Admit it – one of the biggest fears most parents have when traveling with kids is, well, traveling WITH kids. And when it’s a long flight, 12 hours almost in my case, the fear is a little bigger than usual.
How many times have you seen screaming toddlers and fighting siblings at airports, and parents trying to quickly give in to their demands and making a sorry face, just so that the kids will get quiet and people will stop staring? Many many times I guess. I have too.
And while I have always sympathized with the parents, I have always been in fear of that one day when my kids would break out in a fight or tantrum at an airport, and kill all my parenting gyaan!
So now that I am just about to go off on a break with the kids, and readying for a scary 12 hour (and another connecting flight after that mind you!) flight, here are just a few tips and tricks I have tried out and am planning to do on the flight. Take a look.
5 things I am carrying on the flight to keep my kid busy
I have a 4 year old and a 10 year old, so most of the preparation is for the younger one, as all that the elder one needs is books, which I am anyway carrying in plenty (along with mine!).
1. Glow art slate: These are very interesting drawing toys that you can easily carry on a flight. While they require batteries otherwise, you can also use them without batteries. These are the classic draw and wipe slates, but in a more fashionable look. My younger one is already hooked on to the neon pink one she has.
2. Fun bag tags: Of course they are carrying their own bags in the flight, so what better way to keep them engaged than to give them some fun bag tags? I picked out a few plain ones so that they can draw on them and make it personalized. All I have to do is give a few colour pens and I will have some peace for some time at least.
3. Videos on phone: Even though there will be an entertainment system, I have already downloaded my younger one’s favourite rhymes on the phone. You can easily also do this through YouTube’s download function, which lets you save videos for an offline mode.
4. Sandy clay: As weird as it might sound, I am also carrying a box of sandy or grainy clay. I am not sure what these are called, but these look like small grains, very much like tiny sabudana grains. The best part is that they are not sticky and will not make a mess at all.
5. Story books: Yes, the younger one is also used to reading books a lot, so I have definitely kept a few of her favourite story books, and of course her favourite soft toy. This means that she will be somewhat settled to take that much-needed nap on the flight.
As for the elder one and me, between us we are already carrying a huge load of books, so we are sorted. What do you usually carry on the flight for your kids, so that it is easier to manage them? Do let me know!
Also Read 5 super-efficient packing tips when traveling with kids
