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Flying with a 3 year old to Aussie-any tips really appreciated! Going on 9th Feb!

6 replies

alibo · 06/01/2007 19:18

I am flying alone with 3yr old ds to Australia. Any advice would be most welcome, regards sleep etc. He is a sleep fighter at the best of times! We are being met by relatives, and will only have a few hours stop in Dudai en route. I have flown there before, but that was 16 yrs ago!

OP posts:
alibo · 06/01/2007 19:19

That would be Dubai!

OP posts:
BuffysMum · 06/01/2007 19:20

Don't have a hot drink at any point on the flight - got scalded by my 3 year old!

Califrau · 06/01/2007 19:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alibo · 06/01/2007 19:31

OH MY GOD

OP posts:
arfishy · 06/01/2007 20:21

More helpfully - how old is the 3 year old? Just 3 or nearly 4?

I would watch Shae by Air (available on Amazon) if they are quite young or not used to flying. It's a DVD just for children about flying, airports and how to behave (ie no kicking the seat in front etc).

Does your airline have a children's channel in seat back screens? Still worth taking a portable DVD player if you can - this is always a lifesaver for me on flights.

If they are nearly 4 a leapster is good.

If you get the bulkhead seats (more room and nobody in front to kick) bear in mind that the arms don't fold up, so they can't lie across you to sleep (my BIG mistake).

Take some new little toys - magic colouring books are good (the ones that come in a foil packet with pens that only mark the special paper). Invisible answer books also good, they do them for littlies. Wrap them and bring them out when boredom strikes.

Take lots of food so you aren't at the mercy of the airline (you will have to ditch this when you arrive in Australia).

If you are thinking along the Phenergan lines, test it out a week beforehand, some it makes sleep, others it sends hyper.

Are you taking night flights or a mixture? I flew on two night flights with a Hong Kong stopover. These are better if you know they'll sleep, but also more scary if you think they won't sleep and you'll have to keep them quiet for 12 hours while the rest of the plane sleeps (or not in my case, as the screams travelled quite a long way).

I'm sure it will all be fine . Are you flying to Sydney?

RTKangaMummy · 06/01/2007 20:52
  1. don't let him sleep at airports
  1. take loads comics wrapped up in paper and give one per hour - better than books cos it doesn't matter if you loose them
  1. take pencils [coloured]
  1. make sure he runs around loads at airports not sitting down
  1. get a good nights sleep the night before you go
  1. order child's meal although DS has flown round the world twice and across the atlantic loads of times and refuses ALL airline food - child or not he eats at airport
  1. but the child's food comes first
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