Travel Hack: Small Heads, Big Airline Headphones
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optimist sees the glass as half full. An engineer, being of a more practical persuasion, sees a glass which is the wrong size for its purpose.
What if you’re a parent on a plane looking at a set of airline headphones – usually sized for those above five? Some airlines provide smaller headphones for younger children – which is ideal – and some parents pack their own – which also works, but costs money and takes up precious luggage space for a fairly marginal gain.
I prefer to look at the problem a different way. The headphones aren’t too big per se – they’re just the wrong size for their purpose. Smaller headphones are one solution, but we can also construct a bigger head.
A headphone wrapper can be folded and stuffed inside another headphone wrapper, or you can use a particularly bobbly hat, a clean nappy, a facecloth, or whatever other non-slip padding you feel comfortable supervising carefully so as not to risk suffocation.
Warning: this bag is not a toy.
Bonus tip: most entertainment systems on planes are not well placed for viewing by young children. You can still use the onboard entertainment system if you boost them up on onto a nearby lap or use a car seat or firm, seat-sized luggage. We often bring our trunki boostapak for just such a purpose – although unlike some other car seats, it needs to be stowed for takeoff and landing, and possibly also turbulence.
Of course, a tablet or other device can be lowered to the child’s height – so there’s that option as well.
This post appeared first on Journeys of the Fabulist and was shared as part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups.
You crack me up! Can you engineer me a solution to the problem of the littlest child taking up the most space when trying to sleep on an airplane?
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Ah. Hum. That’s a poser 🙂 . I never got to figure it out with the eldest because he has so much trouble sleeping anyway, so I’m a bit of a newbie to the problem.
Out of interest, have you tried anything so far, or did you just figure it was similar to the small child/bed problem where the only solution we’ve found is kicking out one of the adults and learning to sleep really really heavily?
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You are so innovative! I love the booster pack it looks great for traveling. Once it is stowed away as a backpack, does it still have space for storing things?
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Yes, the guide flaps just fold out from the outside, so the backpack bit isn’t affected at all! It’s been really handy.
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Hahahaha…I tell you…you should seriously think about writing that book! It would be a bestseller! 😀
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Aw, I’m blushing 🙂 . But I barely get time for blog posts!
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hehe…i am not asking you to publish now…maybe fifteen years hence…and the posts of this blog can provide the material..in the meantime, we get to enjoy the stories…and for my idea..I get an autographed copy! 😉 😀
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Haha! I’ll be sure to send one if I ever publish a book of the blog! (But don’t wait by the mail box in the meantime 🙂 ).
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Haha….on the contrary I will go online and buy it like a ordinary citizen!! ( after all, with the ensuing fame, you would have forgotten all about me!!) 😛 😀
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Ha! That’s right. I’ll be so very famous. 🙂
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Haha – cool! We usually just adjust them over.. and over.. and over.. I’ve got to try this next time!
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Yeah, if it keeps coming loose it’s handy as well! Although it depends how loose – whether they have a sticking point. With T there’s no way to adjust them small enough at this stage.
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Fab we went down the route of buying the girls their own headphones basically because they are a locket colour so especially the younger one is encouraged to wear them!
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The own headphones are usually better (well, depending on what you buy I guess – but it’s not hard to go better, especially if they’re a cool colour).
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But you are right they are bulky
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Hilarious! So cute too. Mind you, I might borrow this technique for myself because I often struggle with airline headphones.
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You must have a very petite head, or you’ve had an unfortunate run of headphones, or both.
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My face is actually large but not long as in the opposite of a Modigliani figure sigh…
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In my mind you now look like one of those magic mirror images. What sort of software do you use to get your selfies looking so normal and lovely? 😉
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Love it.
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Thanks 🙂
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Haha, funny! But also a good solution, will remember this one even though it will be awhile until we fly again as a family.
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Hope you find it useful (meaning also, I’m sure you’re looking forward to taking a trip in the near enough future to make use of it before your kids’ heads grow much bigger 🙂 ).
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Yes, that will be the main reason for booking a trip 😀
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Haha!
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You are one creative parent Bronwyn. Does this mean the Japanese adventure has begun?
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The picture is from a previous trip 🙂
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I love this idea and the pictures. You are quite creative. We always use the iPad, but occasionally z wants to wear the headphones, now I know how to make them fit her head. Thanks!
Also, what do you think of the trunki? Chad and I have been thinking about one for z.
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You mean the suitcase? I think it works well for certain types of travel. If you’re flying on a one-stop holiday it’s great. Gets us through the airport well and depending on where you stay, you might be able to use it as a ride-along toy at the other end. When I mentioned it in the Five Ways To Get Through an airport post someone said their son uses it to ram people when standing still – I’ve since noticed I keep a very tight rein when standing still (we haven’t had a problem).
On multistop overland trips it’s sometimes more hassle than it’s worth to have this extra little case to lug around, considering the packing volume (I find a backpack easier).
So I’m a bit fifty-fifty. I’m happy with ours and the kids just love it but I can’t recommend it as wholeheartedly as other products. It depends a lot on how you travel.
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Thanks. I was considering it for our shorter jaunts (visa runs and the like). It sure would be nice if z could pull her own bag. I will have to think about it some more.
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Yeah, it’s nice if they can pull their own bag, especially if they can also use it as a seat. And it doesn’t seem to have lost its appeal after a few months like some of the TV character stuff does as they get bored with their show.
I have to warn you it’s often us pulling with them riding, though!
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That is a great idea, I can’t remember how we dealt with that situation…I think I might of got Alex to turn the volume up and have them sitting under his ears??…This is a much better solution!
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Yeah, we tried that but this did seem to work better. I can see going to the high volume one with some kids where the thing on the head bothers them though – it didn’t worry T. Luckily we’ve found P fits most of them now, so the problem does fade rapidly into the past!
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I love the idea of making a bigger head nearly as much as I love the photo capturing it!!
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It definitely worked well and the parents sitting next to us on that flight ended up copying!
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The tablet has become our trusty companion now on flights. Good tips and loving the photo!
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Yes, trying some new photo things – glad you like!
Tablets definitely have many virtues.
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