A holiday is a rare treat in our household.

A treat for the three-year-old, that is. Not so much for the frazzled parents who have to plan a child-friendly trip, pack ten sets of things for four days, and prepare for all possible contingencies.

Our Singapore trip was all our son could talk about for weeks before. The main attraction was the zoo (the zebras were all he wanted to see).

But first, the flight. That’s where we learnt our first lesson: never let your child eat too much before a flight. The moment the plane hit some turbulence, it all came right out. (On the bright side, my reflexes were on point.)

It’s hard to say who gets more stressed out about having children on a flight: the child, the parents, or the other travellers who know that they are stuck with children who will cry, run around, or kick their seats.

With children aged between two and five, it’s the behavioural things that cause stress, such as mealtimes, sleeping times, and restlessness.

Consultant developmental paediatrician Dr Rajini Sarvananthan recommends booking long-distance flights that coincide with your toddler’s sleep time, instead of a daytime flight where your child will be wide awake and restless.

This, however, didn’t work for our son during his first flight at the age of 10 months — he cried incessantly during the night flight, which prompted an insensitive cabin crew staff to pointedly suggest that we try using cough mixture.

In the end, though, not a single passenger on the flight glared at us; and, the trip provided some great family moments for us.

Here are Dr Rajini’s top tips to survive travelling with your kids:

Wait until your baby is 6 weeks to 2 months old before they start travelling.
Decide whether a direct flight or one with stopovers is more suitable for your child.
During landings and take-offs, get them to suck on something to equalise air pressure.
Be strategic about where you sit, e.g. nearer the window so that toddlers can’t easily run around.
Pack a backpack with toys and activities that your child enjoys.
Use tablets strategically, e.g. when you need it most.
Take turns with your spouse to entertain your child.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Be cautious about antihistamines, as they can have the opposite or no effect on some children.
For car travel, plan for breaks and pack food.
Prepare your child for travel by showing them pictures and videos.
For non-typically developing children, visiting the airport or train station beforehand to experience the process is crucial.

According to Dr Rajini, the more experiences children are exposed to, the more learning and bonding opportunities there are. In the second part of this series, I share my experience of choosing the right holiday activities for a three-year-old.

Travelling is a priceless experience for children — though it’s likely you will need another holiday to recover from the first one.

Listen to the podcast ‘Travelling With Children (Every Parent’s Nightmare)’:

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