Are we nearly there yet?

With the summer holidays approaching many of us may have already begun to count down the weeks, or even days, until we can pack our bags, lock the doors and head off for a week or two of fun in the sun.

For many of us parents though our excitement may be tempered slightly by the thought of flying with our children.  Let’s face it, flying is boring enough as an adult but for little ones it is no wonder that they may get frustrated with limited chance to move about, and very little to do for often hours on end.

So, here are a few tips to try and and keep your journey as trouble and tantrum free as possible:

• Try to seat your child near the window.  Even when not in flight the view of baggage handlers and other planes may distract them for a short while.
• Try to sit near other families with children.  If you are lucky the kids may entertain each other, failing that other parents may be more understanding if your child throws a wobbler.
• Allow for cool temperatures aboard the flight even if you are traveling somewhere warm.  It can get pretty cold at times so make sure that your child is comfortable.
• Bring suitable snacks.  The change in air pressure on take-off and landing can cause considerable discomfort but the act of chewing on something suitable may help to limit this.
• Bring plenty of appropriate toys and games, allowing for the restricted space available.  Netflights have designed a handy puzzle-pack which is available to download for free from their blog page here.  There are word-searches, dot to dots and plenty of things to colour in and won’t take up all of your hand-luggage space.

So, wherever you are heading this summer, a little preparation may help to get you off to a great start…failing that a quick G and T mid-flight can also be quite therapeutic.

This is a sponsored post though all words are my own.