how can i help my son whos eight and affraight of airplains?

Answer 1

If you are planning on taking him on an airplane, talk about it before hand. If you live close to an airport, go and watch the airplanes take off and land. (There is usually an area/frontage road/parking lot near the runways that you can do that from.)

When you do take your trip and if he is still nervous about flying, give him a dose of motion sickness medication (over the counter) or benadryl. It will help him relax... (especially the motion sickness meds).

You can make the flight more fun by "surprising" him with simple little gifts during the flight as well. A deck of "Old Maid" cards, a "travel" sized version of his favorite board game, etc. It will distract him and help him stay calm.

Happy flying!

Answer 2

First of all, there is a little button right there to check your spelling. Surely you know you can't spell.
And you are the mother of a 2nd grader who is looking to you for guidance in the world. If you take your time, your son's fear can be a way for you to teach each other some wonderful lessons, and bond you together.
First thing, get a big color picture book of airplanes from the library. READ IT TO HIM. That way, both of you will know something about airplanes, how they work , and how safe they are.
Then get a couple of kid's movies about being in the air, like Dumbo, and Around the World in 80 Days. Watch them with him, so you can experience what he does, and explain anything he doesn't get.
Next, go to a small local airport and watch airplanes coming and going. Be positive, and happy waving at the pilots, and bring the book so he can recognize planes.
Call the little airport and ask if anyone could take you and your son ON A TOUR, sitting inside a little plane to help him get over his fear. Often there is an old guy hanging out there waiting for an excuse to show off his plane .
Take him out to the big airport, and let him watch the big planes taking off, let him feel the excitement in the air, let him wander around, supervised very closely, of course. Let him take pictures. Buy him a pilot's cap. Explain to him that flying in an airplane is even safer than WALKING!
At some point, your son may want to go up in one, or learn more about them.
Let him save money to go on a short trip. Let him get a map of the route and look at it all the time.
His participation and the anticipation will help him to get over being afraid. GO WITH HIM, and enjoy the trip.

Answer 3

"The shockwaves following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York were felt around the whole world in many different ways. One of the most immediate responses to the tragedy was an enormous decline in air travel. This tail-off was so significant that within weeks of the terrorist attack a number of prominent airlines had gone out of business, while others were laying off staff in their thousands.

A phobia which had previously affected a minority of people had suddenly become a mainstream concern, due to the terrorists on the United Airlines flights. Fear of flying is now a serious issue for many people."

Explain to your son that:

"The key message is that fear is something we do to ourselves and to conquer it is to control it."

Some causes of this are:
" * People who fear heights, being above the clouds, large bodies of water, or storms can find their fears exacerbated by boarding a flight.
*

People who experience panic attacks can find that taking a flight can trigger an attack. People who have separate phobias, such as a fear of closed in spaces, a fear of being trapped, or a fear of crowds can find their phobia flares up while in flight.
*

Other people have trust issues. They may doubt the safety records of planes because they have heard in the media about high-profile plane crashes. They may not feel in control and doubt the ability of pilots to fly the plane or air traffic control to guide it properly. They may not trust the integrity of the plane itself, because they do not understand the noises and sensations that occur on a plane in flight.
*

Some people may have endured a bad experience on a flight. Perhaps they went through a bad patch of turbulence, or they felt nauseous, or perhaps they were going through a difficult or stressful period in their lives when they boarded a flight and they associate those feelings with air travel ever after.


Many people fear the fact that they are not in control and do not trust pilots to fly the plane.

So try to ensure your son that it is very unlikely that after all this, something will happen.

Answer 4

If I were him I'd be afraid of all my friends finding out they can all spell better than my mother.