Travelling to New Zealand with a 5 year old

[ForRubyZebra]

Has anyone any tips/hacks or any travelling necessities to take for 14 hour flight then a 12 hour flight travelling alone with a just turned 5 year old, I’m absolutely dreading it. It will also be her first time flying.
thanks

Do you have a over night stop in between? We did this the other way around with our 2 year old, but we purposely stopped one night in San Francisco in between to get a good night sleep. Even with the rest it was a very very exhausting journey. I wouldnt want to do it again😔

Tire hire out before you get on the plane and use Natures Aid bed time drops so she sleeps well. A decent travel pillow is an essential, and also a sleep mask (but get her used to using it before you fly). I normally buy the dc a babyccino at the airport as they’re used to having warm milk before bed.
My dc each take their own decent-sized backpack for travelling packed with stuff to occupy them and anything else they need for the flight. Not only does it take the weight off my back, it also means they don’t have to keep bothering me for this or that during the flight.
Take her to the toilet onboard whenever you use it, once again to minimise disruption.

Eye mask, Primark have some adult ones in now that have cushioning around they eyes so they dont press on the eye lids, they have an adjustable strap, it fits my 7yr old.
Favourite teddy
Full calpol and kids Nurofen
Lots of snacks
Sweets as treat
I love Crayola magic pens/pads as no mess
Mine loves the Top Model doll sticker books so i buy a couple prior to each holiday for a surprise on the plane
I got her some mini jigsaws from the Works which were £1
Also this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ainiv-Educational-Learning-Intelligence-Silicone/dp/B0BGS97ZX3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31I78KTZX4GLK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UGmr40-Bhh0OAIR6xjrTCGz6bEljXIbkrT56ETSzNtC4TK0tWovzy_14IllOnCgRxcgvEH3Wp33Dvr1SzQv2YEhfvACvDo_16JDQoSVOVUAbR7eXVYRAduPLkAT_YZLerMFpHeHUzN4eiXghvMsparBIKVMWdbzO9AEoFIaRA0pzoUSR-dpOnWrgTKyvZDA-2ZgPMplwnZ05yF33z7C8b1hFtiK3rJBm7Mamgyfv3_XDOKTk1Vdy5MdfM4lxZot2yUx2PSZGVCcwz8uTsKJ78ZuHjYdIATaFGAW4Pwfo5i8.baXPvRu7PEDoNqmP1dCwFXb4bSPdITlup8yNld4F6bQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=tetris+poppet+puzzle&qid=1713174358&sprefix=tetris+pop%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1

Could be a placebo effect but my daughter also likes these 'magic stickers'
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BuzzPatch-SleepyPatch-Promoting-Stickers-Adults/dp/B09WGNCD42/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3JXTP11K1N663&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4mYqOfA_L3Dxtu-lcIK-nmI0Cl-2W95V2gMa9WXGOijHKIGRmemm30qwkzNRf0vhE61jAt24MsCa9FZjI-QXsQBeCeQDPqgA-nxhMNVvxGyt0M3rBCmwmkwUvVbQ6YZjwAHDpKiw1mmMff21OqNG9CJzRhu8i1Cg0b_-xE5XfIzSx1k8ArU46FqiWXBe9-CtIdGA5_vZYxRRjqGRyLpkZ6GJ78y0F16VyQ0xuK5updRQclOAoJ0caU4vF0m8rmZ1D5GhSA8pvoF76qZo1qHvPKQlzCdyK-BN1y6zla7TK0w.yiI-HGSC9Kd48vH6Z0oHhyPgqEj_3EevTXSaqYlXasw&dib_tag=se&keywords=sleep+stickers&qid=1713174401&sprefix=sleep+stickets%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Pre-order the kids meal options. They get served first before everyone else, which is a God send if you’ve got a hangry child!

5 will be ok! Small enough to sleep. Big enough to be excited by getting to watch lots of TV and not wanting to toddle up and down the aisles the whole flight, escape while you sleep or cry. Just take plenty to do and let them watch all the TV and they will sleep for at least a third of it.

Loaded tablet, snacks, pillow and blanket, colouring, puzzles, card games, magazines, books. My 5yo would love it.

We’re stopping in Singapore for 12 hours so have booked the hotel to sleep I’m just so stressed and anxious about the whole thing x

thank you, unfortunately both our flights are day flights and when we land in Singapore it’s daytime there so I’m tempted to keep her awake really late the night before flying but worried this will backfire on me and she will be awful!! Definitely going to look at the drops! Thanks

Definitely going to try these or the drops I was going to give her piriton 🤣

She is an extremely picky eater terrified of food so I doubt she would eat any meals anyway so just going to have to bring lots of airport snacks unfortunately

Has anyone ever used the Jetkids Bedbox she’s an extremely ratty moany child and I just worry that she’s going to be a nightmare at passport control and baggage collection she tends to throw herself to the ground screams cries it’s all rather embarrassing but if she had one of those I could turn he aeroplane seat into a bed and use it for her to sit on but they’re a lot of money, so before I buy I’d like to know if they’re worth it

@ForRubyZebra if she's a picky eater could you take her shopping before the flight to get her favourite things to make a packed lunch?
We always did this with ours before a flight as part of the holiday , picking their own treats and lunches and just bought drinks at the airport .

@ForRubyZebra I would check that your airline allows it, lots don’t. Check with the
actual airline and not the retailer who will say anything to sell it! Unless she’s very small at 5 I would encourage sleeping upright rather than on you. We just did long haul (12hrs) with 6yo DS and tried him lying across us but we both got headbutted and kicked. Window seat with a decent travel pillow worked much better.

The flight is a means to an end, and it’s finite. Your child has as much right to be on the plane as anyone else and as long as she isn’t kicking the seat in front/throwing stuff then ignore anyone moaning about kids on planes.

wrapping up new toys and giving a new one out each hour worked well. £ shop stuff like a colouring book, new jigsaw etc.

I have it, love it for rolling round the airport, it's easy access on the plane as the lid lifts off unlike a trunkie which opens like a suitcase.
We've never asked, have used it on a few flights in bed mode, to be honest it didn't really work, she never stayed on it, ended up wriggling over one of us. I found it easier to have her sleep on my lap, took a large scarf of mine with some of my perfume on so she had a familiar smell and would wrap that over her.

It will be fine! You're imagining it worse than it will be. I used to do the trip London to Melbourne every 2 years with 2 dc.

Just set your expectations. It's possible your dc won't sleep at all, will watch more TV than you thought possible and will hate all the airline food.

Take snacks, load up your tablet and layer clothes for the plane. They make it super cold when it's time to sleep and bloody warm when they want you to wake. Take sliders for the bathroom trips. Do NOT go in the toilets without shoes 🤢

I would never do a layover though. That's seriously just prolonging the pain 🙈

Another one coming to say you'll be fine. They'll need to eat for flights that length. Don't let them go hungry and just rely on airport snacks. Which airline is it? The food is usually very safe and nothing challenging.

The inflight entertainment is very good. But you can also use your own tablet if you bring a usb cable to charge the device. We also got noise cancelling handphones because it's very hard to hear without it.

But 5 year olds will find the space plenty big to sleep and relax in.

Kids meal option when we last flew with Singapore airlines was mac n cheese, a pot of cherry tomatoes, milkshake and Kit Kat.

Book your seats in advance (worth the extra $) even if just for the long leg to be sure to be seated in the bulkhead. Helps to have the extra room and everyone around knows it's the 'kid zone'. Good luck! Enlist the universal aunt types (hi) to help you with strollers and extra luggage etc. If you're flying through singapore there's HEAPS of awesome kid stuff to do at the airport so you can get a coffee and a red bean bun and your kid can either run around chasing butterflies or playing in all the play zones or have a decent sleep on one of their many massive sleeping benches. good luck to you!

also fwiw my sister reckons kids that age on the plane are totally fine -- much harder is 2-3. 5 year olds watch tv and sleep and get a bit jazzed about the adventure. Do you know about trunkli luggage also? might be too old, not sure. but they're nifty. go well!

Mine flew long haul easy at that age. The map with little plane sent them to sleep too. Books, puzzles, favourite snacks