To wonder how you keep kids entertained on long haul flights?

[JessKM]

Taking a reasonably long haul flight with kids in a few weeks and I'm at a bit of a loss as to how we can keep them entertained the whole way!

Older girls (14/12) and youngest girl (7) will probably entertained by in flight entertainment and reading etc but I'm worried DS (just turned 4) will turn into spawn of Satan and begin to create mayhem.

Most of the things that keep him occupied for any period of time are large (train track etc) or loud (any role play games are dinosaur or shark related and get loud very quickly!) we only have one iPad between them all so not an option for a long time without arguments.

I'm getting a bit panicky! I don't want to ruin anyone else's flight and I don't want to turn into a grumpy shouty mum over the Atlantic somewhere...

Please please please tell me what you super mums turn too at times like this!!

They can't fathom why I'm unwilling to drug my child for no reason

It's not for no reason. It's to make everyone's lives better. We did with a doctor's prescription and followed the Dr's dosage instructions. It was bliss.

I didn't bother suggesting it as MN would have deleted my post and all the posters would have got hysterical, forgetting that many, many drugs and medical procedures are safely used for their therapeutic side effects and it's better to listen to a trained professional than parents on an internet forum.

Dc had comfy head phones and a bag of stuff but other than the headphones they didn't use anything just played the games and watch the films on the screen - moana on repeat basically. They are 9 and 5yo twins.

Some kids don't get drowsy on piraton - my dc had chickenpox not long before we flew and I commented to dh that thank goodness we didn't plan to try piraton on dc as dd2 was loopy on it - about 4% react like that apparently.

m0therofdragons

Yes, our Ivy League educated and Children's Hospital, Philadelphia trained doctor (who suggested using allergy medicine) told us to have a dry run a few weeks before hand.

Like I said though, who was she to know better than MNers!

I work in a hospital and many senior medical staff suggested it. You also used to be able to get prescription light sedative for 2yos who didn't sleep called medised. You can still get it but it's over 6 yo now although it's the same. As with all these things, common sense comes into it. Piraton every day? No. Piraton 2 times a year? Fine.

We're going on a 10 hour flight with our 5 year old soon. Flying Thomas Cook who apparently have awful inflight entertainment and you have to pay extra for the privilege. Not looking forward to it!

Honestly, don't panic.

I have the wriggliest of worms for dd's, and they get a briefing before a flight the day before we board as to what's expected.

We get them magazines with those crappy toys attached at the airport. We have snacks for them, and their toys. They have their own wheely cases with these in.

I have also travelled alone with my two when they were 13mk and not quite 3 from Oz and back.

If anything, wake them up earlier in the morning, so they may sleep for a bit on the flight.

Can you change seats? We always get bulkhead on day flights with one parent at each end and ds in the middle. Bulkhead seats have enough room for them to play on the floor and stand up and jump about a bit. We also do lots of walking up and down the plane.

Also do buying lots of small new toys and wrapping them all individually.

Having said all that, ds is so thrilled he gets to watch tv for longer than half an hour he spends most of the time watching tv.

Buying him his own little comfy headphones really helped too.