To ask how to travel long haul with a one and two year old?

[Waiteflower]

Hi all,

Posting for traffic

We're looking to travel from the UK to Florida with a just turned one year old and an almost three year old so was wondering if you had any tips for the plane really as that's the part I'm dreading the most! We're hoping to get a direct flights but there's a potential they may be a lay over.

What are some really good tips for the plane as I want it to go as smooth as possible, I'm a bit paranoid about the kiddies disturbing everyone else around us.

I thought I'd ask here as they'll be bound to be something I didn't think of - I can't take them when they're older (not at the moment anyway) as this trip is mostly being paid for as it's a wider family holiday (very thankful) but it'll just be me, DH and two dc on the plane as we need to leave a couple of days later than everyone else.

Thank you

It's fine, did it lots (expats) and i flew solo with my two. Take snacks, milk, travel in pjs or similar for ease of changing, new fiddly toys, book a bassinet for the baby, headphones suitable for the older one if they are going to watch the movies/kids channel though my eldest preferred watching the map screen. Expect 2-3 days jet lag issues each way.

I personally would not choose to holiday long haul unless there's other reasons (eg I was visiting family)

Took my daughter to Florida when she was 18 months old and 23 months old.

More snacks than you think you need. She literally didn't stop eating.

Fly direct.

Drawing, colouring books, sticker books, iPad...

At 18 months she was super easy on the flight, the almost 2 flight was when she was much more difficult!

A new toy or snack for each hour was the advice given to me. The CBeebies magazine for the 2 yr old- toys / activities/ stickers. That’s a good hour. iPad with pre loaded shows. Abandon all rules on screen time and snacking and indulge them.
don’t fly into Miami if you can avoid it- arrival there is bloody awful

We flew a lot with DS when he was a toddler.

Best hack I learnt was to safety pin the ends of the blanket to the seat in front and tuck the back of the blanket down the back of the chair. Then put toddler on top.

It creates a kind of hammock and saves hours and hours of having to pick up dropped toys.

Also iPad.

Enjoy Florida OP.

Most of all... just remember you are unlikely to see any of the other passengers again if it isn't a package holiday!

That still doesn't mean the parents of small children travelling long haul shouldn't try and make it easier for the other passengers as well as themselves though.

As I said earlier, if you look like you are trying to calm a distressed child other passengers witll be more understanding. It's parents that look on indulgently or shut themselves off with their headphones and phone and ignore a screaming, kicking child that pisses passengers off.

Piriton for them, a G&T for you.

Fly direct. Book the baby a seat (unless in business class). Non negotiable. If the budget won’t stretch to that don’t go. Don’t book a bulkhead so you can move arm rests. Your older one will be easy as long as they have ipad, headphones and snacks so make sure the adults take turns with the younger one.

Oh and there’s no way your kid is going in a bassinet at over 1. BA have like an over sized baby bouncer seat thing for older ones that will work but still I wouldn’t. You’ll all be comfier with them in their own seat.

Also - make it obvious you are trying your best. Most people are understanding if you are noticeably putting the effort in.

Those who choose to tut and grumble anyway would be complaining about something else if you weren't there.

DON’T

If it’s not necessary to travel don’t do it. That’s too long a flight for young children… Wait till they are older

Unless it is to visit relatives I would agree with @Cinderellla and wait a few years.

I would check the size of the bassinet as when ds was 8 months he only just fit

This is not to the op

but there is difference between babies crying and parents trying their best and parents who feel or kids cry so we do nothing I have experiences both and one is understandable the other is not

Get on at night if you can and hope that they both sleep as long as possible. Get a bassinet for the baby.

Don't expect to get any sleep yourself. Try to take turns with your DH so that you each get a little break.

Bring snacks and an iPad with shows downloaded if the 3 year old will watch that for a while. Get him comfy earphones and practice using them before you go.

Get on at night if you can and hope that they both sleep as long as possible.

Uk ->Florida kind of reduces options to almost certainly it being a day flight (and FWIW almost certainly rules out a lot of carriers mentioned by pp's such as Singapore or Aer Lingus if going non-stop...).

Thought I’d come back and update on this.

currenrly in nz with the kids.

three flights. From home to Heathrow. From Heathrow to Singapore (12.5 hours). Switcheroo of 2.5 hours in Changi airport then 9 hours to Auckland. A 3 year old and a 5 years old, DH and me who’s a nervous flier.

the kids were amazing.

both super engaged with the flight (first one). Ds (5) didn’t sleep. But was on his iPad and watching tv the whole time. Dd napped.

sexond flight they both slept for 6 of the nine hours. Dd somehow managed to get hold of 5 pillows and three blankets. I sat next to her (DH with ds in the row behind). Me and dd lucked out and had an extra chair on our row so we were able to spread ourselves over 3 seats.

they did however want to visit the toilet every god dam second they were awake.

the cabin crew on the flight (both Singapore air) were amazing. So attentive. They snuck the kids snacks and treated them amazingly. Constantly coming over to check if we were ok. If we needed anything etc. amazing.

4 more flights until we get home. Auckland to perth. Perth to Singapore. Singapore to London. Then London to home. Ooof. Fingers crossed the novelty of flying doesn’t wear off.

advice I’d give. Lower expectations. Be organised. And ask for help. Accept help from everyone. Throw all usual restrictions out of the window.

on the first big flight I switched seats with DH for a bit - this one we were a 3 and a 1. DH in the 3 with the dc. I sat on the other end of the row and when dd (in the middle) was asleep I got chatting with a mum on the row next to me. I held her baby while she went to the loo and also had her food.

&personally I prefer night flights - as kids are more likely to sleep. If you are breast feeding, you could feed on or just after take off (if seatbelt allows you). If toddler has milk before bed then could have that before take off?

Bring a bottle of water for drinking while the air pressure drops in their ears on take-off and landing. Advice from my GP.

You will be less stressed and your fellow travellers will thank you.

I got chatting with a mum on the row next to me. I held her baby while she went to the loo and also had her food.

This made me laugh. Did you eat her food?

Anyway, sounds like a marathon sprint around the world, well done.

This brings back memories of travelling back to the Uk on my own from Oz with dds 13mo and 2.5 via SIN/HKG. I bossed it. The first leg was a night flight so we all slept. I had 3 seats booked all the way. Yes to snacks and I made sure dd1 had a headset on to watch the screen.
When I landed at LHR there was a buggy car that took us to passport control and I was pretty much rushed through. T’was lovely.

My dds are still great at flying, we went everywhere with them.

Don’t allow screen time at home for the week before you fly so it’s more of a novelty

Yes take lots of snacks.

Expect to spend most of your time entertaining them on the flight. So lots of stories, stickers, playing with little toys. Also just chatting about things they can see.
Even if your toddler is toilet trained I would go back to pull ups for the flight.

Don’t do it!🤦‍♀️

Wait till they are older

Unlimited screen time for the older one and as others have said if they kick off just make an attempt to deal with it. It doesn’t really matter if it works or not, but if you look like you are trying you will have sympathy rather than judgement. SQ are great, and this may have changed, but when our kids were younger their kids’ meals were 80% chocolate and crap so keep an eye on it if sugar makes the older one hyper.

One important thing: lollipops for the times at takeoff and landing when the air pressure changes. We got through a LOT of chupa chips.

Agree on changes of clothes, and a spare top for you and DH as well. I remember one trip where I arrived covered in basically every bodily fluid.

The best toy for mine at 2-3 was "posting" things into a piggybank or mini postbox, retrieving them, and posting them again...

Fuzzy felt is also good. Paint-with-water.

They may well refuse the airport meal, so being a sandwich you know they'll eat.

You can get kids' headphones that are small and much better than the free airline ones. Volume is limited so as not to damage their ears.

Bring extra plastic bags in your carry on for dirty/wet stuff. And tissues!

I'm not long back from a trip to San Francisco AND Florida with my 2.5 year old. It was to see very elderly but not quite dying relatives, if that's ok with the curmudgeons.
It was mostly very shit - especially the long flight out when DD slept for all of 20 minutes.
My advice: take screens and download a ton of stuff to watch - make sure they use headphones!
Take it in turns quite strictly with your partner.
Don't stress out over the sleep thing too much (and consider buying melatonin sweets while you're out there... She slept 4 hours on the way back, BLISS)
And don't stress too much about people looking at you etc. You can only do so much. I was in tears quite a lot of the first flight, and quite a lot of it was just white hot shame at the idea of waking people up. I did my best though.