Air travel with children is no walk in the park. Recently, we took the last on-lap flight with our just-turning two-year old and his four-and-a-half-year-old sister to the Dominican Republic. After many flights over the years, I can recommend a few essentials.
With our first child, we started out with a well-stocked bag full of toys and extra ear plugs. She turned out to be a champion flier, so we rarely needed all that stuff. Straws and cups became more intriguing toys, along with the always handy Etch-a-Sketch. An iPad really keeps our kids busy on long flights now. They don’t get to use it in our normal life on the ground, so they love to watch their own cartoons and play educational games. As a bonus, my husband and I also watch movies or a TV series on the plane. Since our kids are not candy eaters or gum chewers, we like dried mango, dried apples, and raisins to encourage chewing and swallowing for ear pain at high altitudes.
We are partial to beach vacations, or at the very least, vacations at hotels with a pool. Getting them all tuckered out with a long swim or romp in the pool is a good strategy for stress-free flights. We always squeeze in a round of kid bed-tossing before we leave the hotel. Kid tosses (high tosses) onto the bed is not only fun, but can be useful in removing water from their ears. Nobody needs extra ear pressure or pain on a return flight. We also use Kick It Immune Kids by Wishgarden Herbs to ensure their immune system has an extra boost to combat the stale air on airplanes, relying on hand sanitizer as well during flights. In contrast to the lack of leg room, there are plenty of spaces for germs. Taking these precautions has given us journeys with our children that are largely calm and comfortable.
Contributor
Acupuncturist, herbalist, Maya abdominal practitioner, and reflexologist Christina Morris is the founder of Element Natural Healing Arts. Writing about health and wellness gives her an outlet to express her care and concern for her beloved community. She believes everyone can achieve better health and happiness–emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.