Taking Babies on a Plane Requires Patience and Thick Skin
If you are the parent of small child and you're planning on taking that first flight, it's important to prepare yourself mentally for the challenges that lie ahead. Of course, simply preparing to take a flight with a small child is a daunting task, so make sure that you start by packing wisely and efficiently for the trip, regardless of the duration. Even short trips may require a significant amount of travel, and handling the little ones while tracking flights and getting meals on the go in unfamiliar surroundings is always at least somewhat difficult. And those are the easy parts. There's nothing quite like the feeling of being on a 5-hour flight with your young, screaming child, and you have absolutely no way to make them stop.
If you've flown more than a handful of times in your life, it's probable that you've been on a flight with at least one screaming child. Until you have kids of your own, you don't really understand what a difficult and uncomfortable situation that is for the parents. The common thoughts that come to mind are: "What's wrong with that kid?", "Why won't that kid stop crying?", "Why would you ever fly with small children?" And the answers are: Probably nothing, Impossible to say, and Good question, but perhaps they didn't have a choice.
The fact of the matter is that flying is not really a natural human experience. Adults who have never flown before often have a hard time controlling their emotions when flying for the first time. From the feeling of taking off to turbulence to the idea that you are in a small flying tube for the next few hours and there is no way to get off the plane alive. Adults, fortunately, have the option of settling themselves with a good book, some music, or a few stiff drinks that help to take the edge off. Young kids, on the other hand, are stuck trying to make sense of the whole ordeal of flying without being old enough to control their fears or emotions. As a result, most kids tend to do the only thing they know how to do to express their terror or discomfort - they scream bloody murder.
And, as we've said, there is no way to get off the plane or improve their situation. Hopefully, as parents, you've decided to take the leap into flying with your little one only after considering all the options and planning carefully for the experience. Sometimes, of course, that simply is not possible and you do what you have to do. The nice thing is that most flights are only going to be a few hours, tops, and you land safely and go about trying to restore order to your chaotic world.
When you're going to take your small child on a flight, keep in mind that shorter flights are going to be a little bit better, especially for first timers. Once in the air, its best to try to keep them engaged as much as possible. Familiar books or movies are always nice, then sprinkling in some of their favorite snacks that they probably wouldn't get on a typical day at home - you know, the "special" ones.
Understand that, even if you do everything right, you're likely to run into some problems. If you have to change a diaper on the plane or find yourself trying to coax your 3-year-old into using the airplane bathroom, you already know that you're in for some serious negotiations. If you find that your little one is melting down and you can't get them back, then simply brace yourself for the screaming and the possibility that those traveling around you may not have any inkling of what you're going through - and their reactions and comments may be downright rude. As long as you're comfortable with those facts, then you're really going to be just fine.
Focus only on your child as much as you can without losing your cool. After you've tried everything to get them to stop screaming - and their still screaming - try to give yourself a little mental break by getting a cold drink or simply glancing at some reading material. Eventually, it's likely that they'll calm down. If you're really lucky, you might be seated with a loving grandmother who is all too happy to give your kid something else to focus on and help get you back to the relative serenity of the next airport.
