If your child has a fear of flying but you still want – or need – to travel with them, what steps can you take to help them? 

Why are children afraid of flying?

According to Dr Martin Seif, ADAA member who ran a Fear of Flying program and has counseled thousands of adults for their flight anxieties, young children are not afraid of flying as such, because they have very little experience of air travel, but they may have other worries.

“There are lots of young children, where there are elements of flying they don’t like, like fear of crowds, or not having their familiar things with them. They might have a social shyness, or social anxiety,” he said.

“The fear of nausea and vomiting, which can be a fear for ages of five to ten, can be a real issue for kids. If they are just concerned about the flight, there are lots of things you can do: mostly, reassurance.

“There are anti-nausea medications mild enough for children you can give, or ginger-based remedies, even a placebo can help.”

Dr Seif added if a fear of vomiting goes beyond flying and is an everyday problem, with your child refusing to go to school or get in a car, it could be the start of an anxiety disorder and should be evaluated by a doctor.

Flying triggers a lot of different anxieties and older children with a fear of heights, germs or confined spaces might find flying difficult, Dr Seif said.

However, the greatest fear people have about flying may not be what you expect.

“People who are afraid of flying, their greatest fear is not crashing or turbulence. It is having a panic attack and not being able to do anything because they are stuck on a plane.

“And that is the primary fear people have of flying. It is a fear of fear. Triggers could be reading about terrorism or a crash, but it doesn’t stick as a phobia until the age of ten.”

Address your own fear of flying

Children look to their parents for reassurance and an anxious parent may pass their fears onto their children.

Dr Seif said: “Many adults are afraid of flying and children between five and ten will pick up on that.

“If parents have real concerns about flying themselves, I always suggest they find a lighthearted comfortable way to say, ‘we don’t like flying and we have some silly fears.’ Because children tend to notice them.

“If you’re showing anxiety, your children will. So appear as calm as possible. You can say, ‘look, mom and dad have a silly thing about flying’, so it becomes a joke, not a boogeyman in their head.”

An estimated one in six adults in the US has a fear of flying, so there are plenty of resources available to help.

Look into a course, either online from fearofflying.com, at an airport – Milwaukee’s Mitchell International offers help from an aviation psychologist – or from an airline.

British Airways runs a Flying With Confidence course, with classes held in New York City, as well as other places around the world.

Virgin Atlantic offers a course, which includes a short flight – although you will have to get to the UK first for this one.

There are also self-help books available to help you understand and overcome your travel anxieties, including Dr Seif’s Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts, Flying Without Fear by Duane Brown and Captain Tom Bunn’s Soar: The Breakthrough Treatment For Fear Of Flying

Take your child for an airport tour

If their fear of flying is actually a fear of the unfamiliar, your child might be reassured with a trip to the airport. San Francisco International Airport offers a self-guided tour aimed at children, which includes a trip to its aviation museum. Take a look at your local airport’s website to see if they offer something similar and take the family for a day out at the airport.

Go to an aviation museum

If you have an aviation museum nearby, this is a great place to familiarize your children with air travel. A trip to a museum gives your child the opportunity to ask as many questions as they like and there are usually enthusiastic docents about to help answer them. Many museums, such as the Hiller Aviation Museum in the San Francisco Bay Area, have airplane cockpits children can climb into and explore.

Talk to your child about their fear of flying

Even if you cannot get to an airport or air museum, you can discuss your child’s fears. Asking them exactly what is bothering them and listening to their fears will help reassure them that it’s OK to be worried and more importantly, that you care about their feelings.

Encourage them to ask questions and continue to offer reassurance, talking about your own positive experiences and about the destination. You can read books together like Nope! A Tale Of First Flight.  

Prepare and get to the airport early

Seattle Children’s Hospital offers some tips for a stress-free trip on the day. “For air travel, avoid rushing and the stress it causes.

“Allow plenty of time to get through the lines at check-in and security. Be sure you don’t have more liquids than what’s allowed. (Before your trip, check online for the current rules on liquids, including baby formula and breast milk.)

“After you clear security, you can buy more water near your gate. Let your kids walk as much as possible before boarding. Insist that everyone use the restroom, and give babies a fresh diaper. Take advantage of early boarding for families with children. If your child weighs less than 40 pounds, they should be in an FAA-approved safety seat that’s right for their age, weight and height.”

Check out my post for more tips on how to fly with a toddler without stress and how to travel with an infant car seat.

Let the air crew help you

A spokesperson for United Airlines said that while the flight attendants job is to ensure the safety of passengers on board their aircraft, they have plenty of experience in dealing with nervous children (and their parents).

One customer thanked staff for their help on a flight with her young kids. “During my flight home from Cancun to Chicago, the flight crew went far above and beyond in their service and hospitality,” she told United.

“I would like to pay a special complement to Myra. Myra showed [my three-year-old] what all the galley equipment did, showed him how the light work and gave him some extra snacks.

“Myra and Danielle then gave him a warm cookie and a set of United wings. I asked what his favorite part of the vacation and he said that it was the airplane. Myra went above and beyond and made that flight special for my children and for that I am thankful.”

Bribery and distraction

Dr Seif said parents can focus on reassuring their children before the flight, and distracting them with fun activities once on board.

“The closer you are to the present they less anxious you are. Society is focused on the future – ‘what if’ thoughts.

“Anything that keeps a child closer to the present will help. So that’s why you want to to take a lot of things that look good, feel good or sound good to keep them connected to the present, whether that is candy, coloring books or screens to keep them occupied and busy during the flight.”

Make sure you bring plenty of snacks, drinks, toys and other entertainment for the flight. If you normally limit screen time, the promise of their own tablet will likely help them look forward to a flight.

Buy some new toys to whip out if things get difficult but don’t forget to take a familiar toy, blanket or book to help them feel comforted in unfamiliar surroundings. Take a look at my post Best Travel Gear For Toddlers for suggestions on how to make kids comfortable and happy on a flight.

The post Fear of Flying: How To Help Anxious Children Travel appeared first on Tiny Trailblazers.

Most airlines allow parents to fly with an under two-year-old on their lap, which means they fly for free (or almost free, you will still need to pay taxes and fees).

However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly recommends children under 40lb are properly restrained, in their own seat, for their safety. Unfortunately, parents’ arms are sometimes not enough and in the case of an accident, an unrestrained child could be injured or killed.

How can you make sure your baby is safe when flying?

A “proper restraint” for children means either a CARES Kids Fly Safe Airplane Harness or a car seat that is FAA approved for aircraft. Approved seats will have a sticker on the side stating “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”. Infant car seats and convertible car seats are acceptable but booster seats are not.

Airline seats can be quite narrow and some seats will not fit certain aircraft. This is more likely to be an issue with a convertible (toddler) seat than an infant seat.

There are so many car seats out there what should you consider when looking for one to fly?

Choosing A Car Seat: Convertible vs Infant Seat

You can either buy a convertible seat that can take them through from newborn to toddler or get an infant seat for the first year. There are some great convertible seats but the minimum weight is often a bit higher than infant seats, which means you may find you can’t take your newborn home safely from the hospital.

In addition to a low minimum weight, an infant seat can easily be unclipped from a base and either carried with the handle or attached to a stroller (travel system). These are great options for traveling as you don’t need a separate stroller. Babies spend a lot of time asleep and it’s a lot easier to transfer a sleeping baby from the car to the house or into a stroller if you don’t need to unstrap them from their seat.

If you plan on flying, and your baby is within the safe weight and health limits, I would recommend an infant seat because they are a lot easier to travel with than a toddler seat. They are also more likely to fit in the increasingly narrow airline seats.

Infant seats come as two parts: the seat and the base. You will not need the base if you are using the seat on the airplane but you might want to take it with you if you plan to use a car at your destination. Pack the base in your luggage if you want to take it but you can install an infant car seat in a car without a base, so you might prefer to leave it at home.

A travel system is the best way to get your car seat (and baby) through the airport. Take it through security and gate check the stroller frame and car seat, if you are not taking the seat on board the flight with you.

Best Infant Car Seats For Traveling

I recommend getting the lightest-weight seat within your budget as you will be carrying it a lot! Here are some of the best FAA certified light-weight seats that can be combined with a stroller frame to make a travel system.

Car Seat	Weight Without Base	Weight Limits
Grace Snug Ride 30	7lb	4-30lb
Maxi Cosi Mico	8.2lb	4-30lb
Chicco KeyFit30	9.6lb	4-30lb

Tips For Flying With An Infant Car Seat

• If you want to fly with your baby and would like to buy them a seat on the airplane rather than them travel on your lap, you need to buy a car seat that has been approved to fly with the FAA. This way they can spend the whole flight safely strapped into their car seat aboard the aircraft.

• Car seats that are legal for the US are not legal in Europe and vice versa. However, this only applies if you are going to live there – you’re fine to use your car seat for a vacation so don’t worry about taking them overseas. Overseas airlines may not allow you to use an FAA approved seat onboard their flight, however. If you want to use your seat, take it to the gate and ask, it can be gate checked at this point if there is any doubt.

• Some airlines have rules on where a car seat can go, as they can be bulky and block passengers from getting in and out of their seats. Check when buying your ticket, as your car seat may have to go in the window seat.

• Find the “FAA approved” sticker on your seat before going to the airport as you don’t want to hold up the flight looking for it if you are asked to show the certification by the flight crew.

How Do I Strap The Car Seat Into The Airplane Seat?

This will be covered in the manufacturers safety booklet so make sure you read it before leaving. You do not use the base but thread the airplane seat belt through the seatbelt path on the car seat, clip in the belt then tighten it as hard as you can, putting your weight on the car seat to do so. Infant seats are safest when they are rear facing and this is true on aircraft as well as cars. The flight crew will want to check your installation, or they may insist on installing it themselves.

You don’t need the base on the airplane, so either leave it at home and use the seat without the base if you plan to drive at your destination, or pack the the base in your luggage.

The FAA has a great video on how to safely install a car seat on a flight.

What Do I Do If I Am Not Using The Car Seat On Board The Aircraft?

If you are flying with your baby on your lap, you will need to check your car seat into the hold. The good news is this is free; the bad is it may get damaged. You can try and protect it by buying a travel bag and by gate checking (taking it through security and giving it to the flight crew at the gate to put in the hold at the point of boarding). This way it is less likely to get damaged and you will get it back as soon as you leave the flight. This car seat bag from JL Childress is padded and has backpack straps to help you get it through the airport and beyond.

At the gate, ask the flight crew if there are any empty seats. If there are, ask if your child can have the seat so you can safely fly them in your FAA approved restraint.

For more travel tips, check out our Flying With A Baby and Flying With A Toddler posts.

The post Flying With An Infant Car Seat appeared first on Tiny Trailblazers.

If your baby has become mobile, you’ve got a whole new set of challenges. When you have just learned to walk, sitting for long periods of time is entirely unacceptable. Flying with a toddler is not the same as flying with a baby but totally do-able once you adjust your expectations.

Booking the flight

Children are free until the age of two as they can travel on your lap but if they are approaching their second birthday you may want to consider buying a seat for them anyway. A toddler can get pretty heavy on your lap and they will have space to lie down for a sleep on a seat. Either way, consider choosing an aisle seat as your little explorer will want to take a lot of walks up and down the airplane. A night flight may be your friend here as a sleeping toddler is easier to deal with. Find a non-stop flight if you can, as layovers are no fun for a cranky toddler.

Passport

If you’re traveling overseas, you will need a passport for your toddler. Domestic airlines do not usually require any identification although it is a good idea to check when booking your ticket. Passports are reasonably straightforward but you need plenty of time, so if you need one make sure to book the appointment as soon as you know you will be traveling.

What to pack in your carry on

Anti-bacterial gel and wipes as you just know she is going to touch everything. Plenty of snacks and water – pouches are great as you don’t need a spoon and she can feed herself.

Diapers – if you’re in the middle of potty training, get some pull-ups. It won’t set them back but it will make the flight less stressful.

Think about taking something your child can suck on during take-off and landing to help with ear pain, like a drink or some gummy candies.

Toys – a few small favorites and a few new ones to whip out when you can sense an approaching meltdown. A coloring book and crayons is a classic, as is a lift-the-flap story book. Finger puppets you use to tell a story are engaging. Shape sorters are also fun. Toddlers love getting into things, so wrap up your gifts in paper for extra entertainment. Try not to take anything valuable, or small, as it’s pretty difficult to retrieve things from between the seats. Or messy. Definitely nothing messy.

There are some great ideas here for entertaining toddlers on a plane, including free printables.

Depending on their age, you might be able to persuade them to play a few games on a tablet. Sago make some entertaining ones and there are plenty of drawing apps available for free. Don’t forget to download them in plenty of time as there may not be any Wi-Fi at the airport and test them in advance, as some apps require an internet connection to work.

Spare clothes, including layers as the temperatures on flights can vary quite a lot. Make sure you have a blanket and something you can use as a pillow.

Getting through security

If you have a child under two, the TSA advises you to ask to join the priority line through security, which will help speed things up a bit. You are also allowed to take more than the standard 100ml of liquids if you want to take water, milk or juice on the flight. Children under 12 do not have to take off their shoes. When going through the metal detector, you can carry your child, or just accompany her if she wants to walk.

If you’re taking a car seat or stroller to the gate to gate check, these will need to go on the belt to be X-rayed. Consider buying a bag to protect your car seat as they can get banged up during the loading and unloading process.

On board

Once on board, expect your toddler to want to explore this exciting new world. It should be fine to walk up and down a few times once the seatbelt sign is off. Hopefully they will soon be pretty tired and ready for a nap and you can settle down peacefully for a while. We also drop all rules on screen time during a flight and make sure we downloaded plenty of shows and games.

Flights aren’t all bad. Just don’t forget the snacks and the passport and you’ll be fine.

The post Flying With A Toddler appeared first on Tiny Trailblazers.