How can I reassure my child when I have to fly without her?

There comes a time in most parent’s lives when they need to fly somewhere without their children. It’s natural for children to be afraid or worried, and there are several things you can do to make it a little easier.

First, you want to make sure that you keep your own fears to yourself. Don’t let your child know if you’re afraid of flying – it will only make the problem worse! You will also want to let your child know that there are many, many people involved in keeping airports and aeroplanes safe. Talk about what they do and how they do it. You could even take your child to the airport before your flight to see what it looks like.

Pretend to fly with ‘wings’ and then return to your child, making laughter a part of your child’s way to deal with fears!

While you’re away, it’s also a good idea to make sure that you keep in contact with your child. Phone every night to say goodnight, and leave little treats or notes for every day that you will be away.

Make sure that you allow extra time between when you leave, and when you have to board the plane, so that your child can get any tears, hugs and goodbyes out of the way without rushing your schedule too much.