Taking a Plane Trip With Kids

Sooner or later you are going to find yourself having to take a plane trip with your kids. This is a nightmare because for your kid it amounts to being a small limited space within in which there is nothing to do for a really long time. No wondered thy become so whiny, noisy and annoying on these trips.

There is no way of stopping the plane so your kids can get out and run around or stretch their legs. They have to make do in the small cabin. Most moms know that this means annoying the other passengers by running up an d down again.

Hopefully the airlines you go on will have some form of electronic entertainment. Most seats have a television, even if you are flying in economy class. Try and choose seats where it is easy for your kids to see the television. I have even used an ordinary camcorder to entertain my kids on a long flight. I let them film. It keeps them amused for hours. For them looking in the viewfinder is the equivalent of watching television. A laptop with a DVD player or a portable DVD player can also keep your kids amused for many hours. Just be sure to charge those batteries before the plane takes off.

Of course if you are really lucky you will have kid stat enjoy reading books. I have a kid like that. My teenager reads. I can give her anything from a MAD magazine to Wuthering Heights and she will settle down with it on the plane.

Unfortunately most kids find airplane food yucky unless it is packaged in a really neat way. Tell the stewardess that you would rather that they don't drink sugary drinks like coke as that can inspire them to start yelling and screaming and running up and down the aisles.

You should bring your own food just in case your kids can't stomach the airplane stuff. Also I have found that most stewardesses are happy to warm up milk for you if need be.

The other big issue is pain in the ears from pressurizing during liftoff and landing. If they are really young they can get in a lot of pain. Encourage your children to keep chewing gum or drink with a straw to minimize the pressure.

You should also be careful of what toys you give them to play with on the plane. Plane cabins are small. You don't want musical instruments or pocket video games that are too noisy. You don't want glue or anything that can create a huge mess. Usually crayons are okay if the kids are old enough. However they are a bad idea if you think your kid is going to start putting his or her own graffiti all over the seats.

Temperature in airplanes tends to be chilly so be sure to bring sweaters and blankets so that they do not suffer from chattering teeth.

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Things to Do on Rainy Days

The spring weather has been colder and rainier than usual and my kids are bored on the weekends. Here are some ideas for things for the older kids to do on those cold wet and rainy days.

You can try putting a scrapbook together that can be sent to a relative like grandma. Don't make it seem like homework. Instead buy a small notebook and encourage the kids to tell her about the things in their lives through the expression of images. All you need for this are plenty of old magazines and the usual art supplies.

You can also try making own jigsaw puzzles. This is done by gluing magazine pictures to cardboard and then cutting them with a pair of scissors. The kids can then trade puzzles with each other and see if they can put them together. You can use these again and again if you store the puzzles in bags or boxes. They also make neat gifts for other kids if your kids get bored with them.

Making mini pizzas is also a good distraction on a rainy day. I use an English muffin or tortilla and then set out different toppings on the table. They then can create their own pizzas. Once they complete their creations it is only a minute or two under the broiler or in the pizza oven

In the same vein is cookie decorating. I just use freezer dough. I slice it up into coins and just give them icing, candies and all the tools they need to be creative with the cookie dough. Sometimes I roll it out in sheets as well.

Little kids get stressed like we do if they do not get to work out. This is why I sometimes recommend an exercise DVD. Get them doing some aerobics. This makes them less irritable and less maniacal if they have been acting out.

Use all of the empty boxes form a recycling bin to create some kind of miniature city or castle. You can also make something like a dollhouse out of a cardboard box. Let the kids draw on the boxes as well.

6. Use all the empty boxes from the recycling bin to create a city, or a castle, or cars for toys. The ideas are endless. Kids can draw on and decorate the boxes, and the mess is easily dealt with by recycling.

Sometimes when it's raining I just let my kids play outside anyway. I only do this if it is not too cold or if none of the kids or sick. They love playing in the rain. Afterwards we strip their clothes off and have hot baths. The good thing about this is that they eat all of their dinner and sleep really well all night.

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