Help! We need your tips please on surviving airports with babies and children...

[GeraldineMumsnet]

It's that time of year when parents trail through airports with suitcases, children, children's suitcases, babies, Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So how do you keep track of your offspring and your chattels? Do you have essential tips for what to do before you even leave home to smooth the whole process at the airport? And what about fodder - for you and the little ones? And distraction (we're thinking flight delays and the interminable wait to get your hire car when you get there)? Oh, and pushchairs and bottle warming, and packing restrictions?

We need your top tips for making the airport bit of going on holiday as painless as possible - on the outbound and homeward bound legs of your journey - please add them here.

Thank you.

My experience of flying long haul with a baby, take a spare set of clothes for yourself and partner. Also try any new foods, tubes or jars out before you go. My Dd threw up over my dh an hour in to a6 hr flight. It was foul. A papoose for walking up and down the aisle in the vain hope they might sleep is worth a try.

Following a seven hour delay at Malpensa airport, I'd say take twice as many nappies as you think you'll need.
DD was about 18 months old and a lovely settled little girl. A combination of staying overnight in Dubai, getting up at 04.30 and said delay turned her bowels to something nasty.
Since we knew how often she generally poo'd we only took six nappies. Normally more than enough and a change of clothing. DD got the shits really badly and there was nowhere to buy nappes at the airport.
Security let DH leave with very bad grace.
Following that experience, we always flew directly whenever possible.

Heathrow's Terminal 5 now has a family line in operation (think there are two of these) at their security checkpoints. They have decorated the conveyor to make it more friendly to children. Staff were giving out "I'm a security star" sticker to each child.

instead of a DVD player a small media player with a larger memory and lots of favourite films loaded on

If travelling with a very young baby, take a normal bed pillow with you to put across your lap so they can sleep comfortably on the plane. (assuming you never get the mythical seats with bassinets as happened to us.)

Write your phone numbers and those of contacts at arrivals too on a piece of paper (or directly on the child) with name of said child if he is not able to tell anybody.

Have a ergo carrier with you (or similar) for the smaller one.

Dress children in a similar colour easy to spot in the crowd (bright peach is unusual and very "spotable" )

ask for help; airport staffs are incredibly helpful if you are polite, alone with children and look slightly overwhelmed.

Try to book the flights during meal times and nap times (so part of the waiting is filled up)

Find the play-ground (if not closed)

Let the children run and unload their steam in the airport, not on the plane

don't take books, magazines... for you it is heavy and you won't have any time (a kindle is fab though)

Take only what you can carry yourselves in case you have to walk to the airport, take train or bus, something unexpected happen....

For the annoying airports/airlines who don't let you keep your buggy learn how to use a short wrap or ring sling. 1 way of carrying will do. Plus it turns into an instant blanket if necessary!

Reserve cartons of formula for the flight beforehand at the airside Boots if there is one, pack sterile bottles, collect once past security.

For teething babies remember to pack calpol in sachets or homeopathic teething powders in hand luggage with enough to cover any delays.

Remember that most airports are cold....

If travelling between different climates have a small foldup bag to store top layers in - most airports are aircojditioned so you'll all be wearing your extra layer, don't carry bulky raincoats - have pacamacs instead, and when layers need to come off whip out your bag, stuff them all in and look smug as everyone else staggers under the weight of coats and jumpers/trails them all over the floor.

Calpol in sachets for sore ears, teething etc (hv recommend giving half dose to dd when at gate so was working b4 take off) Teething powders too, but if Ashton and parsons keep in box :o
Sticker book, fav mag or colouring (just remember the crayons)
spare clothes
Lots of nappies
Travel potty if dc still quite young (some double as toilet seat)
Extra spare clothes for baby - I went through 3 sets on a 1hr flight when dd 4mth
New toy/presents to be brought out at intervals when/if needed
sling was essential for me when travelling alone and doubles as reins.

• trunki has already been mentioned...brilliant
• gey a sling or carrier for kids under 2, as at some airports the pushchair is only returned with the luggage after you had to queue at immigration for an hour
• get small fiddly snacks to keem 'em occupied
• a spare t-shirt needs to be in the handluggage for everyone
• we keep spares for the dc in a ziplock bag, that way the soiled/vomited on clothes can go in there after changing
• a large IKEA or laundry bag comes in handy with budget airlines as you can often only take one item of hand luggage. you can just put the toy bag, your handbag and all thosr bits and bobs is there.

Another vote for fiddly snacks - raisins kept DS amused for ages!
We actually had a really positive experience flying with our toddler earlier this summer.
We also took loads of books and a brand new volume-controllable toy (mini laptop).
We were also able to take our pushchair right up to the plane. Check in staff also helped us with our bags and opened a separate check in for us to make it easier for us.
I echo another post on here - sadly it's not even worth considering a book or magazine for you - especially if you will be sitting with a child on your lap during the flight.

i would recommend you take a baby in a baby carrier rather than a buggy. This can allow the baby to sleep as well as allow you to negotiate steps and around people if required. you can take it on the plane and hence not worry about whether the buggy will be at the gate at the other end.

Use airport lounges that allow children. For about £30 per person, it is well worth it. They are quiet and relaxing and away from the hustle and bustle of the airport.....a little oasis of calm.

We are flying from Heathrow on Monday, my children are older now and can amuse themselves pretty much. (11&8)

I always take Crayola Colour Wonder pens and pads - they dont go on clothes just the paper, it is a brilliant invention. Hand held game thingies eg DS fully charged for delays/boredom on plane. Colouring pencils and paper, a new book to read and they can choose a magazine airside if they want to, keeps them occupied for a little while.

I plan on packing some snacks for them in hand luggage and once airside will buy some drinks and things to take on the plane (5.5hr trip) so not too long but no idea if the food will be edible.

We also play eye-spy, the ministers cat, and an animal game that we sort of made up.

Use a trunki with a little child. Fantastic with my 3 year old - something to sit on when tired - pulled through airport really fast when needed to get to gate and had all her toys in. Absolutely worth the money.

oh and a pashmina or two as I always get chilly on a plane. Also doubles up as a little pillow for DC if they need it.

Also taking ipad with Wheres Wally and other timewasting interesting things on for kids.

I have downloaded books for me and kids onto my kindle.

lastly, a trunki is a must. We used one when DD was smaller it was a godsend when she was tired or we needed to move fast. She sat on it and got pulled along.

Try and make sure that the kids aren't wearing anything with metal unless you like the idea of a 2 year old sparking off a security alert.

Have a large vodka and tonic in the lounge.

my little tip is take a fabric sling with you (a good big over shoulder wrap or ring sling not a frame carrier or babybjorn). It just rolls down into the hand luggage, so when you are without your pushchair you can keep your baby/toddler safe and under control whilst hanging about in passport control/baggage reclaim.

Beach ball. Invaluable for tiring out kids at airport departure lounges so they'll sleep on long haul flights, if everyone waiting to board your flight sees you exercising your kids they'll appreciate your efforts even if they don't sleep. Also won't damage laptops if it accidentally hits them unlike a tennis ball.

Sort out the fussy eating so you don't have to take special stuff. IME ordering a child's meal on the plane just means they get the same as the adults but with crisps or chocolate or some junk instead of something like the dessert. Special meal requests are normally served first but this can be more of a problem on a full long haul flight because you can't get up to go to the loo until the crew have moved the trollies and/or cleared the trays which can take up to an hour.

Make the child take responsibility for their own toys and tat by carrying it in a rucksack.

Dress small kids in pyjamas before overnight long haul flights.

One of those magnetic magic sketch boards with attached 'pencil' gives them something to do but no pens to draw on you, the seats, the plane etc and no pens lost under seats.

Don't bother with the kids meals on planes. DD didn't touch one meal in 52 hours flying. She wld have enjoyed regular meals more and the snacks are better. Thank goodness I took lots of grapes with me!

Contrary to many other posters - DON'T buy a trunk! Yes they look cute and u can get a lot in them but you just try opening it in a cramped airplane seat to get to favourite toys.... It's not a small bag!

You will also end up carrying said trunk and small child instead if small child looking cute excitingly pulling gruffalo trunki. If they do pull it they will take out plenty of other travellers kneecaps/toes.

And for added joy, when at your destination, your dc can attempt to cut off younger dc's toes/fingers by trapping them in the trunki and trying to close it... It has a hard plastic sharp edge...

Just get a small backpack with favourite film characters on the back.....

Sticker books are superb....as is a box set of peppa pig DVDs!

A beach ball? In the departure lounge? Seriously?

I can't imagine many worse things to be encouraging your kids to be playing with ib an overcrowded place full of fractious people.

I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't like trunkis and likes them even less in the hands of children who can't control them.

I also agree with pp about beach ball!

I think as important as it is to find things to keep your children happy it is equally as important to make sure things aren't to annoying for other travellers.

We've travelled a lot and never bought trunki's for the exact reasons given by cherub59 (mostly the one about having to carry child AND trunki when they are too tired to sit on it, let alone pull it themselves...). Little backpack each, much better.

Ella's Pouches are great for long distance flights if your dc's are the right age. EVen if you won't need them for the journey, they are easy to pack for emergencys (as we found out when diverted to a 3rd country to spend a day in a hotel with no local money and no airline rep to be found...). You can feed them to the child direct from the pouch.

Most of my other tips have already been posted.