The Best Way To Prepare For A Flight With Your Kids, Per A Flight Attendant

Traveling with kids can bring its own unique set of challenges. From long road trips with restless little ones to making it through TSA as a family, there are any number of metaphorical minefields to navigate. Thankfully, there are plenty of travel experts, like Samantha Brown, who have advice on flying with children. But what better travel expert than a flight attendant? They're the ones who fly more than probably anyone other than pilots, and unlike pilots, flight attendants are front and center with the traveling public. Islands spoke exclusively with Barbi, who has worked as a flight attendant for almost 40 years with a major U.S. airline, to find out her tips on what to do before you even board the plane to be ready to have as smooth and easy a flight as possible with your kids.

For Barbi, it comes down to what you have with you. "Bring games, coloring books, and other activities for them to do while traveling," she told us. It's basically the opposite of "raw dogging" a flight — a current trend where you don't have any entertainment onboard, not even sleeping! But kids (and parents) are going to need and want distraction while on the plane to keep them busy, happy, and not fussy. 

It's worth noting that Barbi didn't put phones, tablets, or other screens as the go-to, or only thing, you have for your kid's entertainment onboard. That isn't to say that electronic devices are unacceptable, but they can glitch or run out of battery, and you don't want to have to worry about getting the device fixed and or charged while in mid-flight.

Another suggestion that Barbi gave to Islands about how to prep for a flight with kids was to "always bring some kind of snack for them because you never know what or when you'll be served food." For example, there might be turbulence, which means the flight attendants can't do the regular snack and drink service, and if your kiddo is hungry, they're unlikely to be calmed down by anything but a snack. They might also not be a fan of whatever food is being handed out on the plane, so having a stash of their favorite treat can go a long way to keeping everyone happy.

Just remember that for things like applesauce, yogurt, or any other liquids, you have to follow the TSA 3-1-1 rule. Bonus — giving children something to eat as the plane is taking off and landing can help with any ear pain they might be having as the pressure changes. Those are times when you know the flight attendants won't be serving food, so make sure your bag is packed with easy-to-access snacks.

Some other flight attendant advice about traveling with kids involves looking at the timing when you book your flight — mornings are often a good option because your kid (hopefully) got a good night's sleep the night before and so may be less likely to be irritable. Late at night is also a good option, since young ones can sleep on the plane.

That being said, Barbi pointed out to us that "sometimes, you don't have a choice on when to travel, say if you're going international or if the airline only has a couple of flights on that route." Since you can't control things like flight schedules, being prepped to try to make your child as comfortable (and distracted) as possible seems to be the best plan. That would also include bringing clothing layers or perhaps even a small blanket — sometimes airplane temperature isn't as regulated as we'd like it to be.

There's not going to be any one solution that helps every kid at every age have an easy flight every time, but there's also no flight that lasts forever, even if it might feel like that with an unhappy or bored kid. Being ready with food and games should go a long way to keeping things as relaxed as possible. If nothing else, you can always enjoy some of the snacks yourself.