Travelling with kids

For a 3-hour flight, plan about ten activities for young children. Ideas: magazines, storybooks, drawing, cards, snacks. Better too many than too few.

A trick to use sparingly: telling young children that the airplane police are looking for badly behaved kids can head off some behaviour. Adjust to your parenting style.

Some airports offer this service in-house or through an international network. It includes an escort, security and meals. Often free.

Take advantage of the priority boarding for families that most airlines offer. You'll skip the crowd and get to the overhead bins before they fill up.

Sweatpants and a T-shirt, nothing tight. It makes trips to the washroom easier, and changes if there's an accident.

Ear pressure hurts children. Breastfeeding, a bottle or a soother for babies; jujubes, a lollipop or gum for older kids. Sucking or chewing opens the Eustachian tubes.

A backpack of their own for each child, with their own toys and treasures (ideally new or barely used, for the surprise). It gives them a sense of control and keeps them busy during the flight.

If you can, travel with a friendly family whose children are about the same age. The kids keep each other busy and behave better at meals. The adults get better company too.

Travelling with young children is more of a relocation than a real vacation. Naps will be skipped, meltdowns will happen, potty training may slide backwards. Accept it ahead of time: it cuts down on frustration.

If the baby still naps or goes down early, you want a separate space so you're not stuck in the dark at 7 p.m. A suite or two connecting rooms: an investment that pays off. Another trick: turn a closet or the bathroom into a sleeping spot for the baby.

Away from the main pool, the bar and the show stage. It makes a huge difference to how well the whole family sleeps.

Every family hotel has a kids' club, but read the fine print. Many clubs only take children who are toilet-trained, or ages 4 and up. Check before you book.

With toddlers, piling on excursions adds a lot of stress and logistics. It's often wiser to enjoy the resort and save the outings for when the kids are older.