7 Things Your Child Should Take When Flying Alone

• Books, crayons, games, small toys, and so on. You might also want to wrap a special surprise or two and stick it in the carry-on bag. If a video game or personal stereo is brought along, make sure that it has headphones and the volume is kept low. It is best to check with the airlines (ahead of time) on the specifics of what electronics can be brought on the plane. This would eliminate potential problems on the day of travel. Also, your child should be told that the flight attendant or pilot will make an announcement requesting that all electronic devices should be turned off. This will happen during takeoff and landing. When your child hears this he/she should do so immediately.

• You should place a copy of the child's complete itinerary, including the airlines, flight numbers, and departure and arrival times and dates in the carry-on bag and then make sure that your child knows about. The person picking up your child should have this same information also. It is also wise for you to have all the contact information of the person picking up your child just in case you need to get a hold of him/her quickly.

• Also include in your child's carry on bag a sheet of paper with your child's name, your name and your phone numbers, as well as the person picking up your child and his/her phone numbers.

• It is good to pack a light snack, since flights can sometimes be delayed or take longer than expected. Just remember about the security issues of what can or can't be taken on a plane.

• Just as you would do for yourself, make sure your child has all the essentials he/she would need if their luggage was lost or delayed in getting to him/her.

• During warm weather, it is sometimes wise to bring a sweater along since it can get cool in an airplane.

• Lastly, your child should have enough cash to buy some food in case of an unexpected delay. Other things your child may need money for is: a headset to watch a movie, to buy a soda, or use a pay phone if need be.