Travelling to Australia with a 1 YO

[tracywillbelivid]

Looking for any advice, next year I'm travelling to OZ & back with my 5 YO & 1 YO. Flying from London to Dubai, break for a couple hours then onwards. Same on the return 2 weeks later.

Flying with Emirates. 1 YO will be almost 2 but have been told he can have my lap as a seat which helps out cost wise but I read 2 YO's have to be under 10KG for this which is 1.5 stone & I'm pretty sure he's nearing that now so not sure how that works as I imagine most under 2's are in the same boat.

Anyway he's a little terror & doesn't sit still generally. 5 YO is good as good. Any ideas/tips/advice for anyone having done a long haul before much appreciated as I am dreading it. TIA!

I did a similar trip by myself with my kids when they were 1 and 2. You'll be fine! I'm not sure about the weight for the 2 year old thing but in my experience nobody is going to weigh him to check.

People are also generally very helpful and understanding when they see a lone parent with 2 kids. Staff led me to the front of the queues, offered to help with my luggage, offered the use of a buggy to bring me to the gate, priority boarding, etc. The cabin crew also offered to hold baby so that I could eat or pop off to the toilet. Bring a baby carrier with you to the plane it'll be much easier if you have to walk up and down the aisle to coax him to sleep. Pack more diapers than you think you'd need, extra snacks, and a change of clothes. Good luck!

I did Aus to England and back again when my twins were 6 and my LO was 11 months. I had a bassinet for my youngest and kept him on my lap outside of that time. Lots of snacks, novel toys, screen time allowed. At the end of the trip each way, I made sure we all gots lots of exposure to afternoon sun to help us sleep at night, and we all coped with the jet lag really well.

I've done this trip many times, with small people of varying ages but admittedly never on my own with 2 kids. One trip we flew with a 9 week old baby because one of my parents passed away and I wasn't going to miss the funeral. It's just one of those things you do when you live on the opposite side of the world, or your partners family. Ignore everyone saying don't do it. I think you just get through it as best you can, expect it to be rubbish and hopefully be pleasantly surprised. Take sticker books, colouring pencils, loads of snacks and iPads or other tablets loaded with movies, just in case the airlines kids entertainment is inadequate. Not all airlines are equal. Hope the change of planes does not fall at a time when the kids are likely to be sleeping.

We did this with just one 18mth old DD who was small for her age two parents and got the skycot seat - she never slept or sat in the cot thing but what it did give us was the floor space which made a bed nest space for her and or I sat there on floor a bit whilst she conked out across mine and DH seat. It wasn’t fun. She just didn’t sleep more than 2hrs the whole leg to Singapore- I was That parent with crying baby - we got medised the antihistamine type drug for the journey home whilst in Sydney which gave her only 6hrs sleep on the flight back which was a god send. Honestly if you don’t need to take them I’d prefer a shorter trip with just the 5yr old maybe and go without. Or just accept your lose 2-3d to no or little sleep with jet lag & travel. Good luck hope you get to enjoy the wedding.

Dont give kids under 6 phenergen. Australian Health Authorities have recently put out a warning that phenergen is unsafe for kids under 6. I don't know how to put a link in, but if you google it something should come up.

His is in response to someone higher up the thread who recommended this.

Perhaps she can only afford Australia if she only buys one seat.

If you can possibly afford it, do it though. I have done the trip many times and I don’t think I have ever seen anybody attempt to travel with a near two year old on their lap. It sounds like a nightmare. If you are flying economy, won’t eating be a problem?

Buy the seat! I've done this flight a lot with varying age combos up to 6 - it is absolutely worth the money.

Other things that helped:

Those water colouring in books
Flap books
I wrapped up in newspaper a bunch of tatt so they'd periodically get a new present
Lots of snacks
Unlimited table use
Lots of walking up and down the aisle

But really, the flights weren't that bad. Don't let it out you off holiday, sounds fab! It's only one day, and people on the whole (some notable exceptions in this thread!) are quite kind when they see you alone with multiple small kids.

I flew with my DD (20 months) and DS (3). Luckily not alone! For the longest bit we had a bulkhead bassinet thing - there's only two I think so you have to request it when booking. It meant my girl could nap in it. She was big(over 4kg at birth) so certainly over 10kg and barely fit into it but it was a relief for me. Had to take her out if any turbulence though which was a pain (and I couldn't see how it was safer).
I'm actually surprised they'll let you fly on your own with two so young.

Having just got off a long haul flight that was only half the length of yours, there's not a chance in hell I would do this.

I'd either leave him at home if possible (are you with his father or single parent?) or not go and watch the wedding on a live feed. Could you leave him for less time, maybe go for ten days?

I've left a toddler at home for a week (with my dm staying at my house) and he was absolutely fine, as was I.

Is his dad staying at home? Honestly? If so I’d leave him with his dad but take the older child

Do you have to go?
And do you have to go on your own?

Not gonna lie - it'll be exhausting!

My daughter and son IL did this in July. Same stop over too.
If you can book a seat where you have a wall in front of you instead of another row of seats, gives you a bit more leg room and wiggle room... my daughter taped dinosaurs/ small toys to the wall for GD to pick off, kept her busy for a bit!!! They used the pool in Dubai I think to allow for some energy burn off and change of atmosphere.
There babies on the flight I did in October last year, once the lights went down they did settle to some degree... one mum was alone with a boisterous boy toddler, another passenger helped her to eat.
Good luck, you'll do it x

Oh my god, I have done that flight more than 15 times with one then two kids from the age of 12 weeks up. If I was in economy and couldn't have afforded a seat for the nearly two year old, I would not have gone, even without taking the older sibling into account. Although the older sibling will be fine, toddler on lap would be a special kind of hell. You already say your two year old is a terror, just wait until your stuck in a seat with them with a seat belt sign on.

What if one of them is ill and this is highly,. highly likely on your return with kids visiting an opposite season country. I've never once visited Oz or NZ without a child or myself catching something. Unwell toddlers can scream for hours on a plane.

Just max your credit card out with another grand and half and buy the toddler a seat and get an airline approved car seat to take on board and strap them in it.

Sorry but I just wouldn't. I did 29 hours Australia to Japan and back when my little was 6 months old, we were in business class and has a bassinet, and I still wouldn't do it again. Just no. It's too long and extremely stressful. Even if the little one isn't crying you just don't know if and when they start wailing and they might go on for 5 hours. Seen it at another flight. Not pretty.

On your lap?! Economy? I just cannot.

Thanks to everyone who posted helpful comments.

To be clear, I'm happy to buy LO a seat, Emirates just advised because of his age I didn't have to if I didn't want to. But I will.

For those saying just leave him at home, I watched him fight for his life in ICU when he was 4 days old & this has made me very health anxious towards him. I would love to be able to just leave him at home with his dad, but my anxiety won't allow it. I would miss him terribly, but I know it would be 1000% easier if I could allow myself to leave him for that length of time.

Thanks again :-)

The seat thing.
If under 2, they need a plane approved car seat, or to be on your knee, when the seat belt signs are on (take off, landing, turbulence).
I honestly would buy him a seat, but expect him to be sat on you for a fair chunk of time. Even if it's the whole time, it means you can put the arm rest between the seats up, and the 3 of you generally spread out.

Just throwing a curveball suggestion at you. Could the 5 year old stay at home with Dad, and just you and the baby go?

I would not do this - it's not fair on the wriggly terror, or you, or other passengers. If you absolutely have to take him then definitely buy him the seat, but I would be looking at working on my anxiety by leaving him for short spells and then gradually increasing it (our eldest was also in ICU when he was very little so I know what it's like) with a view to leaving him at home.

I've done the trip a few times with small children at different ages, it's not the most fun or relaxing 24 hours, but it is doable. As someone above said, you just have to get through it. And I agree with you, I'd 100% prefer two days of plane tedium than two weeks without my 2 year old (nor do I think this is massive anxiety, it feels pretty normal to me)

The oldest I've done it with a child on my lap was when DD was 16 months and it was hard and uncomfortable, a seat definitely would have helped a lot. So I'd be in the "buy a seat if you can" camp!

Also, select night flights for the longest leg - I always do this and genuinely think it makes the world of difference, both in terms of flight experience and jet lag.

As posters above have said: changes of clothes for everyone, you included (god there was one trip where DD was sick four times 😭 Just at milk age thankfully, but god I was half of changes of clothes!). Surprise presents to unwrap. iPad loaded up with things you know they will watch/things they're not usually allowed to watch for novelty value.

And there are things called plane pals which are inflatable leg rests which mean a child can stretch out and lie almost flat - they were amazing and my kids have slept relatively well with them. Not all airlines allow them, but if yours does they are great.

Have fun! Australia's amazing and worth the journey