Although most of the people are staying at home during the pandemic, some people may still have the needs or plans to travel on plane (moving, business trip, visiting, etc) For example, some parents are sending their children to the grandparents’. Some families need to move to other cities or countries. The safety of traveling on plane has become the main concern to many of the parents when involving little children, especially under the COVID-19 situation. What precautions should the parents take? What if children are hungry during the flight (especially in long-haul flight)? How to keep the kids from touching around?
Here are some tips that may be helpful for parents who are planning to travel with the little children:
1. Communicate with your children and teach them about wearing masks:
parents can teach and train their little ones about mask-wearing a few weeks before the flight. So they can understand the importance of mask and be used to wearing it. The parents can also use rewards to encourage little kids to keep their masks on for the entire trip (besides eating and drinking)
2. Prepare iPad, books and little toys:
to keep the children occupied during the flight so they are less likely to throw tantrum or move around… in case they have a hard time falling asleep on plane (Sleeping is always the best and safest policy for little kids on plane)
3. Bring some snacks for your kids:
some parents may concern about having the meals served on the plane. Some of the airlines even suspend in-flight meal services during the pandemic. What the parents can do is to prepare some snack, like apple sauces (with straw) or snack bar, for the kids in case they are hungry. Make sure they wipes or sanitize their hands before eating. For parents who carrying infants, they can bring a bottle of warm water to make milk or bring formula milk in your carry-on bags (*Please follow the TSA regulations and also inform TSA officer at the screening process)
4. Sanitize seats, handles, screens, windows, etc:
use wipes or alcohol pads to sanitize your and your children’s seats when you are on board. Don’t forget to wipe the table if you are going to use it for food.
5. Make sure your and your children have valid travel IDs:
The most important thing is to have valid IDs like passport and visas, especially if you are going to travel abroad. Also, during this challenging time, please pay higher attention on information related to traveling regulations or entry restrictions of the place you are visiting. The process of updating and renewing IDs could be slowed down due to the COVID-19 crisis so it is suggested that the travelers plan ahead.
Last but not least, stay safe and travel safe. Traveling with children or infants could be a great challenge for many parents at this time. As long as you get the precautions and protections ready, you can still enjoy the rest of the trip.
