of parents – not to mention the passengers that end up sitting next to them on a long haul journey.

Mother-of-two Kelly Eroglu, from Wales, worked as a flight attendant for 21 years and constantly saw parents struggle to keep their children entertained and calm.

So Femail teamed up with the experienced flyer to hear the top tips she has devised for nervous mums and dads about to jet off on holiday with their little ones.

Kelly said: ‘You have super excited kids who have to be restrained in a seatbelt inside a metal tube for several hours, and you’re at 36,000 feet so you have nowhere to run. It sounds like mental torture, but it can be pain free.’

The 40-year-old suggests encouraging your children to draw a ‘thank you’ picture for the pilot, bringing lollies for landing and packing your own snacks rather than relying on plane food.

But she insists that, after spending two decades watching ‘trembling parents on the plane trying to keep it together’, the most important thing to do is be relaxed.

Kelly, who now runs the food blog Reduced Grub said: ‘Chilled out parents always have chilled out kids and stressed, agitated parents have a flipping nightmare.’