Advice needed for 6 year old's first plane ride...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

The flight will be about 3 hours long. Any info or suggestions about how to keep him happy and comfortable (especially air-sickness and ear pressure tips) would be appreciated.

Do they allow hand-held video games on the plane?

Thanks! :-)

[shoelace414]

1. Vodka

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Pleeeeze

Beer. :beer:

[AngryAmish]

36. Beer will make them pee too much

Nice hot toddy.

[HEyHEY]

71. That's exactly how I ended up covered in vomit on a bus ride once

[Zuni]

2. I'm sure a game boy would be allowed

tell him to hold his nose and breath hard to relieve the ear popping---thats what you do to equalize pressure, wether in a plane or scuba diving

or he could just chew gum, which also helps

But DO NOT let him sneak a soda onboard. I did that when I was twelve and it totally ruined my Metallica 'Ride the Lightning' tape, which was, like, the best Metallica album.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. LOL!

Fortunately, he's not terribly into soda...

[Zuni]

21. It was a Pepsi, and I remember it like yesterday

the pressurized cabin blew it up in the luggage overhead, and when I went to get my "Ride the Lightning" tape for my walkman it was all sticky and gooey. :cry:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

40. That must have been devastating!

I know how much my older boy loved his Metallica at that age...

[Zuni]

45. I don't even want to tell you about the time I put a magnet next to my

Bob Marley tapes after smoking a buttload of reefer when I was 17 and having large segments erased on all of them.
Don't ask why I had a magnet and put it next to the tapes. I don't remember :silly:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

58. One of my boys had fun running a magnet across the

computer monitor screen...

On a positive note, it gave us a good excuse to get a new one...(that is, a new monitor, not a new kid!)

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. I always give James some gum to chew for takeoffs and landings.

He brought his gameboy with him and could play with it in flight. I also bought one of those Crayola wipe off boards with the markers and we had a lot of fun with it.

Have a wonderful and safe trip. Odds are he will be so enthralled with what's going on down below that you won't need them. :hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. I second the gum recommendation....

We went to Disney World when I was 9, and I napped on the plane, and when I woke up I started crying because of the pressure.

Gum helps, or yawn to get your kid started (chain reaction when you see someone else do it). Yawning also helps to relieve the pressure if it builds up.

Plenty of toys and coloring books or that sort of thing will keep em busy. And maybe some bite size snacks in case they don't like the ones the airlines may or may not provide.

FSC

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Gum sounds like a good idea too...

I took my first flight when I was 17. It was pure agony on the return trip. Yawning helped a lot. Thanks!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. A dry-erase board sounds like a great idea!

This will be our first vacation in 9 years. We're really looking forward to it!

[alittlelark]

4. Gameboys and such are fine (not during take off and landing)

My kids and I chew gum on flights to deal w/ the air pressure.. Bring some yummy snacks, because you won't get any on the flight.

[johnnie]

6. Are you saying

The 4 dime size pretzels they give you aren't yummy?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. I wondered about that...

Thanks for the info! I'll let him pick out his own snacks (within reason), so he'll look forward to it even more. :hi:

[FreepFryer]

Get some books/comics, and sugarfree gum/candy, plus one extra little toy

that he will really enjoy. I recommend those 'mad libs' abd 'invisible ink' games, or coloring books and the like. Other quiet stuff.

AND NO SODA OR SUGARY SNACKS

Do the pilots still give pin-on wings for the kids? Those were wonderful.

:)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. Mad Libs!

I love those! If he doesn't like them, I'll do them! :D

I don't know about the pilots wings. He'll love it if they give them out!

[FreepFryer]

56. Have a wonderful flight. If it's fun, he'll never be a problem on a plane.

Enjoy!

[democracyindanger]

5. sedatives

if not for the kid, then for you.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. He's pretty sedate already...

when he's with a group of strangers. :-)

[Zuni]

22. bring a taser just in case

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. LOL

Usually it's the adults that get hyper trying to interact with him. He's a little on the shy side.

[RedCloud]

7. Just hide your booze in a coke can.

Stuff like that never gets out in public.

i would trick my kids into staying up later than usual the night before.

But then my kids like to keep getting in line for the toilet. I think I try to crawl out the window at times like that.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. He most likely won't want anything to do with the airplane potty...

Foreign toilets freak him out. Sounds like it's just as well!

[SCDem]

8. Ideas

If you have ever taken a long car trip activities can be much the same. Coloring books or puzzles (word search or something 6 yo related, hand held video games are allowed but I think they can only be played after into the flight and turned off on landing. If you have a portable DVD player you can bring that and watch a movie.

As far as ear pressure. Because it is a 6 year old you can just tell him to hold his nose and close his mouth and try to blow out of his nose, that un pops your ears, I have a real little one so I am just sure to give him juice or milk, the act of swallowing will pop your ears.

Other advice... you just remain happy and upbeat and so will the 6 yo.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. Isn't it bad for your ears to unplug them that way?

Someone once told me that, but I've still used the method now and then, when yawning and gum didn't help...

[SCDem]

27. I hadn't heard that

but I've been doing it all my life and so I'll probably keep on doing it.

Have a fun trip!

[MADem]

9. Gum, if he isn't the type to get it stuck in his hair

...will help with the depressurization. Anything that has him chewing will help.

Hand held games are fine, tell him to follow the directives of the flight attendant...he will not be able to use it during take off and landing, but in flight, yes.

At that age, there should be a minder assigned to him. You can call the airline and ask for some tips, sometimes you can find them on-line as well. Links to help you:
http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/kidsolo.htm
http://airtravel.about.com/cs/safetysecurity/a/Unaccompanied.htm
http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/before/youngtravellers/minors.html

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. Since he'll be right next to me

I'll be able to remind him to wrap his gum up and put it in the trash, as opposed to unwrapped and on the floor next to his seat, as he did the first time I was silly enough to give him gum in the car...

Thanks for the URLs! I'll check them out!

[MADem]

30. Oh, sorry, I thought he was travelling alone!

He'll be quite fine with you there, and the flight is short enough that he shouldn't get too restless...depending on the airline, the flight attendants may have a little coloring book or a set of plastic wings for him, as well.

The idea about keeping him up a bit late is a good one, may slow him down if he is accustomed to a daytime nap, or is a high-energy kid!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. Thanks for the links anyway...

They may come in handy in the future; though I'm not ready for my baby to fly solo yet! :D

[MADem]

46. Happy to help, we are all in this together! n/t

[warrens]

11. Get up with him and take him for a couple of walks

Unless you get lucky and he falls right asleep, which happens sometimes. A DVD might be better than a game boy, more likely to put him to sleep.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. I was thinking that the white noise might put him to sleep...

I have a feeling he won't be interested in his game boy until after we're above the clouds anyway.

[Xithras]

12. Gameboys are an excellent idea

You'll have to leave it off until the pilot allows you to turn on electronic devices (usually when the plane reaches cruising altitude), but should have no problem using it for most of the flight.

Fighting air sickness: Keep that little overhead air nozzle pointed at him, for some reason that really helps. I don't know how he is about heights, but if they don't freak him out a window seat may also be adviseable. Looking out the window can help connect the feeling of motion with visible movement, which cuts down on it with most people. Plus, most little boys LOVE looking out at the world from 50,000 feet :)

Ear pressure shouldn't be an issue for a six year old, since he should be old enough to get the concept of popping your ears. Bring gum just in case.

Administering a dramamine before takeoff probably isn't a bad idea either. Personally, when my wife travels with our kids, she finds the most sedative laden child cold medicine on the market and drugs them...they'll usually sleep though the entire flight. I don't like drugging my kids, so when I take them I can usually keep them entertained enough to prevent them from annoying the rest of the plane too badly ;)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. Thanks for the tips!

Mr GoG and I are going to be with him, so I'm hoping there'll be a window seat to give him.

[tridim]

13. My first plane ride, my parents told me it was like a ride

at the amusement park. It worked like a charm. Ironically, we had to make an emergency landing because they thought they lost the landing gear hydraulics on takeoff. Everyone on the plane was scared shitless, I was having a blast. We landed safely BTW, it was a one shot deal to get the gear down and to apply the brakes. My dad said it was the shortest landing he ever experienced.

[MADem]

34. That wasn't Northwest to Japan from Honolulu in 1981, was it?

That happened then! They foamed the damn runway...and were so freaked out, they were too busy to go through all of the steps. I had to tell them to hit the no smoking sign, because I was right over the wing, and noted that they were dumping fuel....next thing you know, they are tearing up the carpet and trying to manually crank the gear!

We were stuck for hours, but on the bright side, they gave us POI (along with a full buffet meal). I was glad I got an opportunity to try poi and not pay for it. I know it is a staple, but I thought it tasted like library paste!

[tridim]

51. No, It was Kansas City to Orlando.. around 1979.

No runway foam, just a quick turn, set down really fast and jam on the brakes with heavy reverse thrust. They checked the plane over and everything was fine, we were back in the air within about 45 minutes. It was cool because I got to feel the takeoff G's twice!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. Wow! Did you sense that everyone was scared?

Or were you so into the thrill ride that you didn't notice?

[tridim]

53. Well, my Mom was scared

and I could see fear in the faces across the aisle. I was probably calm because I didn't think it was anything unusual. I don't think I knew how serious it could have been had we not been able to stop.

[radwriter0555]

17. it's no different than riding in car these days.

I'm not sure what the big deal is?

People don't have trouble with air-sickness and ear pressure so much anymore, do they?

Books, hand held games, whatever one brings to amuse a child on a ride to grandmas' house really. Snacks are a good idea... not making a big deal of it, and keeping it all just easy going and simple.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

37. I took my oldest on a plane when he was 6 months old.

That was 17 years ago. I felt SO like a bad mommy. I had no clue what agony he'd go through...or what everybody else on the plane would go through, including me. :(

[fortyfeetunder]

73. I took my kid on first plane ride at 8 mos old

And the kid did better than me...I had been on a flight 2 days prior and could not clear my ears...I was having constant ear congestion. As I fretted about my own ears during landing, the baby drank from the dairy queen (me), then passed out on the descent....arrgh!

[NewJeffCT]

25. well, we took our then 18 month old from CT to China last year

And, she did fine, and it was Connecticut to Cincy to LA to Shanghai to Beijing on the way there, and on the way back it was Shanghai to Harbin to LA to Atlanta to Connecticut.

I think the pediatrician recommended a bit of Tylenol about 30 minutes before takeoff & landing to help with any pain from ear pressure.

I would suggest calling your pediatrician to see if they recommend anything along the Tylenol lines, as there is a big difference between 18 months & 6 years.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

38. Thanks!

A call to his pediatrician is a good idea!

[Scout]

31. get him the window seat, and a camera

if you're flying when it's light outside, some kids get a big kick out of taking pictures out the plane window of the TOPS of the clouds ('cuz you can't ever see the tops from the ground).

Let him get plenty of running/playing exercise before going to the airport.

All the other suggestions sound good too ... gum, some of his own snack foods, gameboy, books, crayons + coloring book.

Good luck!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. Great ideas!

Especially the exercise thing! Maybe I'll get him a couple of disposable cameras, too...

[bleedingheart]

41. When I travel with my kids this is what I do

I bring two packs of gum and some lollypops for their ears.

I also buy some "quiet" toys that I keep hidden until we are sitting down in our seats. Once the plane is in the air and the flight is underway...I pop them out of my bag and Voila! it's like having a little birthday party.

Coloring books, small video games, and for my gal...paper dolls...that we can dress up and play with...and I bring extra paper to design more dresses we will cut out when we land...(cuz scissors are verboten now)

My 2 year old was so good on a flight due in part to his travel size etch-a-sketch and magnetic doodle pad that he didn't make a sound...I was actually complimented on what a well behaved child he was...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

43. When you said you brought lollypops for their ears

I imagined the oddest thing... :rofl:

Thanks for your ideas!

[bleedingheart]

44. hahahahaha

well that would work too...hahahahaha

I was on a flight when a little boy had such a horrible time with the cabin pressure...I gave his mom a stick of gum and a lolly...it helped the little guy out a bunch...

[tigereye]

50. hey Godess

where are you going? Hope you have a great time! I would think just looking out the window and being amazed by the take off and view for the first time would be a lot of fun as well!

:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

60. We're taking our youngest to Disney World

and to visit Mr GoG's dad in about a month. We're also going to take in a day at Sea World and another at the Kennedy Space Center. There's supposed to be a shuttle launch while we're in Florida, though it's scheduled during the time we'll be at DW. Still, we should get a good view.

We gave our older boy the choice of going along or staying at home and being man of the house. I think he's looking forward to having it to himself.

Thanks for the good wishes! :D

[all.of.me]

47. how about some of that guiness?!

my first thought was scotch, then i looked at your user name!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

61. I have a friend from Ireland whose mother gave him Guinness

whenever he was under the weather. To this day he can't stand it. Can you imagine?!

[all.of.me]

67. poor thing - hating guinness!

[MissMarple]

48. And a book you can read out loud to him. I've found that can help a lot.

Especially if you get stuck circling some random airport or on the ground. And you may want to get some large muscle movement opportunities in before you get on the plane. Three hours can be a long time to not be up and about for a six year old, as I'm sure you know. :-)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

62. I hope I wouldn't disturb the other passengers...

When I read to my son, he gets all the bells and whistles and odd voices along with the story! :D

[Beausoir]

49. Five kids...all veteran fliers.

Even my baby has been to Maui.

1. Starburst fruit chews as soon as the descent begins. As a preventitive to ear problems. They make the mouth water, so in addition to chewing, the kids swallows..alot. Works like a charm. More important on descent than on take off.

2. Portable dvd player. You can get them for around $200 bucks now, or rent them at most major airports from kiosks called In Motion Pictures. Best invention EVER for kids who fly.

3. Go to the dollar store and grab a couple of little toys. Wrap them and then give them to him one at a time when he gets bored.

Don't worry. 3 hours is a quick up and down. He'll be having so much fun the time will....er...fly.

[liontamer]

52. when I was a kid i used to put little plastic cups over my ears

can't remember how effective it was, as an adult I take a decongestant before a flight. Maybe children's sudafed would work?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

63. Starbursts...

Who'd've thunk it? It makes a lot of sense though...Thanks for the tip!

[iconoclastic cat]

54. Get DVDs of "Hero" and "Alive" for the trip.

Then let him guzzle coffee in the terminal.

[FreepFryer]

55. You're a thoroughly evil human being. Excellent post. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. That went way over my head...

I haven't seen either of those movies :blush:

[woo me with science]

80. i think

in "Alive" the airplane crashed on a snowy mountain and the passengers ended up eating each other to survive.

[silverpatronus]

57. benadryl

i take it on long flights just before takeoff...i sleep until landing. i love the stuff.

[SW FL Dem]

59. I've flown with my son several times

Gameboys are allowed after take off and before landing. I brought lots of snack foods and packed books, crayons, etc to keep him entertained. Now that he is older, we bring our portable DVD player and his Ipod and he is fine.

For stuffy ears, I give my son a Sudafed before the flight if he shows any signs of nasal congestion. You can buy a thingie called Ear Planes which is a kind of filter to go in the ears to equalize air pressure during ascent and descent. I also give my son gum to chew.

Good luck on your trip!

[gardenista]

65. Game-boy with EARPHONES, please! : )

It's a great distraction, as long as the surrounding passengers aren't subjected to the electronic equivalent of water torture.

I wish all parents were as thoughtful as you are.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

66. No water torture here!

I even have a spare set of earphones in case his break... :hi:

[gardenista]

68. YOU RULE! nt

[strategery blunder]

69. One consideration that other posters have omitted...

If you allow the recommended amount of time before departure for security and such, you will likely wait for the aircraft to board for at least forty-five minutes, during which the kid(s) will have to be entertained. Waits of double that time are entirely possible.

Furthermore, it is also a good idea to pack additional entertainment for departure delays (usually due to bad weather) that can run for two to three hours.

If you tell what airport you're departing from and what airport you're arriving at, I might be able to slip you some airport-specific information, though I tend to fly to the same airports over and over again.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

72. Excellent point!

We'll be going between BWI and Orlando. They recommend that we arrive at least 2 hours early. Since we're scheduled to depart at around 8 am, that means my little guy will probably want to sleep while we're waiting to board.

I know I will! :D

[strategery blunder]

74. Sorry, I don't really know much info specific to the airports in question

I've never been to BWI and the last time I was in MCO was when I was a small child, but supposedly MCO is one of the better airports for little kids.

MCO=Orlando--I grew up in the airline industry so I use the three-letter abbreviations for EVERYTHING, including referring to the college town I live in as IRK. I'm a nerd that way:evilgrin:

[HEyHEY]

70. One good smack at the begining of the flight

With the promise of another upon landing if he doesn't behave.... usually how my folks did it

[GoddessOfGuinness]

75. That sucks, HeyHey....

I'm sorry they treated you so wretchedly. :cry:

[HEyHEY]

76. I'm a better man for it dammit!

They were just old school... lotsa folks like that in the 80s

[Democrat 4 Ever]

77. Books are my answer for everything. If he can read he can

entertain himself, if not you can read aloud or get him books on tape. For years I would get children's books from the library, read them aloud into a tape and then mail them to a grandchild I only got to see once or twice a year. It was a great way to stay connected. She loved them.

I once took all five (5! 12, 9, 8, 5, and 3) granddaughters to DC for a visit (one set of parents lived in the DC area - they were all with me for a two week visit (all kids, no parents!) and I was returning them home/vacation). It was the first flight for three of them. We had a ball. Just one small, slight problem.

With five girls and myself we had a butt load of luggage. Between clothes, toys, books, etc. We had a butt load of luggage...and then some. I pulled up in front of the terminal and counted heads, checked bags, counted heads again and off we went to the gate for our flight. (Short flight - hour and 15 minutes). Just as the pilot made the announcement that we were coming into BWI one of the kids looked at me and asked what I had done with my car. I went completely blank. I couldn't remember where I had parked my car back at the airport.

It then hit me. I hadn't parked it. I had left it sitting at the curb, just where we had unload in front of the terminal. By the time I got everything unloaded, checked, etc. I just plain forgot I needed to take the car to the parking lot. Duh. Panic sat in when I could just imagine where on earth my car was going to end up. Well, the son-in-law earned his keep that night. (He is federal police officer) He called the local police, explained to them that his mother-in-law is a moron and could they please locate the car and do something with it until I get back? They found it at the impound lot, towed it back to the airport, parked it in the employee parking lot and it was sitting about 100 feet from the front door when I got back. I will never live that one down. (FYI - this was July 2001 - before 9/11, today the police would probably have blown it up where it sat!)

Enjoy your trip.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

84. My parents smacked me around too...

I'm more compassionate for the experience, and I hold no grudges against them. But I also attribute that kind of upbringing to the serious lack of self-esteem that I still battle with at age 46.

It may work for some, hon, but it won't work on my children, because it simply isn't necessary.

[LostinVA]

78. Chewing gum for air pressure, and excitement for most

of the trip. He may get antsy for about 1/2 of the trip, probably less. A Gameboy would be good. Is it for a vacation? If so, you can make plans about what you're do -- ,like name/write down five things you want to do, and you do the same thing, etc.

[politicat]

79. If he's likely to get motion-sickness, do this:

Give him a dramamine a half-hour before take-off. (You might want to do this anyway, just as a precaution.) It has a slight sedative effect, so it will also keep him calmer.

Go out and pick up a tiny, handheld, battery operated fan with soft blades. I keep seeing them at Walgreens and Target, so they're pretty common. Keep it blowing on him. Airplane air is low in oxygen and high in CO2, which contribute to motion-sickness.

Snacking on snacks without a lot of grease (I carry baby carrots and celery for this purpose) helps a lot. Don't fly on an empty stomach.

Pick up an audiobook he might like, like Harry Potter or similar, and get him his own portable audio machine (like a CD player or mp3 player.) He may be too young to read, but he's not too young to be read to.

Have fun!

[woo me with science]

81. Show him....

how he can summon the attendant with that little button over his seat.

[madinmaryland]

82. My wife flew with our daughter quite a bit at that age and younger.

Bring:

Books to read.
Crayons/pencils for coloring and writing.
Snacks (avoid candies, etc. as that will get them wound up.)
Drinks (fruit drinks, water)
Gameboy or other small electronic toys that are quiet.
Small toys (matchbox cars, etc.)

Good Luck!
:hi:

[malta blue]

83. Bring new things!

My daughter is a pro at flying. At 5 she has been to Europe, Central America and throughout the US. I always bring something new on the plane. It's always a surprise, so it keeps the attention longer. The twisty crayons are great because they don't break and they come in a convenient 10 pack. GameBoy is a good thing, but you should use the earphones, and I am usually hesitant about putting earphones on little people because they can accidentally turn it up too loud and damage their hearing (call me a hysterical latina mami, but that's how it is). We love the school workbook type of thing (my kid is kind of brainy). Big fat workbooks that take hours to finish, mazes, etc.

Ear popping: yawn! I am anti-gum, but I know it works, and I sometimes break down and get some, especially if she has had a cold recently and will have any residual congestion.

I hope your little one enjoys the flight, and yes they do give out wings, although they are no longer pins, they are stick on.

Have a great time!