Travelling alone with young children

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Friends have moved abroad (not far maybe an hour flight). They have two DC, ages 2 and 5. The mum would like to come back and visit relatives but worries about travelling with both.

I happened to mention when mine were both little sometimes would visit relatives and friends just taking one for the weekend and leaving the other with DH. Thought this might be helpful idea, but then wonder if have out them off the idea they could do it alone with 2.

Think main concerns are the travelling and dealing with both together, maybe hiring a car and car seats etc, not sure exactly but at young ages can be a bot of work together and in a new place. a dog also.

AIBU in my suggestion? would you go for it alone with 2 of that age (and a dog?)

Admittedly I have only one child but have done the journey solo a few times.

1. Try and book the most direct flight, if a long haul try for red eye. We do this as navigating connections/delays would be a pain with a 2 yr old.
2. Gate check pram. It takes a wee bit longer to get thru security as it needs swabbed but it's quite a long way to the gate usually and a pram is handy to shove everything.
3. Minimise hand luggage. The more you have the more stuff you have to sort through/carry. I take 3 nappies, pjs, dummy, wipes and some little cheap toys that doesnt matter if they go missing. I combine our hand luggage too in my little boys nursery bag as it's a backpack and it's very light to begin with.
4. Look for play areas in the terminal and try and get all the energy out.
5. Ignore your usual screen time rules. A toddler watching 10 episodes of In the night garden back to back is much better than a screaming toddler. Pick your battles.

If she doesn't actually want to go because of the money and hassle, fine, but it's no big thing at all to do the travelling especially at those ages. Have flown on my own with 4mo and 3yo. Baby was cranky during long delay on the runway but otherwise it was a piece of cake. 3yo had his own backpack with toys and sticker books, I wore baby in sling, pushed pram up to door of aircraft and had own backpack with baby supplies, my stuff and snacks. Checked suitcase containing all three of our clothes. At one point 3yo was happily playing and baby was sacked out asleep on me... I got out my Kindle and read for half an hour.

If she doesn't want to, then fine. But honestly...all this palava over an hour with two kids.

If just a weekend shove the bare essentials in na backpack and go. Even a week doesn't require that much stuff if there is a washing machine at the other end.

I think to be honest there was a previous trip which they had which was a nightmare- well that was how it was described, the youngest screaming the whole way- and that has out them off. It will probably be easier when they get bigger, I guess.

You’ve had some harsh replies on her. I don’t think many people relish travelling with small people. My husband and I nearly killed each other the last flight we took with our toddler.

Yes i think they had a flight similar to the one in that drama the Cry by the sounds of it! and a similar ferry crossing. It's being trapped with no place to go which can be really hard. Bit, you know we are all wonder women on MN!

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Well yes in that case, that sounds very sensible!

Sometimes, I seriously wonder how people manage to decided which foot to get out of bed in the mornings.

Thought that I was the only one to think like this!!

How did people manage before they could post the upmost trivia on t'internet? My recent favourite was the one asking for advice about have 1 or 2 washing baskets.

Most of the things people post are pondering a and procrastination.

I'm old enough not to have had a mobile phone or internet access until my 20s.

I find it annoying that people pretend to think those who use the internet or mobile phones wouldn't have coped without them.

I'm quite reliant on my car because having a driving license and enough money to run a car allowed me to set up a life requiring one. However I copied very well indeed without a car until I was in my mid 20s.

People post on forums for a variety of reasons, but almost never because they couldn't cope if they didn't.

I flew long haul with mine alone, you need to be organised and ideally not have to take equipment other than a pushchair but it's fine

One of the children is 5 so is hardly an infant. The older one can carry a small bag and walk beside her mother. The other child can be stowed in a buggy up until the gate. They can check one suitcase in with clothes for all of them and wash them if required when they are with you. If you are driving them from the airport then maybe you can borrow car seats for the children to use while they are with you? It is perfectly doable. Oh and dog goes to kennels.

I think it would make a massive difference if family could pick up at the airport. It’s hiring a car which makes it really stressful - lugging all the luggage and kids onto a bus then into a busy reception hall. Queuing for ages then lugging luggage, kids AND a massive car seat across a giant car park. Fitting car seats in a strange car whilst supervising all children etc etc.
The flying bit is relatively easy!