DD extremely nervous to fly!! Help please!

[Disneyglobegirl]

When we go to WDW we usually drive however this summer we are taking a trip to California and to Disneyland. DD(9) is very excited about Disneyland but she is very nervous and scared of flying - this will be her first flight. When ever we talk about the flight she get angry and crys and says she is not getting on that airplane. This same child has riden Rock N Roll RollerCoaster and Tower of Terror millions of times - she has no fear of anything except flying. Her dad flys all the time for work and she sees that he comes and goes with no problems. DH and I flew to Jamaica this past summer for our anniversary and she was ok with that and saw that we came back fine. I think it just may be the fear of trying something new and not so much of flying but I am not sure.

What can we do to help ease her fears? And if worse comes to worse and she is still really frightened when it comes time to go would it be advisable to call her dr and discuss this with him. Has anyone everhad to give their children something to relax them for their first flight?

Thanks.

 

[WDWfan36]

Don`t talk about it so much. My dd is totally afraid of plans she would get really nervous. What we did is get a toy that she has wanted and bring with us. As soon as we got on the plane like the first step we told her we got her something, it helped entertain her so she wasn`t to much afraid. Have her call a relitive or someone that would calm her down. I would just manily not mention or talk about it as much. Just mention it once in an while. HIH

 

[Hannathy]

What is she afraid of ? Have you asked her? At 9 she should be able to tell you what is bothering her. Have a quiet calm discussion about it find out what it is that frightens her then deal with that and then I agree drop it the more you talk about it and dwell on it the bigger deal it will be. Possibly if this is new it could be at school they have been talking about the space shuttle blowing up since it is the anniversary and this has worried her.

 

[all4fun]

I think you've gotten some great advice so far. Here are a few sites that also have some tips: Travel with kids: Fear of flying

CHILDREN's FEARS OF FLYING: Helping your child prepare for plane flights! (you have to scroll down a bit to see this).

hth!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Thanks so much everyone! We brought it up to prepare her but we try not to dwell on it or talk too much about it. She did ask a few questions about "How does a plane stay in the air" " What if it falls out of the sky" Dh then tells her that driving is more dangerous than flying - not sure if that was the way to go. Anyway I will look at the site about calming kids fears on flying and also plan on getting her a new game for her Nintendo DS - I told her that she could bring her Tink MP3 and her Nintendo DS.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[dis-happy]

I fly frequently, but a couple months ago had a flight that totally freaked me out (one engine lost power, almost had to make an emer. landing but then it fired up again, landing gear was not normal sounding when it went down--even the road warriors sitting in first class around me were starting to worry!). Anyway, that fright left a lasting impression, along with my return flight that had a ton of turbulence. So, the last couple of flights I've taken since then I've been eating a couple of Dramamines and happily sleeping the entire time. I would just buy a package of regular (not the non-drowsy forumula) Dramamine and give her one in the airport. Can't hurt. Also, keep her mind busy with something else if possible, especially at the airport ahead of time--either a dvd movie if you have one, or a new gameboy game, or something! In the meantime, try to act matter of fact about it all.

 

[Servants of Evan]

Okie-dokie, It's time for "Fun Physics for Kids!" She's 9 so lets make this simple and fun... What can I say, I'm a geek...

"How does a plane stay in the air"

As we all know from watching Chicken Run, you need two things to fly: Lift and Thrust.

Take an ordinary piece of paper and lightly fold it in half (don't heavily crease it like you are putting it in an envelope, just a nice light crease), top to bottom. Put the piece of paper on a desk, counter, etc and place a finger at the top/bottom end you brought together. Press down gently. Now blow directly at the fold area. The paper should rise up from the desk/counter. The air traveling overtop of the fold has a farther distance to travel so it speeds up/thins out which creates lift. As long as air travels over that shape, it'll create lift. You can draw a picture of a wing (flat bottom, 'C' shaped front (leading edge) and a top which tapers to the end of the bottom (trailing edge). C________

Thrust is a little harder to illustrate without resorting to props (appliances). First, find yourself a standard room (not ceiling) fan. While greatly oversimplified, the fan will work for this point... Turn the fan on. Hold a piece of paper vertically a few inches in front of the fan and allow it to get sucked to the front cage/fan guard. This is the intake to the jet engine. Note it is sucking the air so strongly that the paper can't/won't fall down. Now remove the paper. With the fan still running, put the paper on the "exhaust" side of the fan. Obviously, the paper is going to want to get blown away. The rotation of the fan blades wants to pull or suck the air in and push it out the back quickly...
If you get the "But mom, that works for a piece of paper, what about a big plane?" you can take this experement one step further. It's a little tricky, but it can work -- though more props are needed. Find your room fan, a skateboard, extension cord, and a few small 'C'-clamps. Securely clamp the fan base to the skateboard deck. Put the skateboard on a smooth surface (concrete floor) and using the extension cord, plug it in. Turn on the fan. In a very short period of time, the fan will begin to move itself (and the skateboard) across the floor. THRUST! We've Achieved THRUST!

 

[traciedee]

I don't know if this will make sense or help..but heres my 2 cents worth. For many years I was afraid of boats and small planes. It literally made me sick to my stomach. Then one day I decided to learn to dive and of course you have to spend time on boats if you want to dive. Long story short, a dive master gave me meclazine (which is like dramamine) for my queezie stomach. For some odd reason once my nausia went away so did my fear. Now I take it before every flight and I don't even think about it anymore. Good luck.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Okie-dokie, It's time for "Fun Physics for Kids!" She's 9 so lets make this simple and fun... What can I say, I'm a geek... As we all know from watching Chicken Run, you need two things to fly: Lift and Thrust.

Take an ordinary piece of paper and lightly fold it in half (don't heavily crease it like you are putting it in an envelope, just a nice light crease), top to bottom. Put the piece of paper on a desk, counter, etc and place a finger at the top/bottom end you brought together. Press down gently. Now blow directly at the fold area. The paper should rise up from the desk/counter. The air traveling overtop of the fold has a farther distance to travel so it speeds up/thins out which creates lift. As long as air travels over that shape, it'll create lift. You can draw a picture of a wing (flat bottom, 'C' shaped front (leading edge) and a top which tapers to the end of the bottom (trailing edge). C________

Thrust is a little harder to illustrate without resorting to props (appliances). First, find yourself a standard room (not ceiling) fan. While greatly oversimplified, the fan will work for this point... Turn the fan on. Hold a piece of paper vertically a few inches in front of the fan and allow it to get sucked to the front cage/fan guard. This is the intake to the jet engine. Note it is sucking the air so strongly that the paper can't/won't fall down. Now remove the paper. With the fan still running, put the paper on the "exhaust" side of the fan. Obviously, the paper is going to want to get blown away. The rotation of the fan blades wants to pull or suck the air in and push it out the back quickly...
If you get the "But mom, that works for a piece of paper, what about a big plane?" you can take this experement one step further. It's a little tricky, but it can work -- though more props are needed. Find your room fan, a skateboard, extension cord, and a few small 'C'-clamps. Securely clamp the fan base to the skateboard deck. Put the skateboard on a smooth surface (concrete floor) and using the extension cord, plug it in. Turn on the fan. In a very short period of time, the fan will begin to move itself (and the skateboard) across the floor. THRUST! We've Achieved THRUST!

Thanks for the ideas! When it comes to physics I need all the help I can get.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I don't know if this will make sense or help..but heres my 2 cents worth. For many years I was afraid of boats and small planes. It literally made me sick to my stomach. Then one day I decided to learn to dive and of course you have to spend time on boats if you want to dive. Long story short, a dive master gave me meclazine (which is like dramamine) for my queezie stomach. For some odd reason once my nausia went away so did my fear. Now I take it before every flight and I don't even think about it anymore. Good luck.

I heard the ginger tablets can help with nausia too - I wonder if that would work the same as the meclazine? I'll have to keep both in mind. Thanks for the tip.

 

[tuppence a bag]

I was terrified the first time I flew when I was 12. I didn't sleep, I kept thinking the plane would crash, my stomach was a mess. One thing that helped alot was that we didn't get to the airport too early for me to dwell on it. I also brought a can of soda on the plane and began to drink it after the cabin door was closed (nowadays you could bring a twist cap bottle) and it did help to calm me. I do wish my mom had given me dramamine. I always give my kids soda and a treat for the plane and they look forward to it, it keeps them busy. I am also very honest with them when they are old enough to ask me what it will feel like, I only do this at the airport. I say it's like a ride, you get on the ride, you buckle up, the plane drives around slow like a car, then it goes around the corner and speeds up and takes off. Once you get in the air, it is like a car, just a few bumps here and there. I do not like to fly at all but do because it saves time. I have always had a fear of driving up steep hills too. I am honest with my kids, they know I don't like it. When we landed at WDW in the lightning and bad bad turbulence, I thought I was going to lose it. My 6 yr old replied "Mom, if you can survive the ToT, you can survive this ride." Wish I had more help for you.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I was terrified the first time I flew when I was 12. I didn't sleep, I kept thinking the plane would crash, my stomach was a mess. One thing that helped alot was that we didn't get to the airport too early for me to dwell on it. I also brought a can of soda on the plane and began to drink it after the cabin door was closed (nowadays you could bring a twist cap bottle) and it did help to calm me. I do wish my mom had given me dramamine. I always give my kids soda and a treat for the plane and they look forward to it, it keeps them busy. I am also very honest with them when they are old enough to ask me what it will feel like, I only do this at the airport. I say it's like a ride, you get on the ride, you buckle up, the plane drives around slow like a car, then it goes around the corner and speeds up and takes off. Once you get in the air, it is like a car, just a few bumps here and there. I do not like to fly at all but do because it saves time. I have always had a fear of driving up steep hills too. I am honest with my kids, they know I don't like it. When we landed at WDW in the lightning and bad bad turbulence, I thought I was going to lose it. My 6 yr old replied "Mom, if you can survive the ToT, you can survive this ride." Wish I had more help for you.

Thank you for sharing your story - I hope that DD will be ok after we take off.

 

[Danaans]

make up a flight bag for her with some of her favorite things....coloring books, candy, etc. We also had a diskman for granddaughter to listen to her favorite music. Remember to make her comfortable......it will go fine...just relax and enjoy!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

make up a flight bag for her with some of her favorite things....coloring books, candy, etc. We also had a diskman for granddaughter to listen to her favorite music. Remember to make her comfortable......it will go fine...just relax and enjoy!

Thank you - The flight bag is a great idea - I will let her pick some snacks, books and I told her she can pick out some songs to download on her MP3 - I just bought her the High School Musical soundtrack so we will have to put that on her MP3 as well. I also planned on getting her and her brother each a new game for their Nintendo DS's as a surprise. I might need to let her know that she will get a surprise once she is on the plane. I think she will be ok after the intial flight. ALot of it has to do with a fear of the unknown.

Thanks again everyone for the great ideas!

 

[Servants of Evan]

My wife was not what anyone would call a "good" flyer. In fact, her first flight was for our honeymoon at Disney. I told her what to expect, the whole taxiing process, the lining up and stopping at the end of the runway, the acceleration upon receiving clearance, rotate and lift off, wheels up, flaps retracted, etc... I knew we had an early flight out Sunday morning, but I was a bit surprised when the plane quickly swung onto the runway and we went from taxing directly into full take off mode. With tears in her eyes she grabbed my shirt collar, pulled it over my shoulder and sobbed, “You LIED to me!” It took a while of explaining that I always had to wait to take off and we were fortunate not to have to wait for her to ease up. Everything then went fine until we hit some very minor turbulence. With barely a wingtip shake my new wife had a mild panic moment. Answering the inevitable, “What was that?” I explained thermal pockets, rising and falling air, etc and she just stared at me. Finally in desperation I replied, “Chuckholes in the sky, babe. They’re just chuckholes in the sky.” For some strange reason, that answer worked for her. I will forever bless the pilot of that Delta flight as his arrival into MCO was absolutely perfect. He completely greased that landing – in fact it was probably the smoothest landing I have ever experienced. When he applied the brakes and thrust reversers my wife thought we were going to crash into the ground until I explained we had already landed!

Since then she’s flown a decent amount. It’s still not on her favorites list, but she manages. The best thing was the year after our honeymoon we drove to Disney. It didn’t take long to realize that two hours fifteen minutes in a plane definitely beat twenty hours in a car!

 

[Danaans]

Thank you - The flight bag is a great idea - I will let her pick some snacks, books and I told her she can pick out some songs to download on her MP3 - I just bought her the High School Musical soundtrack so we will have to put that on her MP3 as well. I also planned on getting her and her brother each a new game for their Nintendo DS's as a surprise. I might need to let her know that she will get a surprise once she is on the plane. I think she will be ok after the intial flight. ALot of it has to do with a fear of the unknown.

Thanks again everyone for the great ideas!

You are welcome.....My husband doesnt like to fly either....so I make up one for him also.....LOL!!!

 

[dis-happy]

FYI...meclazine, aka Bonine, is supposed to be for ages 12 and up, so check with your doctor before using it. HTH

 

[MEM]

FYI...meclazine, aka Bonine, is supposed to be for ages 12 and up, so check with your doctor before using it. HTH

For that very reason, my children's pediatrician has always recommend plain old Benadryl for motion sickness. The OP's daughter may have a genuine anxiety that needs to be addressed well before the trip - on our flight down in August, a child of about 12 years had just entered the plane and broke down in hysterics. The crew waited a good 20 minutes for him to calm down but he did not and the parents removed him from the plane.

Personally, I find Benadryl not only helps with my own motion sickness but calms any anxiety I have. I would ask your doctor - sleeping through most of the trip might not be a bad idea.

 

[Magic2000]

Just a suggestion here - but you may want to make the gift bag a surprise - pick out some of her favorite candy and gum, etc.

A few months before our trip, I buy my DD a "party bag" with her favorite Disney character. Then each time I'm at the grocery store, I pick up a favorite candy, gum, tic tacs, or snack item. I also pick up a coloring book, colors, the small word search books, etc. (A new CD for the older DD!!) But they don't know what's in the bag til we're in the car (if we're driving) or on the plane (if flying). They love looking through their bag!! (Even my teens like their coloring book and colors!) For my youngest DD, I sometime include a small stuffed animal - she loves dogs! This past Dec when we went, on our way to the airport, we stopped at the Build A Bear, and she made a dog that came on the trip with us!!!

I always have so much fun stocking up on their surprises!!

Good luck!!!