Sara Keagle, founder of the FlyingPinto blog, and Dr Laura Markham, author of Peaeceful Parent, Happy Kids, help you stay sane all flight long. Here’s How To Fly With Kids…

Arrive Early
Your goal: tire out the tyke before boarding. If the airport has no designated play area, let your child walk around. Turn into Goofy Dad: laughter eases jitters by reducing cortisol, a stress hormone.

Make Friends
Bring a small gift your kid can give to the crew, such as chocolates and ask if he or she can see the cockpit on the way to your seats. Most times, the staff will oblige. Ask the captain to explain take-off and your child will know what to watch for.

Stock Up
Hit the R5 store a few days before your flight and wrap up small presents – puzzles and games work best – that you can use to divert your restless child’s attention during the flight.

Pack Smart
Tray tables aren’t cleaned between flights, so bring an old placemat. This provides a place to eat and 
do activities. And bring big 
triangle-shaped crayons; 
they won’t roll.
Distract them In-flight 
Wi-Fi rarely supports video, so download TV shows and 
movies in advance. Bring headphones, a splitter and 
an extra battery.

Game On
If your child is too impatient to sit through a whole movie, distract them with a game on your phone 
or iPad. For other kid-distracting ideas, check out commonsensemedia.org.