This year Rob and I decided that Demi was going to fly by herself for the first time to visit family in new Hampshire. I looked at this as a life enhancing experience that would help her become more self confident and independent. Rob basically wanted to puke. However, we decided that sometimes you ve gotta let your kids spread their wings and FLY (by themselves)! (Rob and I did track her plane with the Flight View iPhone App which was awesome!)
I thought that other parents and children may enjoy hearing about the experience from the child s perspective. Here s Demi Murgatroyd s first ever blog about her first flight on a plane by herself.
Hi, I am Demi Murgatroyd and I am ten years old. For the first time I flew on a plane by myself from Atlanta to New Hampshire. At first, I was excited, but I was also definitely scared! A couple days before the flight I was nervous about flying without my parents, but luckily I have flown on a plane before with them and I know exactly what I need to do. On the day of my flight, I arrived at the Atlanta airport and got in the Delta unaccompanied minor line. (I sort of felt like I wanted to throw up and have diarrhea at the same time.) While in line, I met another ten year old girl who told me that she flew from Atlanta to California when she was only six years old! When I heard that, I felt a lot better about my flight. After I checked in, they gave me a wrist band and a sticker to put on my shirt. It told everyone I was an unaccompanied minor , something that definitely didn t make me feel very cool! After I got my ticket, my Smother (my word for Step Mother) took me through security. Next, we grabbed some breakfast and sat at the gate. While I was eating my breakfast, the gate agent called for all unaccompanied minors to come to the desk. As an unaccompanied minor you get to board the plane way before anyone else, which is really cool, but I was not expecting to be called that early. I gave my Smother a big hug goodbye and... then came the waterworks. I was crying because I was going to miss my parents and also I was scared. But I had to go, so off to the plane I went. The flight attendant helped me put away my carry on and made sure I was ready for flight. Then I began to write in my diary, here is my first entry.
I am soooooo scared right now. I really miss my parents and friends. I really wish I could stop crying because it is getting embarrassing.
But, I did stop crying and it actually wasn t as bad as I thought! After a few minutes, I forgot all about it and started watching movies on my iPod. The best thing about flying is FREE REFILLS! And no one is there to tell you what you can get, so of course I had a whole can of Coke! (Keep that on the D.L. and don t tell my parents) About two and a half hours later the flight landed. I had to wait for everyone else to get off first so the flight attendant could walk me off the plane (how BORING!). Once we got to the gate, I saw my Memere (which is French for Grandmother) waiting for me. She had to sign a paper and I was free to go! The return flight was a breeze and I can t wait to fly alone again! So, if your a kid and you re going to be flying by yourself, I know you re scare but don t worry, it s easy! Here s a little secret, it s actually more fun than flying with your parents!
Demi s tips for flying alone:
1. Bring a DVD player, iPod or MP3 player so you can watch movies, TV shows or listen to music. Make sure you bring your charger so you can have it for the return flight too!
2. Bring a couple books or magazines to read while the plane is taking off and landing because you ll have to shut off all electronic devices.
3. Bring a comfortable neck pillow and blanket for longer flights so you can take a nap.
4. Bring a couple of snacks on board for longer flights so you don t get hungry.
5. Remember, if you need anything, just hit the flight attendant call button, she ll show you where it is: )
6. HAVE FUN! It s easy!
If any kids reading have any questions about flying alone, just post a comment or send me an email through my parents.
B4N ( Bye for now for those non texters),
Demi
From the parent s perspective.... Rob and I were nervous, when she started crying it killed me but I knew that she could do this and in the end she d be better for it. This experience is part of growing up and learning that, even at ten years old, you CAN do things by yourself.
See ya next time,
Kimberly
Author Resource:-
Kimberly Murgatroyd is the co-owner of Jet Set Life. She travels the world and shares her experiences, favorite places, favorite products and just about anything that is on her mind and in her heart regarding her Jet Set Life. You can find all future articles at http://www.jetsetlife.tv/blog.
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