There is nothing worse than this travel nightmare: either having your own screaming child on your lap or listening to somebody else’s. Let’s not forget that some flights can take up to around 20 hours, so the torture can take quite a long time indeed. There is good news though. Many airlines cater for children by providing special meals for toddlers and most of the members of staff on board are always happy to help passengers with small children. Another plus is that most children up to 6 months of age tend to keep still and do not make as much noise as the older children. However, some of the older children can make parents and fellow passengers look frantically for anything resembling a parachute.
It is generally recommended for parents not to bother travelling with children between 1 and 2 years old at all. They simply do not know how to keep still or realize that they should.
There are, fortunately, some tips on how to manage such tricky situations with infants on board. Firstly, parents should take it in turns to look after the child. They should work in shifts to take the child around the aircraft to relieve the stress and pressure on the partner. If the movie guide works in keeping the infant quiet, then such tactics may not be necessary. Secondly, parents should board the plane as late as possible to keep the child from being ‘imprisoned’ for as long as possible. Don’t forget: every little thing helps.
Other tips involve absolute common sense, such as not giving sugar to the children as this gives them more energy. Infants of that age have enough energy and do not need to be topped up. Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to respect others on board the aircraft. If your child starts screaming, then regular apologies are welcome and thus reduce the level of stress-implicating complaints from others.
