Entertaining Children on flights

When you are flying with small children and babies, there are some things that you need to bear in mind when you travel. 

Children are not small adults. I get very upset internally when I hear someone say "Oh, she is 13, going on 30" or similar age comparisons. It is possible to have a child who is quiet and stable, responsible, and yet, s/he is still a child. It is unfair to expect a child to be able to entertain themselves for the several hours that you will be spending at the airport/on the plane/in transit to your final destination. 

With babies, the task is even harder because you cannot explain the process to them at all. If you tell an infant/baby that they are going to have a big, fun, exciting adventure today, they are going to look at you, perhaps smile or coo, and then go back to what they do best, which is eating, urinating, defecating, crying, sleeping, and whatever else it is that babies do. 

Here are some tips to make sure that you and your baby and or child have a better trip when you travel. 

Bring small noise free toys when you travel. No one wants to hear a loud toy in the airport, in the airplane, or anywhere else that you go. Great baby toys are soft, stuffed toys that do not jingle, buzz, beep, click, etc. Baby books are a wonderful thing to bring, especially if they have a lot of illustrations of different brightly colored things. A friend of mine took sheets of photocopy paper and stuck stickers all over the front and the back of the papers until they were covered, and then laminated them front and back. The child (age 3) and his baby sister (9 months) would take the sheets out of her diaper bag and she would ask them to find things. (Where is the tall yellow flower? Where is the short pink flower? Can you find the letter A? Where is the blue train?" It worked like a charm, and she said that other passengers with children were jealous.

Large beads PRESTRUNG on yarn or rope that is already knotted at both ends can be anything from a bracelet, or necklace to a row of cars, trains, or cargo trailers. They can be drug across the meal tray, counted, colors and shapes can be identified, and lots more. Make sure that both ends are knotted securely, and that the beads are not too small for the child/ren that you are traveling with. 

Sticker books, coloring books, activity books, age appropriate are wonderful. So are little readers, comic books, and simple children's magazines. Keep them tucked into your travel bag until you are at the airport. Small children have small attention spans. 

MP3 players are very affordable now. An MP3 player can be a little storyteller on its' own. Tell stories by reading into a mic on the computer, and convert it to a format that is compatible with your player. You can also sing songs and put little messages into the player such as "I love you very much! I am glad we are having such fun on this trip."

Spend time with your children while you are traveling. Turn off the cell phone. Tell the children about the airport. "Over there, that is a place where people go to order a snack before they get on the plane." Point out things where you go. "This table is for mommies who have babies who use diapers. You pull it down, buckle the baby in, and then change the baby". Just because we know what something is does not mean that our little ones do. 

Explain the security process. It can be very overwhelming to adults, let alone wee ones. If they have a toy/blanket that they cherish, explain to them that the people in security need to look at it, and it keeps us safe on the plane. 

Make sure that your children are well fed, in comfortable clothes, and have shoes that fit. Bring extra diapers and formula for babies. Don't over snack a child as a form of entertainment. Bring an extra change of clothes and underclothes for toddlers, as sometimes they can get air sick on a plane. Make certain that everyone gets to the toilet before you leave the house, and, even though there is a bathroom on the plane, let them use the airport bathroom before you board the plane. 

With children old enough to understand, explain what they need to do if they get separated from you. A lanyard with your cell phone number on a feisty toddler can be a lifesaver. They can wear it under their shirt so that no one can see their contact information on it, but use it if it is needed. 

On a trip to Walt Disney World, my eldest niece was separated from me during the parade. She and I had reviewed what to do in the event that happened, and, although it was a little scary for her, she was able to do what we had talked about, and we were reunited in less than 30 minutes. On the contact lanyard, put a photo of you and other adults traveling in the group, as well as a photo of the child. On the ones that I made for my nieces, I put my cell phone number, my sisters' cell phone number, and their siblings' names. The staff at Disney told me that it was wonderful to be able to tell my niece that her aunt was on the way, along with her sister. 

Make sure that you charge your cell phone. If a child DOES get lost, it would be awful if you could not take the call because your battery has run out of juice. 

Explain the boarding and takeoff process to children that are old enough to understand. Explain how the plane will feel when the plane lifts off, how it will "bump the ground" when it lands, and what turbulence is. There are a number of videos on YouTube to watch. I strongly recommend this, especially for anxious children. 

Tell a child who is safe to go to in an emergency. Point out the people in the airport that are safe to go to, My sister used to always tell her children that if they were separated from her, find a mom with children, or a police lady or man. 

Listen to your child. If they are scared of something, listen to them carefully, and address their fears. 

Have fun. Traveling with young ones can be exasperating, but, with proper planning, it can be a lot of fun. 

Making dangerous comments and threats on a plane is plain stupid.

I was in the airport about five years ago with a male friend of mine on the way to California from Dallas. We were very excited about the flight, happy to see some sights and have a little fun. 

There were some kids behind us, mid to late teens who were horsing about, joking with one another and shoving at each other. Occasionally, they would shove into us, and we would clear our throats, say "Excuse me" loudly, and turn back around. They were not our favorite people. 

As we got into the security clearance area, we did all of the things that you are supposed to do: Take off your shoes, remove your laptop from the case, etc. It was a no-brainer in light of the incidents of September 11, 2001. 

The kids behind us started joking to each other about having a bomb, about being a bomb, and about blowing one another up. It was irritating, but when they got to security, they were in for a rude awakening. The Department of Homeland Security took those boys aside for security reasons. I do not know what happened to them, but I do know that they were not on our flight to California. 

Airport Security is nothing to joke around about. We all know that it is a nuisance at times, but the security that is in place is there to help you, and to make sure that we are all safe in the skies. 

Here are a couple of tips to make your travels safer. (And mine.)

• This sounds like I am being funny, but I am not. If, for any reason, you carry a firearm on your person or in your belongings, remove it before you travel.  This lady flight attendant was treated the same as any other passenger when she went through security, and now, her bad choice kept her from working her flight, and she has some legal issues to deal with. 
• Do not make false comments or jokes about things you have on your person, on the plane, in your bags, in your checked luggage.  This man, aged 75 was treated the same as any person of any age who would make such comments. They are treated very seriously. 
• Report anything suspicious to someone appropriate. But do not make a false report. 
• Look on the internet for what is and what is not allowed to be brought with you on board or checked onto a plane. Pack accordingly. Don't break the rules. 
• You cannot board a US plane without proper identification. A list of that can be found on any US airline website as to what is accepted and what is not. 
• If you are traveling with people who are prone to jokes and pranks, explain the seriousness of airport security to them. 
• If you are traveling with someone who has a diminished mental capacity for any reason, let the ground crew (Gate Agent/Ticket Agent) know. You can sometimes note this to the airline via their toll-free numbers. Let the inflight crew know as well. A friend of mine has a mentally handicapped son who began screaming "Help Me! Help Me!" while seated on the plane. The flight attendant, thankfully, knew beforehand about his disability, and was able to assist wonderfully. 

The skies will never feel as safe to us as they did in the time before the September 11 terrorist attacks. Last year, at Christmas, a man tried to blow up a US plane. Thankfully, he was stopped. Air safety is something that is very important and cannot be taken for granted. 

Airline security is something that we, as Americans for the most part did not have to deal with before 09/11/2001. It is something that we should be honored to have now to keep us safe. 

Are you travelling with your pets? Some things that you need to know.

I have pets, and, from time to time, I have had a need to travel with them when I was on the go. I will be using dog or pet here, but I know that there are other pets, too. 

Travelling with pets can be a huge headache, and, as John Travolta and his family learned, sometimes, in a freak accident, a huge heartache.  A pet named Paco was lost on a Delta flight, and to this moment, has never been recovered.  Paco has been seen in a  nearby apartment complex area, in which he has made friends with two other dogs. 

There are even pet transport companies, but, to be honest, I have never used them. 

If you need to travel with your pet, you should be mindful that accidents can and do happen. No one likes to think about their precious pets as being lost, but it does happen. 

Here are some things that you can do before you travel with your pet. 

1. Call the airlines. Determine what the restrictions are on your pet traveling in the cabin with you, since in the cabin is assuredly safer than in the pet area of the cargo hold. If your pet is small enough, then decide on if you would like your pet to be in the cabin with you. 
2. Make sure that all shots are up to date. If your pet DID get out, and was hurt or bitten/injured, it would help if they were up to date on all of their shots. 
3. At the vet's office, ask if your pet is strong enough/healthy enough to be able to make the trip. 
4. Mark the pet and the pets' container with all of your contact information. Make sure that your pet has all of their rabies tags and other tags that may be needed in your area. 
5. Put a contact number on the pet tag. If the place you are traveling to has a different contact number, get a separate tag made. "Rags. Detroit contact Aunt Sally 555-555-1212" is sufficient. 
6. Check the pet carrier. Is it still strong? Is it still sturdy? Do you have locks for the carrier? 
7. Add photos to the sides, top, and bottom of the carrier of your pet. DO NOT BLOCK AIR HOLES. Make sure that they are taped down securely. 
8. In the area on the top of the kennel, place an additional paper with all of the information about the dog. 
9. If the dog is shy, or barks, make sure that you tell the person at the gate about that. 
10. If the dog needs medication, speak to your vet about missing a dose. 
11. Stay with the pet until the last possible second. Let the cabin crew know that you have a pet checked on the plane. Ask if you can get off the plane first. Sometimes, you will be told no, and sometimes, you will be told yes.
12. Have your pet micro chipped. Collars can break, dogs can get free, but the chip will go with them where ever they go. 
13. Call the airport where you will be arriving, give them your travel information, and let them know that you have a pet traveling with you. Also be asked to be transferred to the desk for the airline that you are flying, and let them know that your VIP (Very Important Pet) is going to be on your flight. 
14.  Ask the airline what the temperature is where the pets are. Is your pet warm natured or cold natured? Consider this when traveling with your pet. 
15. If your pet gets stressed in unusual or new circumstances, talk to the vet about medicine for traveling. It will make your pet drowsy, but less nervous. 

Here are some things to consider if you are traveling with your pet in the cabin: 

1. Yes, your pet is cute. They cannot come out of their carrier, no matter how cute they are, while they are on the plane. They must be able to fit into a carrier that stows into the seat space on the floor in front of you. Measure it close. My first carrier was too big by one inch. It was a huge hassle, but I got it to fit. My dog was not delighted. 
2. Is your dog a barker or a whiner? Talk to the vet about medicine. No one wants to hear your pet whine, bark, whimper and call out during the flight. 
3. Don't feed your pooch scraps from your plate on the plane. Dealing with pet vomit in the sky is not fun. 
4. You will have to remove your pet from the carrier and the carrier will have to go through the x-ray machine, and then you and your pet will walk through the metal scanner. Bring a leash for this. My normally calm dog decided to try and sprint past me when I set her down, and I got to clean up puppy pee. Bring paper towels in case this happens. You are responsible for the mess your pet makes. If I would not have had her on a leash, I do not know what would have happened. Put the leash on the pet before you let them out of the carrier. This is a new place with tremendous amounts of stimulus. 
5. Some airports have pet areas/relief areas. Call ahead and see if yours does, if not, take a nice long walk before you go to the airport. Let them out (on the leash) at the airport, too if there is a nice grassy area. 
6. Get your pets' nails trimmed and filed before you leave. Anxious pets can injure themselves if they try to claw out of their cage. My Chihuahua caused permanent pigment loss damage to her nose from pushing against the carrier when I checked her in at the vet's office. 
7. If your pet is in the cabin with you, telling them "Shut Up" or similar things is not helping them to feel secure. Reach down and let them sniff your hand. My vet told me to put my used pillowcase in the carrier with my dog, and it worked like a charm. She circled it three times, sat down on the pillow case and went to sleep. 
8. Don't put too much crap in the carrier with the pet. Airline rules state that the pet must have room to stand, turn and sit down. Food is not a good idea of things to put in with your pet. 
9. Avoid LOUD toys. No one wants to hear your pets squeaky toy, their loud chewing, their electronic toys, or similar. No one wants to hear the ball with all the bells in it, or the electronic toys that say things. It is not cute, it is irritating. 
10. Try to get your dog out of the kennel as soon as possible when you land. Do so on a leash, though! 

Happy Tails to you!