Check in
An unfamiliar queue, a counter your child can't see over and an adult who suddenly seems in a hurry. Checking in is mostly waiting for someone else's signal. The visual support below shows what happens step by step and where the waiting ends.
♂Check in
A smiling boy at a counter pointing to a tablet with a green checkmark under a check-in sign.
About this visual support
Standing still and waiting is one of the hardest things to ask of a child, especially in a place they've never seen. At check-in it's the adult who talks, hands over papers and nods at a screen, while the child just has to be there with no idea for how long. Boredom and uncertainty mix, and that's when the queue feels truly long.
Visual support gives the waiting a shape. When your child sees the row of pictures, they know the queue comes first, then the counter, then the ticket, and then it's done. The waiting doesn't stop being waiting, but it gets a visible end, and that's often the difference between staying put and wanting to bolt.
A tip for check-in specifically: let your child hold one of the pictures, for example the one showing handing over the ticket, so they have a small job of their own in something they'd otherwise only watch.
Download free pictures here, or build a short check-in sequence in the Routined app to keep on your phone for travel day.