hold me to this) get a moment to read your paper. For takeoff and landing give them books.

Put protectors on your elbows if you have to conduct a nappy change in the toilet. You thought they were small on your own, try changing a nappy in there.

Fellow passengers

Be ready for other passenger looks of disdain when they realise they are sitting near you, or next to you and your brood. Remember, it used to be you dishing out those evils before you had kids and flew carefreely.

Enjoy your flight, be aware that you might want to stick to short haul and make yourself aware as soon as you board where the nearest toilets are.

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Who: Sarah - Queen of self-deprecation Job: from corporate HR career to Mum, Writer and Blogger Children: two boys with a 13 month age gap!! Obsessions: writing, Haribos, rainbows, coffee, fizz

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