Flying is not fun, especially not with kids. We know some families avoid travel altogether instead of dealing with the stress of taking their kids on a plane. Then you have all the news about people making up gift bags to apologize for their kids and others clamoring for "kid-free" planes. Today we are getting tips from Beth Henry of Cloud Surfing Kids, who, as a flight attendant, has seen it all and has ideas to share to make flying with kids easier.
ON THE PODCAST
6:00 Chatham: summer home to the Great White Shark
10:15 The Finest Hours
12:18 Beth Henry from Cloud Surfing Kids
16:11 Flying horror stories
18:45 Best places to sit on the plane
22:08 How to get seated together on an airplane
27:10 What to pack to bring on the plane
29:34 Getting kids to sleep on the plane
31:50 Dealing with take off and landing
33:15 Dealing with fear of flying
36:00 How to deal with air pressure
40:20 Beth's favorite travel gear
42:10 Tip of the week: pre-check
47:10 Review from Pint-sized Mommy
48:40 Next week: Disneyland with Trips with Tykes
ABOUT BETH HENRY, CLOUD SURFING KIDS
Beth Henry is a flight attendant for a major US Airline and mother of two very active children who love to explore. On her website,
Cloud Surfing Kids, she shares tips for flying with kids. Her goal is to help parents feel prepared and confident when traveling with their children, so that they can enjoy the journey. You can follow Beth on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
TOP TIPS FOR FLYING WITH KIDS
- Check your bag and just keep one carry on to make it easier to maneuver
- The back of the plane is bumpier so stay over the wings or up front if you are nervous about turbulence
- The bulkhead is good with a toddler that needs extra room to move around -- just beware that you can't store stuff under your seat in the bulkhead
- A window seat is required for a car seat or CARES harness
- Kids love the window seat
- Seat Guru is a great app for checking out your seat before you book
- Book the best seats you can find, even if they aren't together
- Double check seat assignments every week before your trip as the airlines will often move you around
- Ask at check in and the ticket counter or gate to ask for a seat change
- Pack a gallon size bag of activities to keep kids busy on the plane
- If your kids have sensory processing issues, try to incorporate heavy work like scratch pads, paper clips, stress balls, etc.
- Don't count on them sleeping -- it depends on your kids so have a back up plan
- Bring along comfort items and stick to regular routines
- Try fun routines during take off and landing (e.g. pat, pat, pat, blast off!)
- If you are nervous, try not to show it to your kids
- With doctor's approval, take Mucinex before a flight if you are stuffed up or have allergies to prevent air pressure
- Try kid-sized Earplanes and put them in before you take off
FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR
When traveling for fun, Beth really loves a maxi dress, especially those with pockets, because it is cool but she can cover her legs. She pairs it with a sweater for the plane.
TIP OF THE WEEK
To make getting through the airport faster, apply for Pre-Check or Global Entry approval. If you have pre-check, you can bring one child through the pre-check line with you. Also, once you apply for Global Entry and you are approved for your interview, you typically start getting pre-check even before you get your final approval and number.
MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST
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