When you’re traveling with a baby, certain things are essential for the journey. Long flights can be exhausting and uncomfortable for everyone involved, so it is important to prepare for every eventuality, including diaper changes, naps, and feeding. Here’s our list of must-have items to make parenthood easier on long flights!
Flight preparation tips
Small children under two years old usually travel in their parents’ arms, but it is more convenient to use a car seat or an infant carrier in their own seat for a long flight. The main thing is to find out in advance whether this service is provided by the airline. The seat must have a sticker indicating that it is intended for flights.
When booking tickets, you can pre-select your preferred seats or register early. The best places to fly with children are in the front rows. There is a free space in front of the seats so you can comfortably sit, and even attach a cradle to the front wall, where children up to 10 kg and up to 70 cm tall will be able to spend their time as comfortably as possible. Moreover, during turbulence, this is the part of the aircraft that is least affected by shaking.
Unforeseen situations may arise along the way, so pack a travel first aid kit. It is recommended to have a remedy for motion sickness and colic, antipyretic, sedative, analgesic, and antihistamines in it. You can complete your first aid kit with an electronic thermometer in a case. Consult your pediatrician about the best medication for your child based on their specific characteristics.
Buy yourself a handy bag in advance, in which you can fit whatever your child may need on board. For example, a special nappy bag would be a great option. It has many compartments for various baby things, jars, diapers so that nothing will be lost. Find out the dimensions requirements for hand luggage and check out the Peekaboo Baby catalog for matching options.
How to organize a child’s sleep on the plane?
During long flights, babies usually sleep. You must provide them with adequate conditions for sleeping so that they can sleep well. Take the item with which a child is accustomed to sleeping from home. It can be a blanket, pillow, or favorite toy. If the child is over three years old, you can buy a collar pillow for the trip. It will help support the head of the babysitting in the chair in the right position.
Oftentimes, the light in the salon makes it difficult for newborns to fall asleep. This is where a blanket taken from a home can come in handy. You can use it as a tent hanging between two seats.
How to entertain a child on board?
On flights of most airlines, there is a small bonus for children – a children’s travel kit. It can consist of puzzles, markers, cards, and small coloring books. But not all children like this thing, and not all airlines provide such travel kits for children. That is why parents should definitely think about what their child will do during the flight.
You can provide entertainment with:
- Toys. You can take with you both those that have already become loved ones, and new ones. You do not need to give all the toys at once, but take them out of the bag one by one so that the child does not see where they come from. At the same time, they should not be large so that they take up less space in the bag.
- Books. Best of all are loved ones, which the baby listens to (or reads himself, as for older children) with great pleasure. Two or three on the flight will be enough.
- Coloring books and pencils or markers.
- Interactive games on your phone or tablet.
- A collection of favorite cartoons or new ones that may definitely interest a child.
What else to take on the plane, parents decide for themselves, taking into account the interests of their child.
How to solve the bathroom situation?
With babies who are wearing diapers, there are usually no problems on flights. Just remember to stock up on enough diapers. The situation is more difficult with older children: usually, you have to wait in a queue for the lavatory, and children aren’t accustomed to dealing with a long wait. A great option is to purchase a collapsible potty chair with absorbent disposable wipes. Such children’s toilets are available in a wide variety, including inflatable ones.
What clothes to take with you?
For children, regardless of the season, you need to take both warm and light clothes during the flight. For example, even in winter, it can be hot on the plane and quite cool in summer. In addition, you will need to take the following things as hand luggage:
- Children’s plaid. It is necessary when the place is located at the window (it can blow from it), and if the child falls asleep, he or she may catch a cold.
- Change of clothes. Children get dirty easily. Candy, juice, apple, salad or chicken – all this can leave a mark on a child’s shirt or trousers.
- Replaceable socks. Sometimes children, carried away, forget about everything and go for a walk around the salon without shoes.
A few more things you will need
When traveling with a child, we advise you to put in your hand luggage:
- wet wipes for children;
- 2-3 disposable diapers;
- supply of baby food for the duration of the flight and flight waiting time;
- necessary children’s utensils;
- bib or wipes to protect clothing while feeding;
- a set of spare clothes for mom;
- package for dirty clothes.
Keep calm and enjoy your flight
We hope this post helped answer any questions about traveling by air while flying with children. Try and plan as much as possible according to our tips so that there will be less of an issue if the child gets upset or needs something on the plane. Learn some strategies for stress-free air travel with children and remember that the main thing is to stay calm and tune positively.