How to Keep a Small Child Quiet On a Plane

Dreading that flight? A few tips can keep littles ones ...and you..happy!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car seat
• Treats
• Ipod or MP4 player
• drawing materials

1. Car seats are key to keeping small children quiet in their seats on a plane. They are used to sitting still in them. Plus the child is much safer in a car seat if you hit turbulence.

2. Strap your child in as soon as you board. If they see the plane as a place they can explore, they will want to! But as soon as you are airborne, flip down the little table (wipe it clean first). They will see this as a fun place to draw and play.

3. Make sure you keep their ears clear with water, juice, a cookie, or even candy. They need to keep swallowing on take-off and landing to keep pressure from building up painfully in the ears

4. Point out sights outside the window. Keep the child interested in looking at his or her surroundings, without feeling the need to get up and move around. Do not ever let your child stand on the seat. They'll want to do it incessantly, and cry if they cannot.

Tips & Warnings

• Ipods with video are worth their weight in gold for keeping a child quiet and occupied. You can download audio books for free or for $1.99 and they will listen for a long time.
• Make sure you have headphones that will clip over your child's ears. Ear buds do not work well for small children.
• Paper and crayons go a very long way to entertaining small children, and they love the fold-down tray tables.
• Trying to use drugs to keep your child quiet can be dangerous -- and it can backfire. Benadryl can make some kids hyper