If the thought of being cooped up inside a metal tube high in the air with the kids for hours on end is giving nightmares, check out my guide on how to make long-haul flights with the kids a breeze.
Do always pack a travel pillow and blanket in your carry-on
The best outcome on a long-haul flight is when you can get your child to sleep most of the way. You can help them sleep for significant parts of the flight by making sure they are as comfortable as possible. One way to do this is to make sure every child has access to their kid-sized travel pillow and blanket to keep them warm.
There are also additional gadgets you can get, such as plane seat hammock designs for kids. These will cradle your child’s feet, so they can feel the feeling of lying down, which can make it easier for them to fall asleep during a flight.
Don’t forget to teach them about aeroplane ear
Another thing that you can do to make traveling long-haul easier with kids is to teach them some air travel and hearing tips during the flight. One of the most crucial of these is to educate them about aeroplane ear. This is something that happens when the Eustachian tubes can’t keep up with the air pressure change, leading to pressure, discomfort and in some cases, temporary hearing loss.
It’s important to educate your child about this because it can help them not panic if they do experience it while on a plane. Additionally you can also give them coping strategies to try such as yawning during take off and landing, as well as sucking on a sweet to help equalise the pressure in their ears.
Do pack plenty of plane-safe activities
Long-haul flights are named for their extended duration. Unfortunately, this means you’ll have an extended amount of time to entertain your child during such a flight. There are plenty of strategies you can use though, including packing a range of plane-safe activities such as a colouring book and pencils, sticker books, and reading books. (Pens aren’t a good idea because they tend to leak as the pressure changes.)
Do invest in some good headphones
Last of all, a good investment for any flight with the kids, especially long-haul ones, are some over-ear headphones. These tend to be the most comfortable design, which means they can be worn for longer without irritating your little one. Also, over-ear headphones usually have good noise-cancelling capabilities, which can help kids stay calm on long flights by giving them something else to focus on.
A good selection of their favorite music, white noise and audiobooks to play through the headphones is always a good idea too. Just remember that all devices need to be charged up and packed in your hand luggage as you go through security.
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