The U.S. Department of Transportation received more than 11,000 reports of lost luggage per day last year the highest figure since 1990. And sources say that between Thanksgiving and Christmas over 15 million of us will fly the friendly skies. Considering the large amount of mishandled luggage, late flights, dubious mechanical problems encountered and just plain old waiting around involved with air travel I want to share with you a few of the things that may minimize some undue family stress.
My wife has been a flight attendant with a major domestic carrier for over ten years, so it is fair to say – we tend to be over-prepared for traveling with the kids, especially during the busy holiday season.
- If traveling with a toddler or small child, equip them with their own carry-on — either a small rollerboard (rolling bag) or backpack filled with activities, toys and snacks appropriate for the plane ride and concourse. Please keep in mind the T.S.A.’s current 3-1-1 rules regarding liquids; you will have to forgo any juice or milk – of course you can purchase drinks at a restaurant or concession once past airport security.
- Prep your kid for the whole security process. We try to make this as fun as possible for our toddler otherwise it may be a deal-breaker for them when they have to give up their blanket or teddy bear to go through the scanner.
- It is a good idea to slip in a change of clothes as well. We tend to put a pair of pajamas in there and change the boys into jammies’ for the flight so they’re comfy. And if your child wears diapers bring plenty of extra ones, heaven forbid the plane gets stuck sitting on the tarmac and you run out of diapers.
- Pack a DVD player or if they’re old enough consider a portable game system (PSP, DS, GameBoy, etc.). We have mixed feelings about traveling with portable entertainment but as most parents know it sure is nice to pacify the kids for a while. What my wife and I do is use idea of extra “screen time” as a reward for good behavior. We also try to save the movies and DVD’s for the tail-end of the flight so they don’t get in a situation where they watch too many programs.
- We try to pack a separate Goodie-Bag (I usually fill my carry-on) that has special Sticker Books, Picture Books, Coloring Books and so forth that we have purchased just for the flight. We try not to buy any toys or activities that may prompt them to get up and we definitely stay away from toys that sing or chime. The idea is to have quiet busy kids that will not disturb the other passengers.
- Dads equip yourself with is a good selection of lollipops and such so that during take-offs and landings you can give the kids something to suck on to help their ears to pop with the change in altitude.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly recommends that parents traveling with small children to be equipped with approved children restraint systems (CRS). These are either safety seats (designed to fit or compliment the plane seat much like a child seat for an auto) or approved harness system that interlocks with the plane lap belt to provide three or five point harness protection. Please go to the F.A.A.’s web page for details on recommended and approved restraint systems.
As most of us know it is hard to say what the holiday commute will really be like but it certainly helps to be over-prepared when traveling with the kids.
Sited Links:
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) | 3-1-1 Guidelines For Carry-Ons
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | Child Restraint System Recommendations
Related Links:
CNN | Taking The Kids…
Eileen Ogintz Blog | Taking The Kids
FAA | Childproof Your Flight (PDF)
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