My kids aren’t the quiet and demure type. They are more like the Rambo and Tarzan. What gave us the courage to bring 3 kids under 10 on the plane? Thicker skin, family support, lots of planning and well prepared activities. Here is my airplane survival kit that worked for me.
To win this battle we must know our subject. Know your kid, every kids is different. What worked well for me might not work the same
for you. Therefore its important to know;
- - Child nap or sleeping time
- - Favorite Snack
- - Favorite toy
- - Favorite Game / Activity
- - What are their triggers / comfort
Flight Timing 🕐
Plan the flight at their nap or sleeping time, hopefully
they will sleep during the flight. This plan can also backfire if they get over
stimulated or too tired and unable to sleep turning into a full blown melt
down. Yes it happened to me, there is nothing I can do as she was feeling
uncomfortable with the seat belt buckled and being unable to lie straight. The
only thing I can do is continue to sooth her and hug her to sleep.
Flight Seating 💺
FYI I did bought an airplane foot hammocks for her to lie
straight, the air stewardess requested me to remove due to safety concerns.
After checking online I realised a lot of airlines don’t allow and it depends
on the crew that day too. It is always good to expect the worse and go
prepared.
The window seat can only entertain my toddler for 5 mins, nevertheless
was much enjoyed by the older kids as they were fascinated with the view. It
was an eye opener for them, as they asked about the clouds, how many meters are
we up in the sky, which location are we at, what type of ship is that, what are
the buildings for factory or residential? I tried my best to answer the curious
minds. It’s also ok not to know everything, most importantly we enjoyed the
conversation and the scenery.
As this was a recreation trip, we strategically selected a 5
hour flight to Hangzhou and Shanghai back. As we gauge 5 hours is the threshold
we can handle and the kids can accept being confined to their seat.
There are times when the inner me can’t tolerate any longer
and I really wish to walk off from the tantrums and the screams. I start to put
myself in their shoes as kids, being confined at the seat for 5 hours, its
normal them kids to get restless. I was lucky to have the grandparents as
backup, maybe the kid also can’t stand being with me for 5 hours they need a
change of companion. I was more than happy to pass on the baton. Assign
grandparents at the aisle seat for easy access to the toilet.
Flight Meal 🍴
The snacks I brought definitely worked its charm, I prepared
snacks such as raisins, nuts, granola, packet milk, dried fruits and biscuits.
These snacks were a life saver as my kid is a fussy eater and did not like the
airplane meal for kids.
Do you know that you can make special meal selection (eg.
Kids meal, vegetarian) few days before your flight? I was able to make
selection via the airline portal. The air stewardess will confirm your
selection once you are seated and serve your meal earlier than everyone. Side
note if your child is sleeping when their meals are serve you can request them
to be served later after they wake up.
Empowering the kids 🎒
Even though this is not the first time they have taken an
airplane, every trip seems like a new experience and exciting. Before the trip
I will get them to pack their own bag pack to bring on the plane.
Each child carries their own mini survival bag.
- 1 book
- 1 small toy
- 1 mini snack of their choice
- Tissue / handkerchief
- Wallet with the visit country currency
*Security check allow liquid for baby under 2, I experienced an officer requesting for my child to drink a sip to make sure it’s really for her. As for older kids, they will empty the water and refill it at the water cooler at boarding gate.
I will give them the option to change Chinese Yuan with me from their
piggy bank so they can buy things that they like there. I capped this amount at
S$10.
Before the trip, I will show them vlog of you tuber sharing
their POV experience on the airplane as well as trip itineraries. They will
feedback to me which activities they prefer and I make adjustment to the
itinerary accordingly.
Most dreaded - Take
off and Landing air pressure
I did not brought this topic up to them, during take-off
they were in the mist of activity. My oldest child did not felt anything, the
younger ones complained of the pressure on the ear. I put on ear plugs for them
(not much use but a fun object for them to take their attention off for a
while), let them eat snacks and drink water. It was uncomfortable for them but
not unbearable. It was over in 15 mins. During the landing the younger ones
were sleeping so it wasn’t a problem. Ear plug link here
On Demand Entertainment
The China Eastern airline flight to Hangzhou did not have on
demand entertainment (individual screen in front of the seat). There was only a
drop down screen for everyone to watch the same show. I had anticipated this as
I have checked the airplane features before booking. The good things is we are
able to control the screen time usage, downside we have to go prepared like
doremon. Unlike Doremon, our pockets are limited we have to select compact,
mess-free, quiet toys/ activities.
Below are the items in my Doremon pocket that bought me some quiet time. I’ve linked the exact items I use on that i bought from Shopee / Amazon below:
Develop creativity, confidence, and critical thinking by encouraging them to see the world differently. Frame shots, and solve problems, while also boosting fine motor skills, patience, and focus through the physical act of shooting and waiting for the right moment, fostering deeper connections with nature and family.
Its reusable so can be used many times but they do get bored after a while. Guide them with story and let them continue the story with the stickers. Preferably their fav animal, character or object..
Mess-free water paint, fast dry, compact and fun!
Young kids can draw, older kids play tic tac toe, hangman etc
Nintendo switch for older kids 🎮
I limited their usage to 30 mins each. They plan their own time and told me they will use it after airplane meal.
We downloaded their fav show. This is usually last resort when all resources are utilized. Limit the screen time to 30mins.
These are the barang I bought to keep them occupied, let
them exchange the toys for variety. Hope it gives some inspiration on your trip
planning!
Here is the reel of our 5 hours airplane ride from Singapore to Hangzhou. Video
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