Kids-1st time flying (TIPS PLEASE!!!)

[MariaE]

We're leaving for WDW next week and my kids have never flown before, any good tips for making sure it goes smooth. I plan on having them each take a backpack with things to do on the plane, but I'm more worried about motion sickness or ear popping.

I'd appreciate any tips.
Thanks!

[Rebecca12345]

problem with motion sickness? - are you going on a very small commuter plane? or are your children prone to that in a car?
if not, I think you'll be fine.

earpain - what are the ages of your kids? I personally give my kids a decongestant type med before we board the plane to avoid ear pain before they fly & I aways take ibuprofen.

Pack a water bottle for each of them & some snacks in their backpacks. Nothing worse than a thirsty or hungry traveler!

Add some surprises along with some familiar toys. Books, cards, coloring, magna doodle, sm dolls & cars, sm lego set to put together, crossword puzzles, sm playdoh...........

One of my children used to be terrified to look out of the airplane window - but usually kids like to sit at the window seat. If you only have one window seat assigned, let each one take a turn so they can look out.

Take their photo on the plane! also mention to the stewardess when you board this is their first flight - (they usually offer little pilot wings to the kids - makes them feel so special).

If you are flying at naptime, or bedtime, make sure you get blanket/pillow from stewardess. I am always chilly on planes...

Depending on your flight there might be a movie offered. Some airlines ask for $ to watch the movie (!) but if it is one appropriate it is worth the extra sm charge I think.

relax & enjoy your trip!

[melk]

If your kids are prone to ear problems I would use ear planes. You can get them at the pharmacy and they are like ear plugs. My kids wouldn't wear them but I have a friend whose son was in tears every time they flew until they used the ear planes. I know a lot of people on these boards use them, too.

[annsteere]

Chewing gum as you begin the descent and landing process will be a help. A fresh stick of gum will make your kids swallow naturally and relieve the pressure on their ears. (If you forget the gum, you can yawn to relieve the pressure on your ears. But that isn't as pleasant as just chewing gum).

You didn't mention ages, but a baby should be given a bottle or nursed during descent for the same reason

[Strings]

My DD is too young for gum, and I can forget getting anything in her ears. When we're descending we have a "funny face contest" and "biggest yawn contest" it helps .

[mcnuss]

My DD is not allowed to chew gum any more (we had a hair incident...:D ) so we use lollipops on take off & landing. She will not put anything in her ears so Earplanes are out.

When she was little, I gave her a dose of Benadryl 30 minutes before boarding. It helps with motion sickness (believe it or not, Dramamine is just a glorified anti-histimine) and it also made her sleepy, so she would doze the whole trip.

We used to use Colorforms (Disney themed, to get the magic started), Etch-a-Sketch, and travel Magnadoodle (the one with the "pen" attached). Also, Barbie is good - she loves to travel, you know. Just no changing outfits on the plane bc it is always the shoe that ends up under the seat! Crayons, as long as you don't care about losing them, are great, with nice new Disney coloring books. DD is now 9, and she decorates all the barf bags in our row. She says that it will brighten the day of anyone who has to use them later. They also make good hand puppets in a pinch.

Hope this helps, have a great trip!

[Rebecca12345]

mcnuss: next time try peanut butter - it's great to remove gum from your daughter's hair ;)

[MariaE]

Thanks for all the tips. My kids are 11 and 6. I also have a nephew who is going that's 12. None of them have had ear problems to my knowledge, I think they're just a little nervous.

[AspiringCindy]

Sudafed is great for equalizing pressure(we use it with scuba diving). Also, a small dose of tylenol or ibuprofen will help with any discomfort! Definitely give them something to chew on when descending!

[Allie322]

We have also done what most of the previous posters had stated with great success. But we found that our children were more afraid of the unknown. They hadn't flown in about 5 years and remembered nothing about the experience. My husband and I went over everything in great detail about how things would work from the time we arrived at the airport until we landed at MCO. We told them about going through the metal detectors and how the security person may want to look in their bags. (Sure enough, my DD's backpack was hand searched) We also explained about takeoffs, landings, turbulence and so forth. I know it may not be for everyone, but this really made our kids more at ease.

[kcatoir]

Have any of you flown with a child that has ear tubes??
My 9yr old is on her 3rd set and has not flown...just wonder if they will make pressure worse or better??

K.C.

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by Rebecca12345
mcnuss: next time try peanut butter - it's great to remove gum from your daughter's hair ;)

We tried it all, ice cubes, peanut butter, everything! She ended up with a very cute new hair style! :)

[disneyeveryyear]

The tubes in your child's ears will take care of any pressure problems.

The tubes let the air in/out so there is no problem with equalization.

Both of my kids have flown with tubes and those were the easiest flights:p .

[casmanuel]

If your kids are a little nervous about flying, discuss with them ahead of time that they will feel movement in the plane--the wings may tip from to one side as the plane makes turns; they may feel a few or a lot of bumps as the plane flies through pockets of air--explain that clouds are "bumpy"; and as the plane begins its descent, they may feel that as well. In addition, there are many noises--"bings" and "bongs"-- that are part of the flight crew's communication system. These are the types of things that add to an uncertain flier's anxiety, and understanding they are normal is very helpful. You can compare it to a ride in the car, during which you can feel the car turning and bumps in the road (sometimes big ones), etc.

Also, since your kids are older, you can give each one a bottle (with a top) of cola or juice to sip on. These are much easier to handle than the small cups of soda the flight attendents hand out. Also bring some snacks along. Even with a relatively short flight, you can go a long time between meals with security checks, boarding, baggage pickup, etc.

My kids' favorite things on a plane are CD player and game boy; just remember you can't use any electronics during takeoff or landing.

Have a fabbo tirp!

[kcatoir]

thanks disneyeveryyear, one less thing to worry about.

[dcfromva]

MariaE,
Taking along a DVD player can make the time go by really quickly. (A laptop with a DVD player will work, too). Our last trip to WDW was in May during a Star Wars weekend--it was a lot of fun to watch a Star Wars movie on the flight to and from. It was a lot of fun. All three of us plugged in (we had two earphone jacks and we purchased a splitter--so we could all listen). There are lots of movies that you can bring along that are Disney themed and it will add to the excitement. (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Buzz Lightyear, Snow White, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Muppets Movies et'c)
-DC :)

[Snoozan]

I strongly recommend the Earplanes-especially since you don't know if any of the kids will have a problem with "stuffy" ears and the pain that goes with it. Once they're in, you can leave them in and you don't even feel them. I wear mine faithfully and now don't worry about the "stuffy" ear problem.

I've also given Dramamine to my kids-they're older now, but still like the sleepy feeling that makes the trip go quicker. By the time they're mostly conscious, they're there! I do the same for myself as I used to be a pretty nervous flyer and I figured Dramamine was safer than something like Valium.

My kids always brought their headsets and CD/MP3 players for entertainment.

[laura6598]

I also HIGHLY recommend the EARPLANES!! My 5 year old had Horrible ear pains on our April trip down, so much so that i had to call the stewardess. I don't know if you've heard of this before, but if this does happen to you or your child, have them give you a glass with a HOT paper towel stuffed in the bottom and hold it up to your ear. It breaks the pressure in your ear and causes immediate relief. (the stewardesses know about this) On Our trip to Hilton Head in May I bought the Earplanes and she was pain free, as well as ear popping free!! She even said, "mom, my ears arent' even popping at all this time!" They sell both children and adult Earplanes at any Walmart. I am actually using them myself on our trip down to WDW this week!! Good luck to you!!

Laura

[MariaE]

So how do these earplanes work? Do they have to stay in the entire flight or just on take off & landing?

[laura6598]

Maria,
They are made of a soft rubber and they kind of "screw" into the ears by gently turning them. The little screw part goes into the ear and the rubber stopper stick out a bit (they're not huge or anything). The directions say to put them in before take off and landing and you can take them out when the plane reaches cruising altitude, but I put them in my daughters ears when we sat down and had her wear them the whole flight until we landed, just because sometimes my ears pop the whole flight and I didn't want to chance any ear pain for her again. She was fine with them, and even slept with them in for 2 hours all the way to Florida. One pair is good for 2 flights because they say after too many wearings, dirt and wax can cause them to not work properly. They are $4.99 a pair at Walgreens and go from ages 1-11 for children and 12-up for adults. I swear by them!! Good luck to you! If you have any other questions, please ask!!

Laura

[Jana49]

The flight attendant also recommended having the fan overhead on and blowing right at our heads to help equalize the pressure.

Good idea about the glass and hot paper towel!

[buzzlady]

Bring a change of clothes for the kids. We had a little boy on our plane get sick all over himself. Have the little air sickness bag readily available.

[LadyAurora]

Just be prepared for the trip to take longer than you expect. Our first trip with DSs was their first plane trip (age 6). I packed bags of snacks and distractions for the flight. The boys were not scared, but were very excited. However, there was a storm between O'Hare and Orlando, and they would not let our plane take off. Unfortunately, they also would not go back to the terminal, so we were on the runway for about 6 hours, and then had the 2 hour flight. The boys were through their backpacks before we even took off! Luckily, one fell asleep finally and one was making faces at the little girl in front of him. hopefully you will not have such an extreme delay, but always be prepared and then some! :D

[nataliesdaddy]

when I fly with my DD (age 7 now) I take - pad of art paper, a bunch of play doh - glitter glue - something kind of like tinker toy building toys - markers (washable) - crayons - coloring books - I got her a camera this last time for pictures out the window - ...hmmm ohand this last time I brought oreos, peanut butter sandwiches, and chocolate chip cookies -

our flight averages 6 hours flight time with an hour lay over - and with all those things she has kept herself more then occupied - frankly they are the shortest flights I ever have because she is so entertained and entertaining.

[April76]

Travelling with kids -- definitely bring something to play with BUT remember that it will most likely end up on the floor and the smaller it is, the harder it is to recover. Also, try to keep getting into backpacks to a minimum.... it can be kinda tight in the passenger area and difficult to bend down and get into bags, etc.

When we took our 2 & 3 yr olds, each had their own pack with small baggies of cookies, chips, pretzels (whatever they like that isn't messy).... got them started on the first snack as we started down the runway for take-off, second whenever they got restless, and third for landing --- it kept them chewing and their minds off the plane.

Gave them each a small spiral notebook with 3 colored pens attached with ribbons -- never had to retrieve them from the floor. A few "new" toys from the dollar store were a real treat too.

We also requested the little airline pillows and they eventually fell asleep.

No ear problems at all and they loved flying!

GOOD LUCK!

[bmr12]

My tips for traveling on planes with children:

*Plan on being delayed. Take extra food, drinks, and diapers as appropriate and plan on taking an extra 6-12 hours to arrive at your destination beyond what is scheduled. I am always sad to see the mothers at the airports on the news who have run out of diapers, formula, etc., for their small children during blizzards and thunderstorms. My carry-ons have always been stuffed with extra food (I've even fed flight attendants during delays). Food entertains and fills tummys.

*Take lots of "new" things. We keep a stash of sticker books, coloring books, and other smaller/flatter items to take on our trips. It provides something new for the kid(s) to play with and is relatively quiet for those seated nearby. Costco is a great resource for such items, and Target has a nice supply of "workbooks" my daughter enjoys.

*If you have a laptop with a DVD drive, you are in great shape. Either buy some new DVDs on eBay, or check them out from your local library, or from Netflix, and go to town.

*Bring whatever comfort items your child needs at nap/bedtime. My daughter often will cuddle her blankie and stuffed friends while sitting on the plane even if she isn't really going to sleep. They are relatively small and lightweight, and in my case are critical if we ever get stuck somewhere overnight without our checked luggage.

*When packing, think about not seeing your checked luggage for 24-48 hours. Take a spare set of clothes/underwear/etc. for everyone involved plus whatever else you would want overnight (comfort items, diapers, etc.). This is especially true if you are making a connection and could get stuck at someplace that is neither your destination nor your starting point.

*Seriously consider buying a seat for all children, even those under two. It gives you a lot more space, and is signficantly safer. Take your carseat for kids under 40 lbs on the plane--another familiar item.

*Make sure it seems like fun. Let your kids explore the cockpit if possible--my daughter has sat in several pilot's seats and asks them all sorts of questions and they are almost always very agreeable and friendly. Wander the plane partway through with tiny kids (<4) just to get up and move around. Get a window seat and look at the other planes taking off and landing, and point out things on the ground below while in flight.

[thumperjr9]

Lots of good tips here!! I think 6 and 11 year old should do fine. Be sure to explain things that might happen going through security, for example they may have to take shoes off. However don't explain in too much detail what secuity is looking for (weapons etc.) that may scare them. Although, 11 year old is probably already aware of what is going on.

For families with small children explain that they will have to put anything they are carrying through the x-ray machine. On our last trip when we were leaving Orlando my DS-3 was carrying a tiny plastic Buzz toy. I wasn't even thinking about it, but security asked him for it and before I could even explain to him that he would get it right back he started screaming and had a total meltdown for all to see!

I have used benadryl for my kids on trips too (for drowsiness effect) but I would suggest trying this ahead of time because I have heard that it can have the opposite effect and cause excitablity in some kids.

[StitchGirl88]

tell your Daughter to move her jaw up and down the time you go up and when you land it is kinda like chewing gum just without hte gum or give her a lil snack she can chew on while taking off or landing!! Hope this helps