The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
With long security lines, potential delays and cramped economy seats, flying isn’t always the most pleasant experience.
And having a toddler along for the ride is one sure fire way to add some extra mayhem to the mix.
Now, one mum has shared her travel secrets to help parents cruise through their next flight – and her tips don’t include leaving the kids at home.
Keeping your little ones entertained while travelling can be a nightmare task, luckily travel expert Colleen Kelly has shared some top tips
Colleen Kelly, host of the PBS travel show Family Travel with Colleen Kelly, has taken to TikTok to share these essential travel items.
The TikToker first recommended planning ahead in case your flight is delayed or diverted.
She explained: ‘Number one, don’t think that the flight is going to be non stop, it might get diverted.’
Soothing young children through these disruptions can be a nightmare, especially if you don’t have enough supplies.
So, Colleen advised: ‘Bring extra diapers, extra formula.
‘They’re not easy to find, actually [they’re] almost impossible to find these days,’ she claimed.
‘And of course, breast milk, bring extra of that,’ she added.
However, keeping them fed is a walk in the park compared to making sure they’re well behaved throughout the flight.
Colleen’s tip to keeping kids entertained for so long was to keep ‘little surprises’ wrapped up in your bag which can be taken out to entice them at any point.
Making sure your children are fed and cleaned is the easy part compared to making sure they’re well behaved, Colleen suggested bringing ‘little surprises’ on the next flight
These can be small gifts, toys, games or anything else travel sized that your kids will enjoy.
She said: ‘They’re going to get bored, they’re going to want to walk around.’
‘I always keep some dollar store stuff wrapped up, because it’s always more fun if you have a present.
‘You can also bribe them…they can have the present if they are good for the next hour.’
Colleen’s final tip was to keep some sweet treats at the ready, and Lollipops work well as they last slightly longer than most sweets.
While, she said, Lollipops aren’t the healthiest option, she admitted it would make both yours and the kids’ flight ‘a lot better.’
