Travel with Children

Travelling with children presents its own special challenges and joys. The following is some advice we have gathered following our research into accidents involving children, especially during flights. 
Tips for Preparation
Ask yourself what supplies you will need to have on hand to take care of any normal or special needs for the child. Ensure that you know the location of emergency equipment and all safety procedures that apply to you and your child. Make sure you are aware of emergency equipment or procedures that would apply to your child. Pay attention to the pre-flight safety announcement. Ask about safety equipment designed for children. Notify your travel agent, airline or flight attendant of any medical condition your child has that could become an issue during the flight. Children under the age of two may be carried on the lap of an adult, but the lap child should have some kind of restraint system.
Tips for Luggage
Take all essential items for the children in carry-on luggage: Take enough food, diapers, medicine, and other items to last through flight delays and lost luggage. Carrying all the child's essentials with you is especially important if your child is on a special diet or on medication. Bring along safe toys. Try to avoid bringing along toys that are sharp, heavy, or that break easily.
Tips for Vigilance
It is important to keep a child under your watchful eye at all times. A child is the responsibility of the adult accompanying it and an unsupervised child can easily wander into a dangerous area. This is particularly difficult during long journeys when even the most careful person can fall asleep. Children can often be injured as a result of reaching for hot drinks or investigating other hazardous items and places. Even walking around the cabin with your child can be hazardous, so extra caution is needed. An unsupervised or unrestrained child could quickly wander way into dangerous areas such as galleys, especially if the responsible adult falls asleep. During a very long flight from Australia to the U.S., I observed a parent traveling alone with a child fall asleep and then saw their toddler wander down the aisle. You should also be careful when walking about the aircraft with your child so that they don't reach for cups of hot coffee, silverware, and other hazards.