Parents of the world rise up and unite: We have had to deal with bad behavior, short tempers, and rudeness for far too long – and I'm not just talking about our kids. More adults have been advocating for child-only sections of planes, but bringing kids on a plane is not a felony and parents should not be made to feel like criminals. Rolling eyes, loud sighs, and short tempers only make matters worse.
As a parent with three kids all under the age of 9, I know first-hand the frustrations of traveling families. But I'm not going to stop traveling just because a childless flyer gave me a dirty look. No, instead I'm going to offer up some suggestions to other families on how to make the flying experience more enjoyable for everyone.
I’ll make a deal with all of you non-child laden folks: I’ll work with the parents traveling with kids to ensure they have every bit of info at their disposal to keep their kids entertained and well-behaved. All I ask in return is that you offer some empathy and maybe a little patience during the flight.
Ok, parents, here are some tried and true (and maybe a little offbeat) tips that will go a long way in saving your sanity as well as those flying with you:
1. Take an early morning flight. There is much less chance of delays.
2. Bring extra clothes, food, diapers, wipes, and medicine on the plane. A good rule of thumb is to plan for an extra hour for each hour the flight is (Ex: flight duration = 3 hours, bring enough food/diapers/etc. to cover 4 hours.)
3. Go to the bathroom, again. Even if they say they don't have to go, take one last trip to the toilet. If there is turbulence, it could be an hour or more before kids can use the lavatory on the plane.
4. If possible, choose an airline with seatback entertainment options (JetBlue, Virgin America, British Airways, and AirTran, to name a few. Leave your preconceived notions about kids' "screen time" at home — this is about survival, it's OK to let the electronic babysitter take charge. I promise it won't be the reason why your child doesn't get into Harvard.
5. Kindness cures all. If you are nice to people, you have a good chance that they will be nice in return.
Ok folks, I held up my end of the deal…now I would hope you can check those attitudes when you are checking your luggage. Thanks for listening.
© Cheapflights Ltd Carl Schwartz
