In Malta with Kids
Travelling with children could create problems which are best smoothed out before your departure (better to avoid problems rather then to try to solve them once they arise). Remember that children tire easily, hence it is important to take a light-weigh buggy which could be easily carried along and fits easily on buses.
Children lose interest rapidly; hence more visits to gardens and fun-fairs rather than museums should be planned. Especially with older children, it would be good for them to own a disposable camera so that they could capture those fun-filled hours they are spending with you and make them keep a small diary of the things they see and do. Even though you are on holiday, you must keep to the usual bed-time of the children, especially the younger ones; a tired and frustrated child due to lack of sleep could well ruin a whole day.
Travelling Travelling on an airplane, especially for younger children and first timers, may be somewhat fearful, hence the importance of explaining beforehand what is to be expected. First of all you must stress, especially to mischievous children, that joking about bombs (eg. ‘I have a bomb in my bag!’) in the airport or on the plane, would ruin your holiday before it even starts, and could land you in a Court Of Justice. Explain to them that anything taken by the security people at the airport, be it their favourite toy, their bag, or even their shoes to be passed through the x-ray machine or to be examined, would be returned to them unharmed.
It would be best to arrive at the airport somewhat early, so that the child could run around and relax. It is advisable to dress children in bright clothing to help in spotting them easily. During check-in make sure that the child is near a window or in the middle seat; sitting in the aisle could easily result in the child putting his hand out and being hit by people walking about or by the food trolleys. Nappies should be changed in the departure lounge before boarding the plane as there would be more space in the changing rooms.
Try to feed infants or children during take-off or landing as drinking or chewing would open up the passages between the nose and the ears and hence would prevent ear ache. You are allowed to take infant formula or breast milk on the plane provided you separate them from the other liquids in your official sealed plastic bag, and that you declare the items at the security check point and allow them to be inspected once reaching the X-Rays. Make sure that you carry all that might be needed by the child during the journey in your hand-luggage, like nappies and extra plastic pants, baby wipes, tissues, nappy rash creams, bottles of milk, favourite snacks, dummy, spill-proof drinks, any medication they need on a regular basis and toys and games. Give special attention to the emergency instructions given by the hostess before take-off so that you would know what to do in the case of any emergency. If your child has any condition which might become troublesome during the flight, you should mention it when you book the flight so that any necessary provisions might be taken beforehand and you must also remind the personnel at the airport at check-in and the flight attendants on embarking.
If you rent a car, children should ride in the back, strapped with seat-belts, and with the door on their side safely locked. The window on their side should be closed so as to prevent the child from throwing things out of the car or stretching their hands out of the window. Always keep a spare car key in your handbag or wallet as it is very easy to leave the keys in a closed car in one of your stops, and never, ever leave a child alone in a parked car.
On a bus the child must not be allowed to roam around; he could be kept quiet either by narrating a story to him or by pinpointing the interesting sights/buildings/statues as you move along. Making the child buy the tickets and ring the bell for a bus stop would make the journey more enjoyable.
When you book the hotel, try to take two communicating rooms or two adjoining rooms so that adults can have all the privacy they want unless the children are too young. Never put children in bunk-beds, as they can fall and hurt themselves. A hotel with baby-sitting facilities would be ideal as it would allow you to have some free time without the children. Remember it's your holiday too! Take care that the children don't eat too much ice-creams or unusual foods. Having a child with a runny bowel or screaming with tummy ache is not anybody's idea of a holiday.
For children travelling alone, it is best to inform the airline company beforehand. The child should be handed to a responsible airline official and you must be sure that the seat for the child on the plane is not in the aisle. The child must understand that any problems that he might have, however small, should be reported immediately to the air hostess. You must make the child understand that even though there are no familiars on the plane with him, he is not alone. Make arrangements that if there is a change of aircraft the child is to be accompanied by responsible airline personnel and that at the end of the journey he is handed to a properly identified person.
It would be best to arrive at the airport somewhat early, so that the child could run around and relax. It is advisable to dress children in bright clothing to help in spotting them easily. During check-in make sure that the child is near a window or in the middle seat; sitting in the aisle could easily result in the child putting his hand out and being hit by people walking about or by the food trolleys. Nappies should be changed in the departure lounge before boarding the plane as there would be more space in the changing rooms.
Try to feed infants or children during take-off or landing as drinking or chewing would open up the passages between the nose and the ears and hence would prevent ear ache. You are allowed to take infant formula or breast milk on the plane provided you separate them from the other liquids in your official sealed plastic bag, and that you declare the items at the security check point and allow them to be inspected once reaching the X-Rays. Make sure that you carry all that might be needed by the child during the journey in your hand-luggage, like nappies and extra plastic pants, baby wipes, tissues, nappy rash creams, bottles of milk, favourite snacks, dummy, spill-proof drinks, any medication they need on a regular basis and toys and games. Give special attention to the emergency instructions given by the hostess before take-off so that you would know what to do in the case of any emergency. If your child has any condition which might become troublesome during the flight, you should mention it when you book the flight so that any necessary provisions might be taken beforehand and you must also remind the personnel at the airport at check-in and the flight attendants on embarking.
If you rent a car, children should ride in the back, strapped with seat-belts, and with the door on their side safely locked. The window on their side should be closed so as to prevent the child from throwing things out of the car or stretching their hands out of the window. Always keep a spare car key in your handbag or wallet as it is very easy to leave the keys in a closed car in one of your stops, and never, ever leave a child alone in a parked car.
On a bus the child must not be allowed to roam around; he could be kept quiet either by narrating a story to him or by pinpointing the interesting sights/buildings/statues as you move along. Making the child buy the tickets and ring the bell for a bus stop would make the journey more enjoyable.
When you book the hotel, try to take two communicating rooms or two adjoining rooms so that adults can have all the privacy they want unless the children are too young. Never put children in bunk-beds, as they can fall and hurt themselves. A hotel with baby-sitting facilities would be ideal as it would allow you to have some free time without the children. Remember it's your holiday too! Take care that the children don't eat too much ice-creams or unusual foods. Having a child with a runny bowel or screaming with tummy ache is not anybody's idea of a holiday.
For children travelling alone, it is best to inform the airline company beforehand. The child should be handed to a responsible airline official and you must be sure that the seat for the child on the plane is not in the aisle. The child must understand that any problems that he might have, however small, should be reported immediately to the air hostess. You must make the child understand that even though there are no familiars on the plane with him, he is not alone. Make arrangements that if there is a change of aircraft the child is to be accompanied by responsible airline personnel and that at the end of the journey he is handed to a properly identified person.