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Preparing for an Overnight Flight
The first time you take an overnight flight with your child the experience can be either amazing or turn out to be a complete disaster. I’ve made the best of every travel experience I’ve had with my children for many years. My experiences range from being stuck at JFK for 8 hours to losing luggage while traveling with my 1 year old. As much as travel with young children can be intimidating for some parents. I can say from my own experience it took a lot of preparation to finally experience enjoyable travel with children.
What You Can Do, What You Might Need and Where to Get Them:
From my own experience and several opportunities for trial and error. I’ve put together a helpful list of ways you can prepare for an overnight flight with young kids.
1. Make Sure the Children Avoid Carbonated Drinks
As with adults avoid carbonated drinks with children. Milk and water would be your safest bets when flying overnight. The last thing you want on an overnight long-haul flight is a bloated child who can’t sleep very well.
2. Bring Entertainment…….Lots of Entertainment
You can never have enough items to entertain children during an overnight flight. I say have your children’s tablets or other electronic devices on full charge with games and movies already download with hours of content. It’s also important to have variety especially for young children, so drawing pads with washable markers and crayons and puzzles would be perfect. My kids have always been good about sleeping during travel, but since kids are very unpredictable I say prepare for anything.
3. Make Sure the Children Wear Comfortable Clothing
I believe a great way to ensure children are comfortable throughout long overnight flights is to make sure they wear comfortable clothing. For my children that includes comfy socks and sweat-pants. My daughter loves leggings and a scarf so that’s her usual go to. You want them to be warm but you also want them in breathable clothing that won’t make them sweat.
4. Bring a Blanket/Pillow
You want to make sure your children are as comfortable as possible on their overnight flight. Packing a pillow and blanket (just in-case one is not provided) can be very helpful especially since planes get cold. I love the one pictured below as it can go right around the arm rest of the seat. You can also use your child’s carry-on as a foot rest if that helps them to be more comfortable.
5. Pack Healthy Snacks
Pack some healthy snacks. It goes without saying that airport food can be very pricey. If your children are usually snack eaters at home, they will certainly want to munch on something while they wait to get on their flight. Packing trail-mix, goldfish and some other light snacks will ensure the children don’t go hungry after getting through TSA and the boarding process.
6. Bring a Re-usable Water Bottle
I’ve found having a re-usable bottle not only saves a lot of money but a lot of hassle as well. If the children have their own water bottles they would have access to it whenever they need instead of having to wait for the flight attendant to pass by with drinks. In my experience having one that can also clip easily to a backpack is perfect for older children.
7. Make Sure Everyone Sits Together
Another important way to ensure a smooth flight (as smooth as it’s going to get with children that is) would be to make sure everyone sits together. Children may fear sitting separately from their parents, so if you have to book a flight where some seats are separated be sure to have at least one parent with the children at all times.
8. Bring a Travel First Aid Kit and Any Medications they May Use
Don’t forget to pack a travel first aid kit and any medications your children use in your carry-on or theirs. I personally believe it’s better to be safe than sorry, so prepare for paper cuts, rashes or stomach aches your children may have during your travels.
I hope you find my list useful. If so, please leave a comment below. If you also have some tips of your own to share on ways to survive an overnight flight with children, don’t hesitate to share them below in the comment section as well. As parents we can use all the help we can get.
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