Winging It
Written By Shoshana Marchand
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Lessons from Someone Who's Been There . . . and Been There
- Don't be shy about asking for help.
- Preboarding is not a privilege, it's a prank. Spend the time burning off energy instead.
- Keep the wet wipes in an outside pocket.
- Bulkhead seats have more leg room, but the armrest doesn't move — which means your child can't lie with her head in your lap.
- Upon boarding, find the flight attendant with the biggest smile. Smile back and introduce your kids. You need an ally.
- Colorforms: The mother of all secret weapons, and the secret weapon of all clever mothers — they stick to airplane windows.
- Markers and paper.
- Enough finger food to get us to Antarctica and back, by kayak.
- Wrapping paper and tape: My older kids had fun wrapping — and then gleefully unwrapping — a plastic spoon, a marker, a seat belt, even a soggy, bumpy package containing (oh, rapture!) a melting ice cube. Give toddlers pre-wrapped toys, one at a time.
- A supply of plastic bags stuffed into the pocket of a carry-on.
Does your kid suffer "plane ears"?
Try squishy earplugs — I recommend EarPlanes, which come in kid and adult sizes ($6 a pair at drugstore.com).
- KLM: We still have the fanny packs stuffed with cool Dutch toys that they gave our kids. Flight attendants offered to warm up jars of baby food in the cabin's microwave and insisted on holding the baby whenever they were free.
- British Airways: More than once, stewards juggled for us. One guy did magic tricks. And they seem to have a bottomless supply of bikkies. (Short for biscuits — that's cookies, in Brit speak.)
- JetBlue: Still eager to please. Animal Planet on your personal TV, plus '80s videos for nostalgic parents. Friendly and comfortable every time. And all the snacks you can eat, including those blue potato chips.
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