With spring travel upon us, unruly kids on airplanes has become a frequent topic in the media and blogging world.  “Who is to blame?” has been a popular headline this year – with heated commentary on both sides.    I  think that unprepared parents are to blame for most unruly kids on planes (and in restaurants).

Let me start by defining “unruly”.   The most appropriate word to describe these kids is turbulent.  They are the ones screaming at the top of their lungs, kicking the seats, refusing to buckle, and running up and down the aisles while mom and/or dad do nothing.   The majority of kids on flights are well behaved but it is the unruly ones that get the media attention.

I fly frequently with my four children and can assure you that no flight is perfect.   At least one person cries at least once during the trip.  We play with the tray table or make more noise than an adult passenger but we also have more fun.    I see many parents actively engaged with their children on planes – playing with them, walking the aisles, or consoling hurting ears.  Unfortunately, it takes only one or two unruly kids to ruin a flight.  And these kids all have one thing in common – BOREDOM!  Their parents either brought nothing for them to do or are unwilling to join them in an activity.

If you are reading this, chances are you are not one of these parents.  So, what do you do when the kids around you are misbehaving, which, inevitably, has a negative impact on your kids?

1. Pack a few extra items.  My daughters have gone so far as to share their things with bored kids on long flights so now I pack an extra coloring/activity book, four pack of crayons and small toy.  It gets shared with someone on almost every trip we take.
2. Continually remind your kids of expected behavior and reward them verbally (and with treats) for their good behavior.
3. Distract, distract, distract!  Play word games, sing songs, play with finger puppets, color pictures together.
4. Relax.  Your kids will feed off of your mood and stress level.  If you stay calm, they are more likely to as well.

Happy Travels.

Flying with Kids · traveling with kids

I remember loving to visit my parents at work.   Office supplies can be loads of fun and I could make copies for hours.  Looking back, I probably wasn’t has helpful as I thought and they likely got very little work done with me around.  So what do you do when you have to take the kids to the office?  Try these tips to keep them entertained for at least a little while.

Toddlers and Younger Kids:

• Give them a box of tissues.
• Position them in front of a blank wall or stretch of floor and hand out a pad or two of post it notes.
• Cut some paper into shapes and have them color the shapes and then use tape to create a picture on another sheet of paper.
• Draw pictures using different color highlighters.
• Make several paper airplanes and have a contest to see which one goes the farthest.
• Make a pouring game with 2 cups and water or M&Ms

Older Kids:

• Have a scavenger hunt – while reminding them that there is no running!  Create your own or use one we created.  Office Scavenger Hunt
• Practice rubber band shooting.  Create a target for the floor and try to hit it 5 times in a row – the catch is the rubber band has to bounce off the ceiling.

Hopefully this gives you enough time to get a few things done at the office!

kids in the office

We are planning our annual spring break road trip and, on a 14 hour drive, the last few hours are after dark.  The kids are restless, tired of movies, and not the least bit sleepy.  After enduring incessant whining for 3 hours on the first long road trip because “it’s too dark to do anything”, I now pack a few night toys.  They are a huge hit!   Over the years we have experimented with various items and finally ended up with a few must haves:

• Glow sticks
• Glow spring toy
• Glow ring
• Flashlight or book light
• Glow toys
• At least one flashing toy (like a top or wand)

And a few tips:

• Glow items need to be exposed to light to “charge”.   This is fun for kids to do with a flashlight (and leads to great experiments).
• Remember batteries – many kid’s flashlights are sold without batteries.  An alternative is to get the manual flashlights but they can be loud (and inevitably one kid would wake up the others by using it).
• If traveling for a while at night and you want the kids to sleep, limit the number of glow toys.
• Don’t expect kids to share a flashlight or glowstick – everyone needs their own.
• Keep the night items hidden and surprise the kids when it gets dark.

Don’t have time to find your own?  Check out the NightKiddy – a fun collection of glow toys that is sure to entertain on long road trips.  The NightKiddy can be used over and over just by replacing the glowstick!

The same items are also great in dark hotels.  Kids can use the glow stick or flashlight to find their way to the bathroom or just keep away the monsters.

General Travel With Kids · glow sticks