Advice please, Daughter scared of flying

Marcia17

We have always done the Eurocamp self drive/self catering thing for our family holidays however this year we are going to Majorca AI.

My problem is my 11 year old (who has never flown) is getting increasingly scared about flying, and is saying she doesn't want to go, Her elder and younger sisters seem quite chilled about the whole trip. There is no obvious reason for her anxiety.

Has anyone got any advice or tips on how they have managed this with their kids.

RedBern

I used to be scared of flying, then a friend told me it was like getting on a bus. It has a conductor or conductoress and drivers. If you sit in the middle seat you can't see out of the window. Statistically it's safer than getting on a bus as well. I really enjoy flying now!

Hope someone can give you better advice soon. Perhaps Bach rescue remedy as well ( not sure if suitable for children). Good luck.

jeanniebeanie_2

There seems to be some helpful advice here:

http://www.lionswhiskers.com/2012/04/scared-of-flying-no-more.html

Pollycat

Maybe something here too (scroll down to topics):

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/flight-only-airline-and-airports-f38.html?sid=b6c271e534ca180c6bf2e16f80c26091

Do you live near an airport?

Could you take her to watch the planes landing & taking off so she can she it's pretty routine and not too far off the bus service that Redbern mentions?

Maybe try to get her to think less about the getting there and to concentrate on the holiday itself.
Show her the hotel and facilities, tell her which trips you plan to do when you're there.

Research the airport facilities - are there any shops that she'd like to look in or plan to have a meal at the airport (finances permitting).

Failing that, tell her Auntie Joan will be happy to have her to stay whilst the rest of you go off on holiday. (Sorry ).

ETA - your other kids aren't winding her up about flying, are they?

cabbage

Virgins flying without fear people do courses for children. I went on the adult version and flew for the first time in 17 years and haven't looked back since. I had to have hypnotherapy just to book on the course so I was pretty bad.

Can't recommend them enough

Good luck

Candles_by_Lisa

My 17 year old daughter is scared of flying. We tend to do long haul flights and the problem with her is when we hit turbulence she gets really scared and ends up being sick for the duration of the flight. The best one was when we were coming into land and had to have the seatbelts on. She had used up the sick bags in the seat backs so we had to use a carrier bag, not so good when you realise that the bags have air holes at the bottom - not a pretty sight!

We took our daughter to our GP and he prescribed her tablets to take a couple of hours before take off. She slept the whole journey (having said that it was a night flight) but was fine. She was absolutely fine on the journey home.

She is now watching a program on sky about plane crashes and I think by the time we go on holiday in July she will be asking the pilots to make lots of checks before takeoff!!:rotfl:

Bongedone

cabbage wrote: »

Virgins flying without fear people do courses for children. I went on the adult version and flew for the first time in 17 years and haven't looked back since. I had to have hypnotherapy just to book on the course so I was pretty bad.

Can't recommend them enough

Good luck

My wife did this and she can fly now

amylouv

I'm 20 years old and only just took my first flight last September, and I was very much like your daughter - terrified of flying until the plane took off, and I loved it.

The only thing that I think can reassure someone 100% is by getting on a plane and just going for it. Otherwise, a trip to a local airport to watch planes landing and taking off and reassuring her that it really is a smoother experience than travelling in a car or coach.

Good luck though, I'm sure once she's given it a go she'll be wanting to go somewhere else!

Tarry

I'm a new flyer having only had my 4th flight yesterday (well, I say 4th, but I've flown to Jersey there and back, and Edinburgh there and back), and I found watching planes on youtube landing and taking off helped especially ones shot from within the cabin so you know what sounds to expect.

melb

My sister gave her children something called Finegan's(?) which they got from Boots. think it's some sort of sedative but hopefully someone else might know the proper name. Try to stop her making your other 2 children anxious. She'll probably love it when she gets up in the air

thegirlintheattic

I personally wouldn't give a sedative. For a start it doesn't solve the problem just hides it, and can led to the person always having to take the sedative before flying. Plus if the worse was to happen you want to be 100% alert, not doped up.

The flying courses are really good, there are quite a few out there to help with the fear. If you have some spare cash and live near an airport why not take a cheap domestic flight to get her used to it.