Tips For Traveling With A Child Who Has Anxiety

Traveling with children can be a stressful time for anyone. Mom may be worried that she will forget something important, she may worry about their flight being delayed, and she is likely worried about her children being loud and bored, thus bothering other people and having dirty looks and judgment thrown her way.

If that was not enough to worry about, if mom has an anxious child, it can be even worse. Children often marvel at planes and the idea of flying, but when the moment comes, they can be scared about being up so high. The noise can be overwhelming, and their lack of knowledge of how a plane stays up in the air can add to their anxiety.

Moms want their children to be comfortable, and they don’t want them to have to go through stress or periods of discomfort, but mom also knows that they need to travel. Whether they are going to a family reunion or a fun family adventure, they need to get their kids on the plane and make it as comforting as possible. They can do that with these 10 tips for traveling with anxious children.

RELATED: 7 Activities To Keep Kids Busy While Flying

10 Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

The best thing to do is to prepare your children. According to Anxious Toddlers, things can seem scary when we feel we have no control, or we don’t know what to expect, and the best way to work around that is to make them as prepared as possible. As soon as you book that flight, talk to them about flying and how it works. Read books, watch movies, or anything else to interest them.

9 Non-Stop Distractions

If you are flying with children, they are likely going to get bored really quickly, and the key to keeping them calm is to engage their minds constantly. Go to the dollar store, and load up on small toys, books, and portable crafts. The more they have to do, the less they are going to think about how scared they are.

8 Write A Story

This is a unique idea that can work really well. According to Child Mind Institute, spend some time with your child and write a children’s book about your trip. Have your child be the star, and write about what you are going to do on your trip. Get them to draw the pictures, and it is a fun way to go over your trip, and what they can expect.

7 Comfort Items

There is a lot to remember when packing, but if your child is anxious, there is one thing that you do not want to forget, and that is your child’s comfort item. According to The Chaos And The Clutter, this could be the item that gets them through the flight. This could be something they are already attached to or something you buy special as a “flying buddy.”

6 Let Them Have Their Own Bag

If you want to make sure your child is as involved as possible (part of the preparation strategy) consider letting them have their own small backpack. They can pack it themselves with something that they love, some snacks, or anything they think they might need.

5 Plan For It To Go Bad

While it doesn’t usually help to focus on the negatives, it can be helpful in this instance. Mom should always prepare for a meltdown, and have strategies in mind for what to do when that happens. This could be ways to distract them, or packing special treats to help calm them down. Anything that works for her child.

4 Ask For Help

Airports and airlines are there to help, and they want to make sure your experience is fun and relaxing. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it with your child. Maybe they could talk to your child, show them the cockpit, or give them some cool coloring pages for the flight. Even if the answer is no, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

3 Watch How Much You Change

In the weeks leading up to the trip, try not to change too much of your child’s routine or comfort items. If they are already feeling anxious, adding more changes can be too much for them to take. Try and keep your lives pretty regular for a bit.

2 Screen Time Is Your Friend

Even if you try and limit the amount of screen time your child gets at home, this is not the time to worry about how much screen time your child is having. This could mean bringing their tablet with you or letting them watch a movie on the plane. This can give them something to look forward to, and something to distract them.

1 Calm Your Fears

If you are an anxious flyer, you are going to need to work on that. Our children can pick up on our feelings, and if we are scared or anxious, they are likely going to pick up on that, and it can add to their fears. Work on some strategies for you, like deep breathing and distractions to help.

Sources: Anxious Toddlers, Child Mind Institute, The Chaos And The Clutter