Traveling by air with small children is not what any sane person would probably think of as a “fun time.” In fact, between the disruption to routines, the running around trying to stay on schedule, and the whole ear popping thing, it can be downright nightmarish. Luckily, though, the magical internet information fairies can help you to manage the ordeal and help you keep it from turning into a disaster of slasher-film proportions.

Dumb Little Man gives 18 great ways to keep your sanity while traveling with kids and pets - hopefully you aren’t traveling with both at the same time, you sadist, you.

There are also endless safety concerns to consider along with the practical and emotional concerns of traveling with small children. Plan ahead to minimize the stress and potential danger that can accompany you on your family travels.

Whether you’re traveling by car or by plane, you’ll need to bring some entertainment for the young folks - the items you can use will vary depending on your mode of transport, of course. You probably want to avoid being the parent that lets your kids shake a tambourine or play their toy electric guitar on a 6-hour plane ride.

Not all advice for traveling with kids is brand new and groundbreaking information - some of it is simple, but we need to be reminded of these simple trave tips to keep our travels sane and simple.

The unifying theme of all of the above lists seems to be to plan ahead. Always know your needs and those of your kids, and try to do everything possible to minimize the disruption to your and their routine. Even if you have to plop them down with a Gameboy or let them watch movies on the private TV screen the whole flight, keeping a child occupied and happy during a flight can make a world of difference for you and the entire plane full of passengers.