Dear Aunty Tina, I am getting ready to fly to the mainland with my 6 month old and 2 year old daughter, without my partner! Do you have any suggestions that could help me prepare for this flight?
One word ARNICA. Give your children three homeopathic arnica pellets before, during and after. This is also great for pregnant mothers too. Arnica helps calms the nervous system. However, make sure that the homeopathic Arnica does not go through the x-ray machine, as then, it won’t work. Lavender oil may also help; you can put it just behind their ears. Lavender is also very calming.
When taking off and landing, breast feed or bottle feed your baby as the sucking motion will help relieve any pressure that may build up in his ears. You could also give your two year old a sugar free lollipop to suck on to help her with her ears, but make sure it does not contain aspartame or artificial sweeteners. You can find some good options at Mana Foods where I would also recommend you pick up a lot of nutritious snacks for the flight. This will help a lot!
I recommend booking a “red eye” if you have not already done so. Hopefully they will both sleep, especially if you can get the bulk head seat that has room to lay down your daughter on the floor, using a familiar pillow or blanket that you can bring from home. I would also pack some activities such as a favorite book, paper/crayons, an etch a sketch or/and a favorite toy which will help occupy your daughter while she is awake, and she can proudly carry in her own back pack. Good luck!