Ryanair shares essential airport hacks for flying with kids

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes the mass exodus of Brits heading abroad for their well-deserved holidays. But while many young adults travel alone, summer is when more families fly, which means more likely that babies or toddlers will be on the flight.

For families with small children the task of getting them through the airport is daunting enough, but then they have the dreaded flight. Every parent’s dream is for their child to sleep through the flight, but the reality is that children will often be restless due to pressure changes and being stuck in one place for a long period of time.

In an effort to help parents of young children, whether you’re traveling alone or with your partner, Ryanair has shared some tips and tricks for other parents when flying with a young child. Take a look below to find out what other moms and dads are suggesting.

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Pack extra supplies

We all know delays and cancellations can happen when you fly on summer vacation, so make sure you pack extra clothes, diapers, wet wipes and snacks in your carry-on because you never know how long you’ll be waiting.

One mother shared: “We took both our girls on board when they were 3-4 months old and since then they have visited more than 30 countries. First: you, as a parent, need to be relaxed and happy. Your mood influences your child’s mood. Second: Be prepared – take food, drinks, a change of clothes, wet wipes, enough in case flights are delayed and you have a long wait for the plane, small new toys or important toys such as a favorite teddy bear or a pillow – they make the plane more familiar and comfortable.”

Protect their ears

The change in atmospheric pressure is something we can deal with as adults, but for children it can be quite a strange and uncomfortable experience. Having a bottle or dummy available will help, as the act of swallowing or sucking can help relieve the pressure slightly.

A mother who has traveled before said: “Some children get earaches because of the change in air pressure on flights, especially if they have a cold. To ease this pain, make sure you have a baby bottle or cup for your baby to drink from and small snacks for them to eat. The act of swallowing will help equalize the pressure and make them feel better.”

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Keep them warm and cozy

Flights are not the warmest place especially for small children with the air conditioning constantly; it won’t take long for a child to catch a cold. A suggestion to keep your baby nice and cozy is to take a blanket and maybe a second layer to make sure they are warm all the time.

A mother said she took her son’s favorite blanket. She said: “He was 16 months old when I took him on his first flight and I made sure to bring him with his favorite floats and his favorite blanket as flights can get quite cold, especially for little ones and I knew that this will also be. added comfort for him – this proved very useful when he fell asleep mid-flight.”

Provide in-flight entertainment

Last but not least, entertaining a child is one of the best ways to keep them from becoming restless, but it can also be one of the hardest things to do. Although many people don’t like their kids to use technology often, having an iPad or tablet that your child can play on along with a pair of headphones can be the best source of distraction. Or if your child is a coloring fan, you can always try this.

One mother wrote: “A plane is no place to cherish any kind of parenting principle. So charge up your iPad or tablet and load it up with any combination of much-loved TV shows, a Disney movie or two, some simple games – anything you can do without access to WiFi.”

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