Helping You Child Overcome the Fear of Flying

Fortunately most kids are excited about flying and they usually have more interesting things to do than worry about flying. That being said, there are also many children who may express the fear of flying to various degrees, from slight fear to a phobia. Fear of flying is known as aerophobia and you can help your child to overcome it by identifying the cause and addressing it both before and during the flight.

The cause of the fear of flying in the child may be due to some negative experiences in the past, parental or family conflict, media influence, misinformation, the fear of flying in parents, etc. Parents and other family members can together help the child. Here are some tips for helping your child to overcome the fear of flying.

The most important step is of course identifying the cause of aerophobia. When your child says that he or she is afraid of flying ask what it is about flying that the child is afraid of. Don't just give some glib assurances. Children can easily sense your glibness and it can make them worry even more. The child may have the idea that the plane will catch fire, the wings will fall off or some such strange things. This can be easily addressed by dispelling the unfounded fears.

Children are continuously exposed to media stories about plane crashes, and terrorist attacks like the 9/11 incidents. Many movies even portray air disasters. You can reassure the child that air travel is the safest way to travel over long distances. Keep a watch over your child's media exposure. Some young children are highly impressionable. Let the child visit some kid friendly web pages or books on aircraft and find out how an aircraft operates. Show them the statistics about how many people are traveling by air everyday. Show the child whatever positive you can find about aircrafts and air travel.

If possible visit the airport with your child and let the child talk to the people associated with flights including pilots. The child can ask questions related to the anxieties that may be causing the fear. If this is not possible rope in you neighbors or friends who are frequent fliers and let them reassure the child about the safety of air travel. They can tell the child that they also had the fear of flying themselves and they simply laugh about it when they thing about their fear which was unfounded.

If the child is worried about thunderstorms then tell the child that thunderstorms don't affect planes in any way. The child may wish to know why aircrafts have to fly so high. You can explain that as the air gets thinner as you go higher the aircrafts can go faster and consume less fuel by flying very high. The child may have heard about turbulence. Tell the child that the turbulence never affects the plane in any way. Only some people erroneously think that it will harm them.

The child may simply be reflecting the fear of flying expressed by you or other family members. Don't discuss about your own fears and anxieties about flying in the presence of children. If the damage is already done, then reassure the child that you have found that your own fears are baseless. Parental acrimony can add to the child's anxieties. Don't fight in the child's presence. Avoid feeding the anxious child too much sugar and carbohydrates as these can increase the child's jittery feeling. Try to avoid last minute rush by arriving earlier at the air port. The rush and hurry can only add to the child's anxieties.

Try to make the flight fun for the child by taking some favorite toys and games that will keep the child engaged during the flight. Sometimes you have to wait for food to be served on the flight and the waiting may make the child anxious. Pack some healthy snacks to keep the child engaged. Finally if you still find that the child is showing strong symptoms of aerophobia seek professional help. Trained professionals use a technique in which the child is made to relax while thinking about flying. This can help your child to overcome the fear of flying to a great extent.