While the child is very small, it is easier with him in terms of flights. But children grow up, and this is natural when they have any fears and aerophobia is no exception. Often, the fear of flying is transmitted to a child from parents or through television, which showed footage of plane crashes. And what to do in this case?
Flight preparation
Do not keep silent about the problem of aerophobia, hoping that everything will be resolved by itself. Most likely, on the contrary, the fear of flying will take root and will cause a lot of problems in adulthood.
Take time to calmly talk with your child about the upcoming vacation. Concentrate on the pleasant moments while traveling, from the water park and zoo to cute shopping. It will be useful for the whole family to watch a video about how the plane works and that it is not afraid of turbulence or lightning. There are videos from the cockpit on the Internet, where you can clearly see how an airliner is operated. In addition, pleasant music and stunning views from above will help your child immerse themselves in a virtual flight.
About a month before the flight, do some vestibular exercises with your child. Unpleasant sensations during takeoff and landing can cause feelings of anxiety and fear.
When booking tickets, choose aisle seats or, in extreme cases, "on the wing" so that the view of the abyss from the porthole does not frighten the child. As a last resort, ask one of the passengers to change seats with you.
Together with your child, choose the games that you will use to fill the time on board the plane. These can be "Cities", "Truth or Fiction", "I never …", "Words in reverse" and so on. Stock up on a pad and pens to play Tic-Tac-Toe or Sea Battle. These games are especially useful during takeoff and landing, when fear can be heightened. During verbal play, the child concentrates on interacting with you, ceasing to focus on what is happening around.
Calm yourself down
Before the flight, try to calm down, put aside the thoughts that things may not go as planned. If something happens, then it is better to act on a sane head. And the nervousness, which no matter how you hide, is read by your child at a subconscious level.
If the feeling of anxiety rushes over at the airport, then the best way to calm down is to have lunch with your child in the cafeteria. So that the time before landing passes faster and negative thoughts do not pursue you, take a walk, go to Duty free. Take for the same amount of money and buy small gifts with your child separately from each other, which you agree to deploy after landing.
During the flight, if you are still gripped by fear, do not give in to it. Do breathing exercises (take a deep breath, hold your breath for 3-5 seconds and exhale). Have a glass of water and think about your upcoming vacation.
