A long journey with young children can be challenging. You get on the plane and smile at your fellow passengers to apologise. Some smile back, some look like they understand, and a few look scared. Almost everyone is secretly trying to look at your boarding pass to find out where you are sitting. 

You might be guilty of making assumptions, too; accept it. Look at those travellers who don't have kids. Their seats are slightly relaxed, they have earphones and are listening to a band you liked three years ago. On their knees is a book they'll never read. Take our advice and ignore them when they order their fifth mini-bottle of wine as if it's nothing.We recommend you purchase a dummy flight ticket for visa or reserve flight tickets when submitting the visa application at the embassy or consulate.

Even with all of this, a long-haul flight with toddlers is doable, and you'll have great trip memories to make up for the difficulties, so keep reading!

Don't Board Too Early 

Families get to board the plane first, but this can happen up to an hour before the flight leaves. Don't pay attention to those mumbled statements. Stay where you are. This hour of fun doesn't need to be there, and you don't want to use up all your tricks before the engines even start.

Snacks 

We do well with raisins, cookies, satsumas in a Tupperware box, and sandwiches. Nothing that gets messy, squishies, or takes up too much room. Lollypops, basically sugary power balls on a stick, work very well for takeoff and landing.

But if your child or children are sleeping during landing or takeoff (lucky you! ), don't wake them up to feed or treat them. Give them space. When they sleep, they don't feel the change in air pressure.

Best Toys For Toddlers On A Plane

When parents take toddlers on long-distance flights, their main worry is how to keep them busy. Only bring a few small toys to play with during the trip. Each one will last for 30 seconds, and you will have a nightmare trying to find and pick up all of them.

If you did what we said above, you would have mags, sticker books, reading books, and tablets. You don't need any more toys, to be honest.

Screen Time 

Let your children watch as much TV as they want and more. No judgement here! Get them each a kids' tablet (one of the same colour, if possible, to avoid endless arguments) and put all their favourite TV shows, games, and e-books on it. Let them play with the camera and take pictures of the view out the window. Then you can talk about what they can see.

Invest In An Inflatable Foot Pillow

Make this the most important thing when choosing what to bring for kids on long flights. We bought one of these for each of our kids, which are very useful. With one of these foot pillows, your child can stretch their legs or lie flat during the journey. **Not all airlines let you bring these pillows, so check your airline's website before you take your kids on an international trip.

Invest In Child Headphones

Young children need good headphones that protect their hearing and make their ears feel good. Anyone taking a long trip with a young child should buy comfortable, cheap headphones that limit decibels.

Related Resources: Tips For Getting Through Long-Haul Flights