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.