Flying long haul with kids

[Pinkpeanut27]

I'm
Not a great flyer usually stick to a couple of hours easy jet to Europe!
DH has booked us a once in a life time holiday to Florida/NYC
I have kids 13,13,6 . I'm
Assuming the big kids will just plug into films/ devices and make it through ?
Any tips for 6 yr old not sure he has ever say still for more than 2 hours !
Should he have his own back pack or as my DH says it will just be too much luggage and we should take stuff for him in our hand luggage .
DH used to travelling but alone in business class !

I'm getting quite stressed and worried I'll put a downer on the holiday .

Any tips !

I never understand the fuss about flying with children. You just get on with it tbh. They'll probably watch movies and play games throughout. If you're the sort of person who panics about the idea of a flight with children i would bet a million spondoolies that your children have ipads and ds thingies too. And if they are grotty or unwell or bored or whatever, well, you just deal with it. It's for a finite amount of time. It will pass and then you'll be on holiday.

Oh, i was so busy with that bee in my bonnet that i forgot to give you any advice. Here it is: if it's a night flight, insist they sleep. No screens allowed. Otherwise they'll watch crap tv for 7 hours straight and be so overtired when you get there they'll throw up in the queue for passport control.

I just take a book for my 5 and 6 year olds. Plus some paper and nice pens. They write stories, draw, play hangman, read books. Otherwise they also watch a film on long haul using in flight screens, and sleep. Or eat. We fly long haul roughly every 6-8 weeks with them

Or throw up in the taxi on the way home. Bring a plastic bag to be on the safe side if they refuse to sleep.

My DC have flown long haul since they were babies. At 6 they did have their own carry on with whatever magazines, DS/iPad etc they wanted to bring. You might want to check what they pack- even now, DD is notorious for brining the most random assortment of items imaginable. They'll probably spend the whole flight flicking between those and the films on the plane. Do try to make them sleep a bit on the way home!

I'd never considered they'd throw up through lack of sleep , now that's an extra worry ! We have a 2 pm flight there night flight back .

Once let my older ds pack a bag to take on holiday , got on the plane to find it full of rocks!

I flew to Australia with my 6 yr old and it was better than short haul flights!!!! She packed a couple of bits in her back pack with the understanding she was carrying it - packed teddy, colouring etc but between the air stewards handing out freebies, the flow of drinks and food and the cartoons/games onboard, she was an angel slept when she was supposed to and yes, she got tired but if was no way near what I was dreading. Good luck

Dd has done Florida a few times (and other US flights) from 2y and she's now 14.

Even when small she loved films and being able to watch a TV programme or film with headphones.

When smaller we also took a smaller bag (or her Trunkie booster cushion) full of small distractions - magazines, colouring or puzzles, magnetic travel game or card game, sticker books, reading books, small toy car/doll/play set (she had a couple of the small magnetic travel Playmobil sets) and some small snacks. Nowadays you could also take a tablet - most seats have USBs so can charge too.

Dd has always loved flying and never been a problem at all.

13y will probably just plug themselves in for the 7/8 hours and watch back to back movies ime.

Dd has never been ill from travelling. When smaller she would sleep, less so as she got older other than the odd nap if a night flight.

Use jet lag to your advantage in Florida - up early to get to the parks for opening time.

Your 6 year old will probably be fine. My DC were notorious for throwing up in excitement when I would wake them to GO on holiday. DD was 5 when she threw up in the taxi. Fortunately they seem to grow out of it- DS is 14 now and this year has been to Panama and Taiwan and wasn't sick at all.

Long haul flights are much easier than you are probably imagining. Honestly.

And yes, ditto to using jet lag to your advantage! We're usually wide awake before 6:00AM on the first morning so head off to a park for opening and kill off lots of rides before the big crowds arrive.

And join the Orlando thread! There's a new one recently started. We're off there next week to "enjoy" the August heat!

Who are you flying with? Virgin hands out backpacks to young kids (your teens prob won't be interest), with a few bits of tat - that keeps them entertained for a bit.

We flew long haul with our 6 year, they watched a bit of kiddie tv, picked at the meal and then slept. It wasn't so bad.

when i took my daughter who was 4 at the time i packed her a surprise bag filled with new colouring books,pens,party bag toys,small toys,sweets,sticker books just little fun things as a surprise. That combined with the tv she was happy

night flight back she was asleep

We are flying with BA.
Not actually doing the theme parks but having a few days on Miami beach to chill out before going to NYC

For NYC, if you want to do the Statue of Liberty, book Crown tickets for the first time slot as soon as the tickets are released. If you are on the first ferry across you will have the crown completely to yourself! We did that in April and then went to Ellis Island. By the time we got back it was lunchtime and the queue for the ferry wound all the way around Battery Park and was three hours long! (know this because a friend of DH was stuck in that queue . ).

Thanks

We are back , all 3 kids just watched movies the whole time!
Took a few colouring and sticker books for my youngest , he was so happy he refused to sleep on either flight!
Plane food was grim but we were able to eat some of it but took some snacks to supplement it.
So all my worries were in vain!