“I enjoyed my flight with my daughter, as she didn’t cry throughout the flight that I forgot that she was there”… Said no-one, right? I tend to agree and disagree on this as I can say that having a baby on board is tough, really tough, but I have a solution for you. No. I am not going to show you how to make a baby stop crying or sleep throughout the flight. I am only going to show you a guide on how to make your flight, more pleasant based on my experience flying with my daughter.
Sophia’s (my daughter) first flight was back when she was only 3 months old, was I scared? Nah, I was just petrified 😂 Why? As I didn’t know what to expect, as when we’re either in the car or at home in a stationary position she was very impatient and having loads of tantrums, so you can imagine my fear. Obviously, to continue with my fears we had to go to Lithuania which is an approximate 3 hour and a half flight from Malta, yes that long and I made a formula for my daughter’s tantrums:
15 minutes = 1 tantrum
210 minutes =?
The answer was a staggering 14 tantrums 🤣😒
So where are the tips, you might ask?
Before I start the tips, I wanted to just put your mind at ease, don’t worry and I encourage all parents not to give up and fly with their babies, yes it’s not easy, but it is possible to have a decent flight.
So are you ready? Drum roll, please 🥁
Tip #1
Be prepared! What I mean is be prepared for everything that you have control of, by preparing the below:
- Snacks (If your child is older than 6 months)
- Rattles or toys to distract your child
- Nappies, sorry I mean loads of extra nappies as you don’t know when they will be giving you a poo surprise
- Apart from nappies get extra baby grows, so if there’s an accident you have an extra pair
- If your child is bottle-fed, bring the necessary amount of baby formula
- Food pouches for convenience and portability
Tip #2
Be early! If you are travelling with your stroller (highly recommended) make sure to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your actual departure time, in order not to be rushed and make sure to have time to feed your baby before boarding.
Tip #3
Feed your baby before boarding, as once he/she is on the flight they are not cranky and might have a higher probability to sleep.
Tip #4
Most airlines give parents with babies priority to board the plane first, by all means, this is a nice gesture, but I don’t recommend this as already your child is anxious staying in a confined space for 3 hours, why should you go earlier? Yes, you would want to settle down and such, but I would recommend being one of the last to board so you can spend as less time as possible on the plane.
Tip#5
Your baby is going to cry, it’s natural, so just ignore the sulky people around you and focus on your child. People need to understand that your baby doesn’t have a mute button and if someone looks at you and sighs, just smile at them (crazy smile recommended 🤣)
Tip #6
Try and book a seat at the back of the plane so you’re closer to the lavatory and can also stand up and stretch your legs.
Tip #7
If your baby gets a tantrum, which will happen most of the time, don’t worry just excuse yourself from the person sitting next to you and just soothe your baby with walking up and down the aisle. (PS Make sure the seat belt sign is turned off 😂)
Tip #8
Bring a tablet/phone/laptop with some nursery rhymes or baby videos as the image will soothe the baby and remember to put the sound down as they are most interested in the video rather than the sound.
8 useful tips, which made go through 4 other flights and I am still standing 😊
Do you have any other tips you want to share? Comment on my social media pages ❤
