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I love traveling with my kids and want to share my top tips for flying in airplanes with kids. My oldest has flown on planes since she was 18 months old. Our flights are epic lengths since my family lives in Asia. 3 hours car ride or shuttle to the departure airport. 2-3 hours through baggage check and security. And finally, 15 hours on the plane. Even 2-3 hours on a plane with a cranky kid is difficult. Here’s are 3 strategies I have to optimize our chances for an enjoyable flight.

1. Bring junky snacks and sweets.

My kids get a little nauseous on the planes, not just from the motion and turbulence, but also because one of them has anxiety and feels all her worries in her tummy. For everyone else, being in a cramped space can also be a little tiresome. A little sweetness or a little salty crunchiness can remedy the worry, the irritation, and the dizzy stomach. I try to encourage a little snack every 1-2 hours and during take off and landing. Fruity mentos and Pringle chips are our go to sweet and savory bites.

2. Have a screen time plan

Another way to stay distracted on the plane is watching shows on the tablet or playing games. I made the mistake of not introducing my middle kid to screens until we were already on a plane. I put the ipad in front of her with some downloaded games, and she didn’t know what to do with it. Mom win or mom fail? In order to ensure a win, expose child to screen time prior to the flight, and download familiar shows that you know your child will enjoy on the device. This was very helpful on our international flight recently. Even though international flights usually have a screen in front of you, my youngest kid (3yo) enjoyed our downloaded cartoons on the Kindle more than the shows that were available to her on plane’s entertainment system.

3. Be comfortable

Not all our time was taken up attached to a screen. Sometimes I made my kids take a break and rest our eyes with a nap. I found that these cute neck pillows helped my kids get into a comfortable position to sleep. One kid put them on the tray in front of her and laid her head on it like a pillow. Another kid used it on her neck. And then the third kid used the eye mask that it came with to keep the light out. Think ahead to see what you might need to keep our kid comfortable. Extra lovie? Extra blanket? Extra layers of clothing to match the wide variation of temperatures on the plane.

That’s it. Snacks. Screen time. And comfort. Previously, I had brought toys, color books, sticker sets, play doh. None of it was every used. My kids weren’t interested in them And I was too tired to keep encouraging a different non-screen time activity. I will use all those items off the plane. Mostly at home. And on the Eurostar train, my kids did read some books and play with dry erase board games. But on the plane, I’ve simplified our survival guide.

Whatever your expectations of the flight, lower them. And then lower them some more. The kids will be restless. The ears will hurt. The kids will complain. Your back will hurt. Food and drinks might get spilled. However, you are together with your kids. Everything else is figure-outable. Where are you planning on taking your kids?