Plan.
So you've decided to travel with a toddler. Yes, you are opening new
worlds to your little one, sharing new experiences and expanding their
horizons, and all this at the expense of your sanity and back muscles.
Parenting a toddler is hard enough without more complications, but here's a few
tips to ease some worries:
Plan it like you plan the day: when does
your child sleep and can he/she sleep during the flight? Try to find a flight
that doesn't disrupt the precious sleep-eat daily routine. If you're planning a
day flight, make sure you bring lots of entertainment, but don't assume that
they sleep on night flights.
Prepare them for the flight with songs
and stories about it. Tell them what's going to happen.
Chill. It might be stressful to think about
everything and anything, but try to calm down, and if they sleep on the plane,
try to nap as well (although being a parent, when else can you catch up on the
latest films than with the in-flight entertainment?)
- Children over the age of 2 pay for a separate ticket and get their own chair. Obviously make sure their passport is valid.
- If choose to brave travelling alone, make sure you have a letter of consent to allow the child to travel from his other parent, some countries are hysterical about allowing a child without both parents.
- Remember that you will need to queue at passport control, even if you have the fast-track finger-printing card. Yes, Children slow you down.
