13 Tips to Help You Survive a Long-Haul Flight with Young Kids

You don’t need to kill someone to survive a long journey with very young children. But you’ll need to prepare yourself and your kids to make things as easy as possible.

Flying with young kids will be challenging, but you can make it easier by preparing everyone. | Image created with Dream.

Long-haul flights can be challenging at any age. You’re confined to small and uncomfortable places, there are limited entertainment options, and it’s very tiring. Now, if you have young kids, toddlers, or babies — that makes the whole ordeal much harder.

We recently went overseas to visit family — a trip that lasted almost 24 hours door to door.

The Struggles of Visiting Family Overseas

You’re not alone if the idea of a very long trip with young kids scare you. But I have 13 tips that will help you prepare yourself and your kids, making your journey as easy as possible.

1. Prepare Your Kids

This is often an overlooked step that can make a big difference for adults and kids alike.

We, as adults, have an idea of what’s to come. But young kids don’t know what to expect — and not knowing can be very scary.

When bringing your toddler or young child to any new experience, be it the doctor, the dentist, or an aeroplane, prepare them beforehand. This will make things easier— they’ll know what to expect and what will be expected of them.

Make sure to explain to your child:

• What is an aeroplane;
• How noisy it is;
• How people need to stay in their seats while the seatbelt lights are on;
• Tell them about the toilet, if they’re toilet trained — it’s small, different, and the flush is very loud;
• Tell them about snacks, tv, and blankets, and make it all sound special and fun (it really is special and fun to young kids);
• Talk about turbulences. You don’t need to explain precisely what they are, but…