Flying with two toddlers in three weeks. Aibu to not have a clue what I'm doing?

[HalyardHitch]

I've not thought about packing. I've not thought about the flight. I can do travel insurance tonight, I guess.

I'm flying a 2.5 hour flight with a 2.5yo and 1.5yo. I obviously have dh to help.

It's just suddenly dawned on me. This is a fucking shit idea and I don't have a clue what we're doing.

Then there's the hotel. My step dad has booked a double room for me, Dh and the two DC.

Holy hell. Abiu? Yes. Please can someone help me work out what I even need to think about and plan!

Snacks, books, (quiet) toys and if you can manage it get them or at least the elder addicted to a cartoon they can watch on the iPad with head phones on.

If you have option book kids meal or take food on board. Make sure you fill water bottles post security. Sucking them will relieve ear pressure if it bothers dc’s.

Keep everything that needs to come out at security in the same bag so liquids and tablets/ kindles.

Pack bedtime stuff in hand luggage so you don’t have to search for it on arrival.

Make sure nappies and changes of clothes are very easily accessible.

Get to airport the full two hours before and use soft play areas if they have one. From experience there is nothing worse than running through an airport with a three year old late for a flight! If you can buy lounge access take it!

Mentally prepare. The 1.5 yo likely to be more tricky so accept you or DP might be walking them up and down the plane all flight.

Make friends with attendants they really can be best friend and don’t flicker at noise. Don’t apologise in advance of kids getting upset but do smile at fellow passengers as they can often be an entertaining diversion for the kids.

1.5 yo legally has to be in your lap with lap belt and 2.5 yo legally has to be in seat for take off and landing. Work out if either of these scenarios are going to be a drama and prepare accordingly...

Minimise hand luggage it’s a pain in the butt. Get a light weight buggy you can take to door. If you get a yo-yo you can take on board but it’s a mixed blessing. Carriers help in airport especiallly for younger one.

Above all the to stay calm and relaxed and prepare for worst but don’t expect it they might surprise you and if you’re all in it together the Dunkirk spirit might get you through.

Oh and for hotel. Take some food if you think they’ll be fussy. Agree whether you’ll use any babysitting service or if you’ll switch off looking after them and what time bedtime is. Will you leave them on UK time eg /m- flight suggests that you will be BST + 1...

Have you booked seats together? There have been loads of threads where people have assumed they’ll be next to their kids & then found themselves across the aisle / in the row behind.

I’m flying with 2 x 2.5 year olds by myself later this week. Not really sure why I thought that was a good idea when booked so going to be following for advice!

Omg such a list!! The 18m old is pretty chilled. The 2.5yo I'm really worried will freak. He's more high maintenance and a screecher.

The eldest is coeliac but I'll take snacks for him. A carrier sounds like a great idea for the youngest - he's only 22lbs so I can carry him easily.

2.5 year old is potty trained. Might stick him in a nappy just in case! Although he probably will refuse to wee in his nappy

We have three seats altogether

I think we will be +1. Flight is a morning flight so hopefully that'll be ok. Maybe 9am or something.

I'm hopefully thinking late lunch time naps and late bedtimes for the duration of the holiday. My two will hopefully be pretty flexible

Book seat for smaller child. iPad and headphones for the older one. More snacks than you think they could ever eat. For the younger one get a buckle toy, sticker book, flashing ball, etc. I’d take a double buggy in the hope they may sleep in it in the evenings so you’re not confined to your room. Or book a babysitter. 2.5 hours really isn’t long though, you’ll be fine.

Only a short flight!

Have one each & take new books and toys for the flight. Plus snacks and drinks and hope they sleep!

That's only a short flight, it'll be fine. You're not the first family to ever fly! I did short flights with 2 toddlers and no-one to help me so 2 adults to 2 toddlers will not be too difficult.

Make lists of what you need to do / take.

Think about what you will do in the event of a delay. The most important thing is that the kids are fed and clothed. Next priority is keeping them entertained.

You’ll be fine. You’ll presumably have an entire night sleep so will have the energy to pace up and down the aisle if need be.

Ergobaby for the wee one, plenty of snacks/water bottles (I like camelbak as they can suck on the tip to relieve ear pressure) and headphones/old tablet for
the older one. It’s a short flight so it’ll be okay experience.

Pack all liquids/electronics in one bag to make it easier at security; I’d get the baby zen Yoyo if you have the budget for it, they are great for traveling/sightseeing and fold up and can be taken into the cabin

We have flown with DS from 3 months.Take the 2.5 year olds shoes off. Don’t show them that tray tables can be lowered. Keep their belts on even when you’re seated: they’ll fall fast asleep 20 minutes before landing just as the signs go on.

Take calpol on the plane.

It’s only 2.5 hours, that’s easy and one of those times you hand over a tablet or phone with headphones in the certain knowledge it will save your sanity.

The shoes and tray are for the benefit of the people in front. Or seat one of you there.

2.5 hours of a toddler belting your chair would test a Saint.

Your overthinking this. It’s a very short flight - we have a 1 hour flight to get to the nearest maternity hospital! Just take a sticker book or similar and a couple of snacks and be prepared for the rest of the flight to hear you singing “old Mac Donald” or whatever your youngest’s favourite song is :)

And pack light for the flight/security. Though security staff are very good at helping with young kids/ families in my experience.

I’d be more worried that there’s a double room for 4 of you?!?

Hmmm I always booked a separate seat for my kids when they were under 2 (infants) and put them in a rear facing car seat for flight as that is much safer than holding them in your lap. Most airlines sell these seats at a discount too.
There are two of you so you’ll be fine. Just have DH take one kid under his wing and you the other kid.
Main issues are ascent and descent and it’s impact on kids ears. After security get drinks or some snacks that require swallowing. Then feed this to kids at take off and first 30mins in air and 30mins before landing.

Have 1 extra set clothes per kid on plane. My 2yr old once wet herself on a flight and I flipped the plane seat cushion over and had to put her in my 2 month olds spare trousers (they looked like stretchy shorts but worked).

Those of your saying it'll be a breeze. You don't know my two year old a 45m train journey to london was a massive test in itself!!

I massively appreciate the advice. Thank you

Unfortunately I didn't book any of this so have zero control over anything. My dm said to take it all with a pinch of salt! Goodness knows where we're going to end up! I don't even know if we have transfers from airport to hotel!

Flight has been well covered above. The only thing I'd add is any toys and amusements you bring should NOT be round or contain thousands of losable, crucial bits.

When ours were that age we used to have lunch out and dinner in the room (scout out a supermarket to buy food). We would all lie in bed with TV on and then tick the children up after they'd gone to sleep.

Put your suitcases in the travel cot during the day to stop small people unpacking them.

On the last day it was our tradition to give the kids a newspaper to rip up while we packed everything away. Surprisingly good distraction and then you just dump the shredded bits in the bin as you leave. That way we could pack away every single toy and be sure nothing forgotten at the last minute

2.5 hours of a toddler belting your chair would test a Saint

Our four hour flight out this summer - the toddler behind me using her tray table as a drum with parents' happy encouragement...

Packet of balloons in your bag. Blow one up and use as ball if stuck waiting somewhere. Mine loved stickers on flights. We did it lots and it was pretty much fine. Only remember one flight that was tricky, it was 4 hours and they were both on our laps- what were we thinking???

Theonly those are the people that should be strapped to a hostess trolley and sent out the door.

You need to find out about the transfers - you may need to take car seats with you!

Car seats! Bloody hell. Of course, I didn't think about that!!

Truth is, my step dad booked this but if it was my choice I wouldn't be going abroad