A family holiday is a wonderful experience. But flying with children can transform your trip into an unfortunate experience if you are not prepared for the moment. Here is what you can do to avoid stress:

1. Try to travel in less crowded periods, such as Monday to Wednesday, at noon or in the evening.
2. Pack as much entertaining stuff as possible: snacks, drinks, any travel sized games, books, playing cards, mp3 players. These will keep your child busy. Also, portable video games will prove extremely useful.
3. Talk to your children before the trip, especially if this is their first flight. Explain them how the plane works, what are the procedures to be followed in the airport.
4. Also, for security reasons, it's illegal to make jokes about bombs. Make sure your children know that, otherwise you can get fined.
5. Leave earlier than usual for the airport.
6. Make sure your children know what to do if they get lost. The airport can get very crowded, which can be quite scary for a child.
7. In case of delays, it would be a good idea to allow your children to do some 'shopping'. Looking for a magazine or a little toy can keep kids busy.
8. Using a child tether might be a good idea, especially if you are traveling alone with your children and there's no one to watch them while you check in or claim your luggage.
9. Don't forget to bring some ear filters which will protect your children's eardrums against the changing air pressure during take-off and landing. If it still hurts trick them into swallowing by offering gum or candy.
10. Book window seats for your children. The fascinating view will keep them busy at least for a little while.
11. Do your best to keep your children happy and busy, otherwise some passengers can be disturbed.
12. If you have noisy children it would be a good idea to book seats in the back of the plane, where noises are muffled by the engine.
13. As a safety measure, the FAA recommends to seat small children in Child Restraint Systems. You can use your car seat or booster.