By Lee Ann Mancini

I recently traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina for the Blue Ridge Writers’ Convention. I was lucky enough to have a smooth traveling experience with nothing more to complain about than a somewhat bumpy ride on my second connecting flight. After only a few hours, I arrived safe and sound at my destination and so did my luggage.

Still, that experience doesn’t fit the norm. Traveling can be very stressful. Lately, there have been more and more reports of it taking three or more hours to get through airport screening, which is itself a hassle—shoes off, belts off, electronics and liquids out—and after all that, you’re still the one picked for a random body search! Even after braving the long lines of security, stresses abound. Maybe you’ll be seated next to a particularly unpleasant neighbor on the plane. Maybe your bags won’t arrive at the same destination you do. Maybe you won’t have time to grab a meal at the airport, and for lunch, you’ll be stuck with nothing more than a small bag of nuts and a glass of water to wash them down.

As I sat waiting to board my flight, I noticed a frazzled mother approaching the gate with an angry, screaming toddler in tow. The little girl was in the middle of a full-blown tantrum. She did not want to get on the plane; she wanted to “go home now!” Her rage had turned her face the same color as her tiny, red pig tales, and her screams were in decibels so high that I am sure the security dogs were running for cover.

I was immediately filled with sympathy for the mother, as I remembered when my kids were that age. This was a perfect demonstration of the meaning of “terrible two’s.”  What was this mother going to do? What was there to do? Everyone was looking at her with unkind, judgmental expressions. That is, until suddenly, a lovely, grandmotherly-looking lady came over and calmly offered a helping hand. The woman took out a stuffed toy dog from what looked like a hand-made crocheted bag. After giving it a few gentle squeezes, the little stuffed dog said, “Woof, woof, woof.” “Would you like to hold my puppy?” asked the elderly woman. As if those little barks had said, “Stop crying little one,” the little girl grew silent and looked at her mother for approval. “Go ahead, honey, you can hold the puppy,” her mommy told her. It was as if God had sent an angel from heaven to answer the prayers of those sitting nearby. I have to admit some of the prayers were mine. For the next 20 minutes until boarding, the little girl was perfectly quiet—well almost, since everyone was now listening to the woof, woof, woof of the toy dog. But it was a welcome sound compared to the high-pitched screaming. The little girl had a set of lungs!

The lesson I took away from this situation is that we should always extend a helping hand to those in need, especially if we can sympathize with their situation. John 15:12 states, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you…” Love is demonstrated by taking action. I was thankful, as I am sure many others were, for the way the elderly woman expressed love to the little, redheaded child and her mother.

During travel, there are also a few things mothers can do to help keep their little ones happy and tantrum free. First of all, remain calm and don’t worry about what other people are thinking. With that in mind, here are some tips for preparing for the plane ride ahead of time:

1. Arrive at the airport early enough to have time for a bathroom trip, some play time, and perhaps even snack time or a nap before boarding the plane.
2. Be prepared in case you get split up or in case there is an emergency. Make sure older children know to seek out a professional for help. For younger children, consider sewing a contact tag into their clothing, with their name and telephone number clearly printed on it.
3. Bring some gum or lollipops to give to smaller children during takeoff and landing. Children 6 to 11 can also take Sudafed to minimize the discomfort they experience from ear popping.
4. Be sure to pack plenty of coloring books, storybooks, and electronic games in your carry-on luggage. Bring a sketchpad and coloring pencils too. I remember my children loved to sketch the characters from their storybooks.
5. Of course, kids’ movies are always a favorite pastime for children. If you’re bringing your laptop or iPad with you on the plane, upload one or two movies before your flight. Don’t forget to pack a working set of earphones too. You won’t hear “I bored” if you have several entertaining movies on hand!
6. My children loved filling their backpacks with items like little action figures, small finger puzzles, small books, and flash cards. Learning Resources manufactures a toy that I highly recommend called “Snap-N-Learn,” which is an excellent way for your little one to learn colors, numbers, and number sequencing.