18h flight solo with baby and toddler, yay or nay?

[Mnk711]

Not sure if this should be in parenting or holidays but, am currently considering an 18h plane journey alone with a baby and toddler and wondering if this is feasible. For those who say I'm mad, quite possibly yes but I took my 15 month old to India in summer during a heatwave, again flying alone, and that went OK 😅except for when our return flight was delayed 3h and she was desperate for milk but I couldn't breast feed her in public at the gate so she screamed for hours.

Any tips from seasoned two child solo travellers? I think there are no direct flights so I'd also have to change planes but might be possible to get my holiday buddy to meet us in the airport to do the local flight together.

Sounds like hell. How will you manage when the toddler needs to go to the loo and you’re trying to deal with a toddler in an aeroplane toilet and carry a baby

No chance

I wouldn’t unless it’s to see family (and you will be well looked after once you arrive). Absolutely not for a holiday.

We did. Almost 4 year old and 10 month old. 18 hours. And for a holiday. It was absolutely fine. 3 year old was so delighted to have their own TV and baby slept, enjoyed interaction and changing them both, feeding etc was all fine.
I also have friends who live across the globe from their parents and regularly travel. It's just one day and it's never as bad as you think.

Why would you do this to yourself?
What will you do when you need the loo?

@LadyGAgain you wrote we, the OP is travelling on her own with 2 DC.

I honestly couldn't. I've got a 2.8 year old and due my 2nd in may and I can't see myself flying from Belfast to Newcastle to see my family with them both and that's only a 45 minute flight. My toddler is hard enough. What happens if you need to change the baby's nappy on the plane? You can't fit the toddler in the tiny toilets as well.

Before I fell pregnant me, my partner and toddler travelled to America (7 hour flight) and it was hell. My toddler doesn't like to sit and watch TV as she's more of an outdoorsy type and she finished her colouring in books and got sick with all her toys we brought . It was so hard to keep her still and no one wants a toddler running around when they are trying to sleep.

If I just had a newborn I'd do a long flight but not with a toddler. As a newborn my daughter travelled great and we would book the bulkhead with a bassinet and she'd sleep 90% of the flight. A baby carrier helped loads getting her off and on the plane.

I can't believe you left a toddler screaming for hours because you couldn't breast feed her.

Sure, it wouldn’t be my favourite day but it wouldn’t worry me. Entertaining two at different ages is always a bit of a trial no matter where you are but you can prep for stuff like this. I’d be sure to take a carrier for one or both and then you only have to wrangle one at a time. Snacks. Lots of milk. Small toys and stories. Like PPs I’ve done similar, and more than once.

It’s just a day of childcare, slightly more cramped than the average day but you’ll get there. What age is the baby? Newborns and younger are obviously easier but older are more distractable and interactive

why would you not feed your baby??

Lots of people do it but primarily to see family. It can be tough but survivable. Remember it's not just once, you've got the return journey as well.

What would your plans be once you arrive because the jet lag is going to be a killer - bitter experience is they'll tag team through the night so at no one point will both of them be asleep! So I'd only recommend doing it if you're in your destination long enough to recover (will your travel buddy help with this?) - and same on way back, can you have time off or is it straight back in to work/childcare routines? (any help back home?)

Not to be that one-upping person but I once did a 30hour long haul alone (included 12 hours in Santiago Airport) and it was manageable. People were really kind, I had no shortage of people offering to hold the baby or entertain the toddler. It won’t be fun but you’ll get through it.

Personally I wouldn't, but if you feel you must, you can book assistance for when you arrive at the airport. You then get put on a buggy with your luggage and babies and get taken through check-in, customs, security etc so it's physically not such an issue.
The problem is more, as people have said, when you need to go to the loo yourself on the plane, or change a nappy, or take toddler to the toilet. Although I expect that cabin staff would help out.

My goodness - I couldn't even do an hour!😅

I did, 30 something hours from Melb to London with a 3.5 yo and a 6mo. I had just recovered from gastro so barely eaten in a week, it’s a marathon. Baby in a sling, pack like it’s a competitive sport, trunki suitcase to pull 3.5yo along, just keep going. My Dh met me at the airport though and I handed over to him for most of the next 24 hours.

re loo, baby is in carrier on your front and you ask flight attendant to watch 3.5yo, sometimes the attendants will say they will hold baby too.

Check the airline rules... I'd be surprised if they let you fly with two children....

I've just done a 14hr flight with a baby and a 4 year old and it was fine. They slept for most of it, we took loads of snacks, tablet, colouring books and random toys for the baby to bite. The baby had a bassinet on the plane, which you usually book in advance. I think it would have been impossible without it unless they'd had their own seat with restraints, or another adult.

It's very doable - flight attendants will help at intervals if needed.
I've done it with mine, I left the baby sleeping in the bassinet when taking toddler to bathroom etc. Nobody's going to nick the baby! Kept toddler occupied with stickers and TV shows.
We all slept well. 18 hours is punchy but if you've got a baby that travels well and you're nursing, the biggest challenge is if you have a willful toddler at either side of the plane. Far harder to manage them in the airport (plus bags!!) than actually on the plane!

Good luck!

Good point. I have baby twins so would need a fellow adult for the flight. Not sure if the rules for baby and toddler

You need to check ages and airline first. Some don’t allow one adult with 2 young children.

If the toddler is two or over it will be fine.

I think you need to ask yourself can you manage this- are you a practical coper sort of person. Do you know mentally what you will do in the different scenarios.

It’s 18 hours so you will not be getting much sleep and might well end up awake for 30+ hours. So for me the question is less the Flight and much more the holiday. Kids with jet-lag are not going to be cooperative/easy and can take a surprisingly long amount of time to get their clock reset.

So could I do it- sure not a problem, would I? Probably not.

For me personally no but depends on your kids. I have 8 year old, 3 year old and 6 month old. I've taken the toddler abroad twice at 18 months and 2.5.

4 hour flight.. Hardest 4 hours of my life and my partner was with me. 😂 He wouldn't sit, grabbed the ice from my drink and it hit a poor lady. He threw his shoes, toys, touched people's heads. Normal toddler stuff.

Luckily everyone saw the funny side but 18 hours would've been too much (for me).

I did it once slightly longer travel time plus 3 hour layover with baby in bassinet and toddler with a seat.

I won't sugar coat it, it wasn't easy and I did shed a tear at one point (baby vomited and I caught it in my cupped hands 🤢).

But it's definitely doable.

Use a travel pram for the layover and a baby sling.

My advice make friends with the flight attendants and any friendly nearby passengers and take up any offers to give you a break as you'll need them to watch toddler so you can go to the bathroom (I took baby with me and somehow managed to balance them etc).

Be as minimal as you can be with hand luggage as you'll be carrying baby and holding toddler hand or pushing. Dress DC's in old clothes you can dispose of and change into nice clothes for your arrival.

Lastly as soon as you reach your destination make sure you have family waiting to handover DC's to deal with jet lag etc so you can get some rest.

I've done a six-hour flight with two very young ones ... never again. At the end I staggered off the plane, covered with every bodily fluid you can think of.

The toddler wouldn't sleep on the plane but dozed off in the passport queue, so somehow I had to shuffle forward in the queue while carrying him, the baby and the bags. I can't even remember how - someone must have helped. Never been so glad to see the pushchair (in the baggage hall) in my life.

I wouldn't.