Two kids, 22 hour flight, help!!!

[Joso]

Hi. Promised I post this one up for my pal. She's got two kids - ten month dd and three year old ds. She's going to Oz next month and is looking for advice on maintaining her sanity during the flight. (she'll be with dh by the way). Any suggestions?

We did a 17 hour flight with DS when he was 8 months. A bloody nightmare, and I'm not sure there's much of a way round it.
WEll in advance ask for bulkhead / aisle seats and ask if they do the new babyseat things as an alternative to the 'bassinet' cots, as that will probably suit the baby better. It's like a car seat which fits to the bulkhead wall in front of you.
Drinks that take ages to suck.
familiar bedtime pillow or blanket to encourage sleep.
WE put sunglasses on DS to fool him into thinking it was darkAsk if the airlaine separate people with kids from lesser/greater mortals...you don't want to spend the whole flight protecting the Armani-clad knee of the passenger in the next seat...
Take a spare top for the ADULTS in hand luggage, SOMETHING will get spilt/smeared on your clothes.
Usual selection of lap-top toys,
maybe a walkman and new cassette with new action songs (hand actions rather than the okey-cokey) to learn.
Accept that unless the children are of an angelic patient, still nature, it's going to be hell, and set yourself up for it!

GOD......I simply couldn't think of anything worse! We went to Majorca when DS1 was 3.5 and DS2 was 16 months and that 2 hour flight was nothing short of absolute torture. It was so bad infact that I would never fly again until they are much much MUCH older.
I ditto everything that Blu has said and if that fail then sedation might be the answer

She is a very brave woman. (and her DH of course)

I just came back after 4 weeks in Oz with my DS who is nearly 1. We travelled Business Class, but I don't think there is that great an advantage over Economy when you travel with kids. I didn't get to relax, watch movies and sleep comfortable anyway, and even though the staff were friendly enough it is not like they took ds off our hands so we could eat a meal in peace as you hear happens to some people. I found the cot provided on the bulkhead was too small length ways for my DS who is not long for his age and so he slept on us, but when he was 8mths we went to Turkey and the cot worked really well - so it is worth a try.

On the way over I was a real martyr and didn't really ask my DH to help, but on the way back I had learnt my lesson. So number one is share the fun - though I guess with two kids both parents will be fully engaged. The flight attendants don't like you putting them on the floor (dangerous if turbulence), so when bub gets bored and fidgety the only thing to do is walk.

The main thing that was recommended to me was to take new toys so that they are engrossed more effectivley then they would be with more familiar toys.

I would recommend the parents shower in Singapore taking turns to mind the kids, if there is enough time - it will be the only 'me' time either parents get for the whole flight and will freshen them up. Take the Baby Bjorn or similar for the littley, as you won't get your stroller at Singapore or wherever you are refuelling and the Airports are huge.

Do not rely on the airline for food, I didn't thankfully, as they only had pureed food for v young babies.

Hopefully the 3 year old will like to play games and watch movies and it will be easier with the 10mth old if she is still breastfed. I don't normally breastfeed to sleep, but it works a dream on flights.

My DS has eczema which was under control before the flight but flared up under the dry warm conditions, so I would recommend moisturising the whole family to prevent skin dehydration and taking on board your own bottles of water as the service will be too slow and the portions too measly if you rely on the flight attendants.

HTH

I echo the others
Especially drinks with straws.
Which airline is she flying? IME the SE Asian cabin crew tend to be more prone to taking tinies off your hands, they took ds1 for half and hour when he was 6 months and lord knows what they did with him but we were happy.

One tip is to make eye contact or introduce yourself to those in adjacent seats and apologise in advance for any disruption on the flight your kids are likely to give. That way if anyone starts tutting or giving you the evil eye you can ignore them as you did warn them, IYSWIM

Ooooooh how fab!! Ta everyone...she's gonna be chuffed with all this advice...i'll find out which airline she's travelling on. But any further tips would be great...keep 'em coming please.

Lots of things to play with but NOT balls or things with wheels that will roll away down the aisle. Stickers very good for 3 year old, especially the reusable ones. Colouring things, walkman, lots of books they haven't seen before, plus some they have in case they don't like the new ones. Cards for playing snap. Our kids are 3.5 and 1.5 and will spend hours playing with little stretchy frogs, lizards and other insects (they're boys!).

Spare clothes for parents very important.

Boxes of raisins, mini cheddars, biscuits, sweets - whatever will take a while to eat and keep them quiet. Bananas are guaranteed to squidge all over hand luggage.

Can't think of anything else at the moment but will keep thinking.

We do 14 hour flights on top of a 2 hour flight once a year and I hate it. All I can say is just expect the worst and it probably won't be that bad. Also, the kids will probably be really tired when they get the other end and if they're crying they'll probably be whizzed through customs!

Both my boys (5.5 and 2.5) love those things where you get a cardboard background and lots of moveable stickers. I know I have got a couple in the past from Waitrose, and sometimes the "cheap" shops in the high street have them. They are only a couple of quid each but good value as my little one can play with them for ages. We have had Bob the builder, Thomas, thunderbirds and dinosaurs. Should keep her ds happy for a while.

there are a number of threads on this

try here

or here