8 year old boy not sure about flying

[rainbowrabbit]

My son W is very uncertain about flying, as he has never been in a plane before.  We could go to the Italian Lakes or Majorca (how do you spell it?) as we have come into some money.  I would love to go but W is very scared about flying.  I don't really know why, it might be the Simpsons, but he is concerned about crashing.  I have tried to explain that it is very unlikely etc, more chance of being run over etc etc.  He travels fine in the car, bus, train but has convinced himself currently that planes are too dangerous.
I don't know how seriously to take this, should I book and just fight at the airport if necessary, try to persuade him it will be ok, or just book something in the UK.  I am not confident about driving in Europe, I find the UK bad enough so the ferry route is not an option.
any advice would be very welcome

thanks

Jenny

[JustRuby]

 is it feasable to take him to a local airport to watch the planes taking off? Seeing them might help as it seems this might just be a fear off the unknown. Buy some books on aeroplanes and airports and talk about it loads.
I wouldn't just turn up there without telling him, it would scare him to death and become very stressful for you both.

Failing that, there is some stuff that is recommended for children in this situation that you can buy from the pharmacy (like kalms herbal but for kids) can't remember the name off hand but will ask my mate, she uses it for her 7 year old when they go abroad as he hates flying too.

Good Luck xxx

[danensis]

Your're crammed in a box with dozens of other people, at 40,000 feet with only a millimetre or so of aluminium between you and instant death, and the only thing that is holding the plane up is the difference in air pressure between the two sides of the wings. Damn right to be anxious, but statistically its safer than crossing the road!

John

[Smiler :-)]

ermmmmmmmmm thats reassuring 

[infinity67]

John

Not quite sure that an 8 year old would consider these sort of facts.

Jenny. My daughter is exactly the same. Thought about getting her on the shortest flight a jet plane allows but she is scared.

Does a normal jet plane go up to scotland? Or is that propellor

[Beanzie]

Hi there,

I had years of problems with my daughters horrendous fear of flying.  All started when she was four, had been on lots of planes, then suddenly developed this absolute terror at flying.  I persisted with going abroad and just was prepared for it.  Lots of reassurance for the couple of days leading up to the flight, the tablets from the chemist (can't remember the name even though we have gone through packets lol!) they are a mild sedative/calmer and worked wonders.  Another thing that worked very well and did a lot to ease her fears was when checking in I requested seats as close to the front as possible because of her fears and they actually moved people and put us up front.  During the flight she could see into the cockpit and see what was happening whenever the door opened and when I explained her fears to the air hostess they brought her up to have a closer look (not sure if they still do things like that cos of the safety issues).  She is now a much better but sadly her fears did rub off on me and I now hate it lol.

I would book and as was suggested go to the airport see the planes and encourage an interest a bit of research on the internet may trigger a boys natural instinct for gadgets and how things work!  If you don't do it then it will grow and grow into a major obstacle and be far more difficult to overcome.

Thanks for that John my fears have just been justified

B x

[sunflora]

Children can also use Bachs Rescue Remedy - it can be bought in a bottle with a 'dripper' this can be dripped into a soft drink and the child can drink it.  I used it a while ago with Dan for his anxiety and seemed to help at the time - I think he has become immune to it now though... 

Andrea

[LAK]

Try to meet up with other SWK holiday makers at the airport.  Two hours of playing with his 'new' friends and hopefully he'll want to follow them onto the plane.  Better still, meet up with said holiday makers before the holiday.

The SWK kids seem to get on really well and support each other.

[skittle]

Remember reading in a trivia book when I was young, that you are more likely to get kicked to death by a donkey, than die in a plane crash.

For some reason I found that strangely comforting and never worried about flying again.

[Ellyb]

One word for you....Phenergen!    Its fab stuff, my son used to get really bad travel sick, phenergen was the only answer. It doesnt knock them out, but makes them really chilled! lol! 

[jeankris]

IMO boyus love to know how thing work and plane are no exception a trip to science museum and book on plane may trigger that curiosity about them. Trick i use with J for anything new is to watch either on TV or real.
Watching plane landing and taking off at a local airport may also lift his spirit into flying, and a toy plane may help as well. I dont know are crafty you are but this could be something you may want to try with him. I dying for my son to be old enough to try it.


                            http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/plane/index.htm

Good luck with it.
Ps the material can be buy in a http://www.hobbystores.co.uk/ and some in a DIY shop.

Good luck

JC

[rainbowrabbit]

Thanks for all of this (except John, not sure those facts would help much!!!!).  We have been discussing it and I have pointed out all the people he knows who have been on planes and he seems calmer about it now.  We do live quite close to an airport so we will go up and see what, if anything we can view.  He has lots of toy planes so I am not sure we need more toys, although I think he would disagree!  He is always a bit uncertain about new things, and this does have 'real' reasons to be scared even though statistically it should be fine.

anyway if he hasn't changed his mind by tomorrow, and there are still spaces we will book something.

Jenny

[rainbowrabbit]

Holiday booked!    He is still ok about it so lets hope it will be ok on the day.  I will invest in some of the remedies mentioned so that we can defintely get on the plane!!!

thanks for your help.

Jenny