Flying with a nervous 5 year old

[roseyposeysmum]

I am off on holiday soon with my 5 year old dd, she is very noise sensetive and does not like loud noises. she has never flown before and i have never flown with a child before and it will just be to two of us.

She is excited about seeing the planes in the sky but i know her and when we get there it may just change. Does anybody have any tips ?

We have talked lots about planes and how they take you to wonderful places but i am just worried about the reality ?

I think just be as normal as possible with her and act like it's something perfectly nice.

Hopefully the excitement will make her forget to be nervous. Maybe buy her a special book/toy/colours at the airport to take on the plane.

I would go on the website of the airport you are flying from, and gather lots of information. Some may have images of check-in desks, security procedures, and what kind of shops there are airside. It will help DD a lot if she has some idea of what to expect. Make a big thing of saying that she can go to the shop there to choose her own magazines and special sweets for the flight. Chewy ones are best for helping her ears to pop. Explain all about inside the plane, and especially about the toilets. I had to sit next to a young girl who wailed for the last half hour of my recent holiday flight, because she wouldn't use the plane toilet. I gather she was afraid that it was just an empty space under the seat and she would drop out of the plane!

There is an episode of Woolly and Tig where they go on a plane, but it is Tig's mummy who is the nervous flyer! It might help her to watch that. You can buy soft foam earplugs for children in chemists which might help with the noise. Could you possibly arrange a trip to the airport in advance of your holiday, just to go in to the parts before security, and to somewhere where you can see the planes outdoors, so that she can gauge how loud they are for herself.

I think that the more confident you are the less anxious she will be. Keep her busy and entertained during the flight.

Maybe pretend one of her toys is a little bit nervous and it would be great if she could look after.

Or you could make/buy a little I-spy grid that she could use to cross off or colour in things as she sees them. If you had one too you could make it a competition.

Get one ear defenders, but don't tell her or let her see them. If distracting etc. doesn't work, and she's really getting distressed by the noise, pop them on her. A last resort, if you will.

I went onto youtube and showed my kids some gentle videos people had taken inside various planes with lots of oohing and ahhing at how fab they thought it was. didn't help me much but the kids knew what to expect and made it all easier. the noise on the aircraft isn't so much loud as relentless I find.

Have you seen 'Airport Live' on BBC2 this week? It's really interesting & tells you loads about the comings & goings at the airport & how the planes work. It might really help her to watch it (you might get Monday & Tuesdays episodes on catch up) & it's on again tonight & tomorrow (8-9pm) as it might get her used to the sounds & explain a bit to her.