Do you give your children anything before the plane ride?

[nicanna]

My 5 y/o daughters will be having their first airplane trip. Does any do or give young ones something before the ride..ie: dimetapp , gum, or lolllipops? Thank you !

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I have gum on hand, in case DS has a problem with his ears (sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't).

I do always buy new workbooks and coloring books for the trip, and once in a while we purchase a new game boy game. It keeps him quiet the entire flight.

 

[Dianna]

If we are flying early in the morning, I pack a brown bag of breakfast items such as yogurt, a piece of fruit, container of orange juice and cheese and cracker snack thingy. We are not early morning people, so we don't like to eat first thing in the morning, but once on the plane, we start to get hungry and a pack of peanuts doesn't quite cut it for us. For our last trip, I purchased ear planes for my goddaughter. She wore them and her ears did not hurt.

 

[drusba]

I try to give mine tickets to another plane or at least seats in a different part of the plane from me, but they won't let me get away with it.

In reality, the gum should be considered a necessity because it prevents ears from popping and you will not otherwise know whether they have that problem until you are on the plane. Also take lots of things for them to do--like coloring books, favorite doll--and try if you can to avoid giving them anything real messy or sticky (for your sake and the passenger in front of them--when one of ours was the age of yours she brought on a hidden stash of chocolate which we discovered the existence of when she wiped her hand on the hair of the woman in front of her; aah, those were the days).

 

[ducklite]

Personally I think gum needs to be outlawed on planes. I just got back from WDW. On the way down there was gum stuck (hidden) in the crack of my seat and it got all over me. On the way back, DS went to open the emergency instructions, and they were stuck together. You guessed it, another disgusting gum wad. Makes me want to puke, not to mention people looking like cows with their cud while chewing it. Singapore is sounding pretty good right now. Public caning for gum chewing. If I caught the person that hid the gum in the seat crack, it would give new meaning to the words "air rage".

There are a lot of options which work just as well, sucking a hard candy or safety pop, sucking on a bottle, or Ear Planes all work just as well and don't make a filthy, disgusting mess for your fellow pax.

Especially if your kids don't chew gum at home, they are very prone to playing with it and getting it all over themselves, their surroundings, and everything else. A steel tube hurtling through the stratoshpere is NOT a place to experiment. If you're bound and determined to give it to them in flight, at least give it to them for a couple months at home first, so they learn what not to do with it by making a mess of their home before you take them into a tightly cramped public area with it.

Anne

 

[imgoingtodisney]

My son will have his Gameboy, Disney activity books, etc. And yes I am giving him gum. He's 9 so he knows how to use it properly.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

When my kids were small I used to give them a warning about being well behaved on the plane or there would be some serious attitude adjustments right then and there. I wish more parents would.
I detest gum chewing and only allowed lollipops or hard candy to keep the ears open. Swallowing hard also works.
imgoingtodisney, I am happy to hear that your son, at nine, knows how to dispose of gum properly, however there are a LOT of people older than that that have no clue.

ducklite : Well said, and if Disney and most airports did not think it a problem, they would not have stopped selling it.

 

[lindaso]

I usually just pack juice boxes and sippy cups since my kids don't have the knack of chewing gum yet. If they did though, I'd give it a try. Pack lots of snacks, different activities like coloring, play doh with molds and tools, a walkman, and a few new things that they've never played with before. I saved giving my DD scissors till one of our flights and she cut up paper for an entire hour!!

I know someone who gives her kids a dose of benedryl so they'll sleep but that's not my thing.

Linda

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I work in the childrens room at our town library so I do know that not all gum gets disposed of correctly. It is totally disgusting when it is found under the tables, etc.

 

[The Princess]

We are leaving on Sunday the 1st and sure enough I took my 5yr old daughter to the doctors last week to find out she has an ear infection!!! She told me tonight that her ear still hurts so off to the doctors tomorrow!!! I am not sure if gum will be enough for her or not.

 

[NurseKim]

They sell the Ear Planes in the Children's size.
The adult ones work great for me!

 

[The Princess]

Where do you get air planes at??

 

[NurseKim]

I've gotten mine at Walgreens and WalMart. They're about $5 for a pair. I've also seen them sold at the airport stores.

 

[The Princess]

Thanks I'll see if I can get them.

 

[Debby7]

MY children were prone to ear infections when they were young . I always had them chew gum and gave them Dimetapp before the flight. Earplanes did not work for them.

 

[jenelise]

to prevent ear pain, I give my 6YO and 3YO DDs gummy bears or gummy worms. (we don't chew gum at home) To keep them busy, I go to the Dollar store and pick up some cheap games or books that can be discarded after the flight once DDs lose interest.

 

[skeezixspud]

It only SEEMS like it is, because the gum causes the mouth to produce saliva, which is then swallowed. The act of swallowing is what releases the pressure in the ears, NOT the chewing. Giving your child a bottle of water to drink from during takeoff and landing is a much better solution than chewing gum, and helps to prevent dehydration as well.

I have TMJ and Menieure's disease, and my otolaryngologist tells me that chewing gum is not only bad for your teeth, but puts stress on your jaws as well. When I add that to my distaste for finding the stuff on inappropriate surfaces, it makes me feel totally justified in banning it from my child's treat list.

If your child has an ear or sinus infection when you fly, it is really best to give them an appropriate dose of a decongestant 30 minutes before takeoff. I personally think it is ridiculous to allow a child to suffer intense pain just so a parent can say they don't use medication for convenience. Ear planes are good, but they are usually insufficient to stop the pain if infection and/or unusual inflammation is present.

 

[JandD Mom]

My brother the allergist tells me that if kids have any allergies at all, a dose of benadryl before flying is a good idea. The airplane is a closed compartment, and airlines don't even let in that much fresh air during flights anymore (it makes the plane use up more fuel). If anybody has brought an allergen on the flight with them (be it perfume, peanuts, whatever) that will be circulated throughout the cabin. Sensitive children (and adults) may feel pretty bad after a flight.

My kids have no allergies. I do make sure they have their vitamins though before a flight to help fight off any illness that might be circulated.

 

[Snoozan]

I'm surprised noone's mentioned Dramamine. I always offered my kids a dose of Dramamine for 2 purposes-no worrying about upset stomachs if ride gets bumpy, plus another benefit:it makes them very sleepy. I don't think my oldest DS ever stayed awake more than 1 hour of our 3 hour flights. Makes time go fast for them and my trip was more peaceful without having to keep them from kicking the seat in front of them. As they got older, the CD players with headsets were an absolute necessity. I think Dramamine is safe for kids as young as 2, but definately by age 6. This is my recommendation-I even always take 2 Dramamine myself as I tend to get a bit anxious being cooped up on a plane.