Going on holiday can be lots of fun – but the airport and catching your flight is sometimes stressful.
Bringing a child or baby with you can make it even more nerve-wracking as you worry they’ll cry on board.
While it’s completely normal for little ones to cry, fellow passengers aren’t all patient when it happens – some even scream and shout about it.
READ MORE: Pilot who’s ‘had enough’ slams annoying passengers in savage announcement
After making your way through security, queuing up to board and then keeping your baby calm one rude fellow passenger can really ruin your holiday excitement.
Luckily, a flight attendant has explained how you can make life easier as a travelling parent.
TikTok creator Kevin, @ichbinvin, recommended taking a number of actions to keep babies calm and happy.
He created the video in response to a mum who was nervous to take her child on board for the first time.
Initially, Kevin said that you had to accept they might not be quiet for the whole journey.
He said: “The first thing you need to do is just accept the fact that your baby might cry on the plane and it is what it is. I’ve said it before, the only thing more annoying than a screaming, crying kid on the plane, is somebody that won’t stop complaining about a screaming, crying kid on a plane.”
The flight attendant added that he’s “tone deaf” to crying babies on planes because he’s so used to it.
They added: “I feel like people who are on planes a lot probably feel the same way.”
But, there are actions you can take to soothe your baby as much as possible.
Kevin recommended: “I would suggest just getting to the airport with an absurd amount of extra time, that way if TSA has to go through your strollers and all your bags and everything, you’re not going to be stressed out about being late.”
Usually, airlines allow you to board first if you have a baby so you can get settled.
You could also try and keep your child awake until you’re sat on the plane – that way they might sleep away for several hours.
If you have slightly older children, then Kevin said you should bring their usual activities from home to play with on the plane – whether that’s colouring books or their Switch.
The flight attendant added: “I would bring snacks and maybe water, because even though they’re on the plane it might be bumpy, and if it’s bumpy the flight attendant’s won’t be able to do service.”
Finally, his best piece of advice was to stop your baby’s ears from popping. There are a number of ways to do this – including feeding your child.
Kevin commented: “Swallowing will help their ears pop and I think a lot of kids scream and cry on a plane because their ears hurt.”
You can do this by breastfeeding, bottle feeding or even giving baby a dummy or your finger to suck on. The action helps to prevent the inner ears from “popping”.
Older children might prefer a sweet to suck on when taking off and landing. It acts in the same way to prevent painful pressure in the ears.
Want the Daily Star’s top travel stories and best deals straight to your inbox? Sign up to our free weekly newsletter here
In the comments of the video, people appreciated the tips and even added some of their own.
One woman said: “We save lollipops for take off and decent. You can get sugar free ones if you’re concerned about the sugar.”
While a passenger begged: “Headphones for their noisy toys and tablets please please I do not want to hear those sounds.”
Mary wrote: “Bring three times as many diapers as you need in a day!! DELAYS HAPPEN. You may need to offer one to another family. Hard to buy at airport.”
While mum Keri added: “Depending on the flight and prices, I would either move up to first class or buy the seat next to me. I would have more wiggle room to hold/nurse.”
And Marcia said: “Babies respond to parental stress so help the parents help themselves by being kind. Anyone of us could have been that screaming baby at one point.”