Blue Skies and No Tantrums: Flying With Kids

When your family vacation takes you farther than just up the street or across the state, airline travel is often your best bet. While flying to your destination is the speediest way to go, it presents certain challenges for you and your children. Before you book your flight, here are some things to consider as you plan your trip.

For many children, the window seat is the Holy Grail of travel perks. If your family includes young siblings, prepare to play referee. Work out an arrangement in which preferential seating, whether it is the window or aisle seat, is enjoyed equally by each child. This allows you to bypass potentially noisy spats and accusations of unfairness.

Most airlines are not known for their gourmet meals or selection of kid-friendly snacks. Like adults, kids often become cranky and downright mean when hunger sets in. Avoid meltdowns by packing an arsenal of healthy and tasty snacks in your carry-on. Some snacks, such as crackers, cookies and nuts can be brought from home. Drinks, on the other hand, are best purchased at the airport unless you are prepared to declare them at security checkpoints. You can purchase these at kiosks, but remember that you will pay more for them. Check with your airline, as some offer kids' meals on international flights--but you must order them in advance.

Games are a must-have for any flight, regardless of its duration. They needn't be high-tech to be effective. If you do not want to detract from your family bonding experience with video games and smartphone apps, you can bring low-tech entertainment instead. Mad Libs, Choose Your Own Adventure books, crosswords and Sudoku puzzles work well for this purpose. Card games and portable versions of classic board games are also recommended.

Few things are as entertaining to children as watching their favorite movies and cartoons. You have a number of options for entertainment on the fly. One option is to pack a portable DVD player in your carry-on. These compact devices weigh very little and can usually accommodate multiple pairs of headphones. You can also load up your tablet or smartphone with movie apps, such as Netflix or Amazon. While you cannot stream movies in the air, many smartphones and devices allow you to load at least one or two films for a few hours of viewing enjoyment. Most laptops play DVDs and allow you to view digital copies of your kids' favorite films.

A sore child is a cranky child, so you must allow your kids to stretch their arms and legs periodically. This does not mean you should let them run up and down the aisles, flailing wildly. Permit them to visit the restroom as needed, and encourage them to stand and move about for a few minutes out of each hour. The exception is if the pilot has indicated that all passengers must remain seated.

Traveling by airplane is often the most efficient, fastest way to get where you're going. However, it lacks the freedom and convenience that come with taking your own vehicle. With the tips from this article, you can arrive at your destination with your kids in tow and your sanity intact.