How to Help to Ease a Child's Fear of Flying

Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States. Statistically, an individual would need to fly each day for 123,000 years before being in an airplane crash, according to Arnold Barnett, professor of statistics at M.I.T. as reported by "The New York Times" February 11, 2013. But flying can be particularly stressful to children. While some kids take flying in stride, others suffer extreme anxiety. Easing your child's fears can help transform him from a nervous flyer to a seasoned traveler who looks forward to the fun of each flight.

Things You'll Need

  • Toys
  • Puzzles
  • Coloring books
  • Crayons

Instructions

    • 1

      Encourage your little one to talk about his fears of flying. Talking with him about his fears can help lessen his anxiety. Ask what frightens him the most about flying, recommends the BabyCenter website. Your child's anxiety might be over something obvious such as his plane will crash or be hijacked, or he might be worried of becoming separated from you and lost at the airport. Listen without interrupting or telling him that his fears are "wrong" or he's "acting like a baby." Be an attentive and empathetic listener. Reassure him that his fears are understandable, but you want to help him learn that flying is safe so he has a more comfortable flight.

    • 2

      Offer reassurances to your child to help lessen her fears. Explain that many people work behind the scenes to ensure the flight will be safe, including baggage handlers who check all luggage before allowing them on the plane, mechanics who thoroughly check the plane to ensure all systems are working properly before take-off, and the builders of the plane who equipped it with many safety features and back-up systems. Emphasize that plane crashes are rare and safer than riding in a car. In the last five years, the death risk for airplane passengers in the United States has been one in every 45 million flights, according to "The New York Times."

    • 3

      Take your child to a small local airport before his flight. Have lunch at the airport and observe the various planes taking off and landing. Remark on the different types of planes, their shapes and colors. You might say, "See how many people fly each day and how safe it is?" After visiting a small airport, take your fearful flyer to a major airport and watch the big jets take off and land. Visit a aviation museum if there's one nearby -- many aviation museums allow children to sit in the cockpit of the airplanes on display. As your child becomes more familiar with airplanes and the process of flying, his fears will diminish.

    • 4

      Ease your child's anxiety during the flight by explaining what the different sounds and physical sensations are. Explain that the engines make loud roaring noises during take-off because they're warming up for the flight. Explain that turbulence are bumps in the air just like bumps on the road and aren't dangerous. Let you child know that his ears may feel plugged, and if they do, this is because the pressure is different in the air than on the ground and that you will provide him with chewing gum to help. Chewing or sucking during take-off and landing usually clears or prevents the ears from plugging. Let him know that he may hear an unusual noise when the wing flaps open and that this just means the plane is slowing down to prepare for landing. Once on the airplane, you're child be want to look around, and sometimes the captain will talk to children. Some children relax better when they are distracted with activities such as familiar toys or the video player you can rent on the plane to watch movies or children's programs.

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