Illustration:Jamie Brown
The first piece of advice is:don’t do it. Don’t fly long distances with young children. It’s the worst.
Though of course you’re going to ignore that advice,just as I have many times,because you still want to travel,or maybe you have to travel,and why should the presence of a miniature human or two stop you? In which case,you’re going to need some help.
You’re going to need a plan. You can’t just board a long-haul flight halfway across with world with,say,a toddler and a four-year-old,without any idea of how you’re going to keep them happy and entertained. You’re setting yourself up for disaster.
(Though here it’s worth remembering the former boxer Mike Tyson’s famous quote:“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.)
Your plan should involve entertainment,and snacks. And the selections of these will depend on the age of the child involved.
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If your child is one year old or younger,they won’t watch TV,and they’re probably not consuming solid food. What they might do,however,is sleep,so book a bassinet seat and pray to your chosen deity.
If your child is between one and two years old,best of luck to you. These kids are mobile,and they’re unstoppable. There’s nothing that will hold a one-year-old’s attention for more than a few minutes,before you have to move on to the next thing,and the next.
I’ve flown across hemispheres with an 18-month-old,and it was a battle from take-off to landing. We had entertainment. We had a bag full of games and books all wrapped up like presents that were progressively revealed throughout the flight. We had more snacks than your local corner store.