Traveling With Children Can Be A Difficult, But Manageable, Task

Traveling with and without children is like a day and night. When you do not have kids, you do not really understand what it means to have a kid on a plane, moreover, what it means to manage your own kids on a plane. Air travelers may seem annoying by loud or uncontrollable children onboard, and sometimes it is parents fault that they simply don't care, but occasionally you'll find that there is really not much you can do or you do everything you can, but nothing seems to work. Whether you take a flight to Andorra, Egypt or a flight to Albania or Germany, you will have to spend from several or ten or more hours onboard. A question is what the best way to handle children on a plane is.

First, you are the parent, you should know your child and know what he or she likes and dislikes. Aircraft environment is very different from any other as you cannot leave it when you wish. Therefore, you need to mentally prepare yourself to do what is possible to “entertain” your child and keep him or her out of others' way. This may sound harsh, but imagine that you're on a flight to Andorra from the US, and you'll need to spend 12 hours onboard. I'd assume you'd like to nap or quietly read a book or watch a movie. However, a 4 year old sitting behind you keeps hitting your chair and parents are just ignorant of the situation and do nothing. How would you make this feel and what kind of trip you're going to have? I'm sure, not a very pleasant one. Therefore, know how to control your child and be respectful to others next to you. Discipline children, if necessary, but the most important thing is pay attention to them. The most common reasons children misbehave are that they don't know what a good behavior is, they are bored, and that they do not get any attention; by misbehaving they're getting some kind of attention.

Therefore, when packing, make sure to pack plenty of snacks and activities that can be used on a plane. Even if you only take a flight to Albania from Greece, a child cannot stay still for even couple of hours without any activity. You may choose crafts, drawing or a DVD player to watch a movie. You name it, as long as a kid is kept busy and entertained, it will work. If you cannot think of anything, go to a dollar store and get some new toys and games. This will be a hit and reward at the same time.