Flying with an extremely scared child... need advice.

[ChaMakay1923]

I have had a long talk with him since I started this thread. He is willing to go to the airport and see what goes on and he's also said he'll go on the plane, he's be scared but he'll go because he really wants to go to Disney. I told him that there was no way we were gonna drive because a 24 hour plus trip in the car would just take away from our length of stay. Hopefully he sticks with it and won't give us so much of a hard time when that time does come! Wish me luck, lol.

 

[goofy4tink]

Tam... He's been to a psychologist and a psychiatrist.. been through classes and asked to be put on meds right away.. we choose not too, wanted to try the natural way and it's been more than a year and hasn't changed.. so I'm thinking the meds are a must at this point. I think IF we can control his hyperness and his panic attacks (I guess this is what I could refer to his outbursts) I feel everything else will pan out better. I just need to find a doc that will give him the meds now.. as the ones we were seeing has now changed their minds because he doesn't act out in school... only EVERYWHERE else!

Okay then.....is there a reason there is no acting out in school?? Can you ask the teachers what it is they are doing that represses that behaviour??? Might be worth a shot.
But...glad he is able to be reasoned with as evidenced by your last post. My dd started flying at the age of 3/4..and she wasn't happy about it. I'm not a happy flier either but it is a means to an end, so I try not to show my discomfort. In any case...this is what we did upon takeoff and landing. My dd would close her eyes...then she would hold, quite tightly, my hand. She had to tell me when she thought the plane had actually left the ground, just by the different feeling in the planes movement. Then, when landing, we reversed it...when did the plane touch down??? At 16, she still plays our 'game'...it's actually quite funny.
I would become very informed as to the various sounds he will hear, the things the plane is going to do...take off and landing can be the worst times if you don't have any idea what all those noises are.
I would also keep him in the middle seat. Flying by the window isn't a great idea for a nervous flier...if in the middle seat, you can keep his mind occupied rather than his worrying about every little thing.
I would go to the airport once a month before you have to fly. That way, your ds can see all the comings and going...all those people happily getting on, and off, planes. Usually, it's the unknown that make us crazy...so if he can see many, many people coming and going, he should be able to realize that it really is safe to fly.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I assume your son has never flown before? My friend had a similar problem with his son. He was petrified of flying (though he had never flown before) and they were booked to go to Europe. He took him to the airport to go on a "dry run". They went through security, talked to the gate agents, allowed her to go on a plane to see the seating layout, and even went up in the cockpit and talked to the pilots. This really helped him to calm his nerves before actually taking the real flight.

Depending on where you live is it possible to take an el cheapo 30-40 minute flight somewhere so your son can get used to the process? If not just going to the airport and trying to do the above would be a good first step to easing his nerves.

Is this even allowed post 9/11? Don't you need a bp to get through security?

 

[momofsamandeden]

I would talk to the dr about melatonin. We fly frequently and that is what my son takes and it works wonders because it calms him without snowing him. We just crush it and put in an hi c juice box about a hour before the airport.