I will attest to having a wide variety of faults (shameless viewing of reality TV, extreme impatience, rare usage of my turn signal). But nobody can ever say I am not a good friend. Case in point: This morning I drove my amigo to the airport at 4am. He is going to Vegas. I am not. He is sitting by the pool replenishing his vitamin D. I am not. He is engaging in all the other pleasures Sin City has to offer. I. Am. Not.

I may be a good friend, but that doesn’t mean I’m not bitter. So, because it was 4am, and because I’m not a morning person, and because I’m insanely jealous, as I dropped my pal off I told him I hoped he was seated in-between two teething infants on the flight.

Children, especially infants- on airplanes is a very contentious topic. Some say they have no place being on a flight, and dread listening to them cry, as there is no means for escape. Others sympathize with the parent, and expect the kids to cry- that’s what babies do.

Since air-travel is becoming less and less enjoyable, and it’s unlikely that the issue of crying kids on-board will ever be resolved, below are some tips when traveling with young ones.

• Since babies can’t chew gum to relieve ear pressure at take-off and landing, give them something to suck on such as a pacifier or a bottle.
• Be sure you carry on all the items you need to keep the child content: toys, change of clothing, blanket, etc.
• For older kids, bring books and toys they’ve never seen before. The novelty of something new will extend their interest.
• Portable DVD players, video ipods, and portable video game systems with ear phones are worth every penny.

In general, just making an effort to quiet a fussy child is appreciated by fellow passengers. Trying to fix the situation will often draw sympathy from those around you.

Do you have any tricks to keep kids content while traveling? How do you deal with a crying child in the air?

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