Tips for flying overseas with a one and three year old

[StacieBenson]

DH is quite keen for us to take a holiday overseas. FIL has a house that's 4 hours flight away, so that seems the obvious choice. This is the first time we will have flown with our two kids (1 & 3 years old). I love flying normally but a flight with two kids makes me nervous. Does anyone have any tips for flying with two children (both first time flyers)?

Thank you in advance

We flew long haul and on shorter European flights when ours were that age. It’s not fun and it’s bloody hard work, but it’s doable. Make sure you have plenty of snacks and non messy entertainment such as those water pen colouring books. Also, a flight is not the time to impose a restriction on screens. Our then 3 yo was not allowed on the iPad at home, but we downloaded some toddler games and cartoons for the flight. Make sure you give the one year old a dummy or bottle during takeoff and landing as their ears can hurt.

No matter what you do, you are almost guaranteed at least one tantrum. Airports and flights are stressful for small children.

The 3 year old might be the most difficult.

I flew to Sydney with DD when she was almost one, single-handed as DH was already out there, and she was fine. A year later when she was nearly two we took a one hour flight with her to the Channel Islands and she was a nightmare with a capital N.
Admittedly almost two is neither one nor three so you might be lucky. I think a three year old will be able to have their own seat which should help. Our problem began because DD had to sit on a lap and have a seat belt extension thing.

Our strategy going forward was new toys and snacks. PP mentioned screens. That wasn't a possibility when we were in this position but I think I agree.

pick your flight times carefully!
i think the rest really depends on your kids and how easy going they are in terms of sitting in one place for 4 hours, changes in routine etc.

Try a train trip for an hour or so with “hand luggage” if you haven’t done such a thing and see how that goes first!

Say yes to everything you can.
Snacks? Yes. Screens? Yes.

Take spare clothes for everyone

Take a (empty) bottle to drink from for the 3 year old, even if they usally use a cup.

Have low expectations!!!

Locate the kids play area in the airport before you go to the gate - and even at the gate, I used to get mine doing star jumps etc if there was a corner with space.

It will be fine.

And don’t fall for the trap if they invite those with kids under 5 to board first, it just means containing them in a confined space for an extra 30 minutes!! Board last and have your bags ready to stuff under seats / in overhead lockers.

Or better yet, send one parent on with all the bags (if the staff will let you) to claim storage space above your seats, while the other parent stays in the gate with the kids.

DD1 had a tantrum landing in Majorca because DD2 was on my lap and she didn't think it was fair she had to sit in a seat with a seat belt 🙄

As pp say - screens, snacks, spare clothes and it's fine. Make sure they drink during takeoff and landing for their ears. They're so little that all the discomfort of a plane seat doesn't really apply to them.

Snacks, sticker books, colouring books and downloaded cartoons/movies work for our kids (we’ve flown every year since they were 2 and 6 months)

At least 1 spare outfit for everyone (DH and I carry one for everyone in our hand luggage)
calpol sachets
water bottles to fill once you’re through security
we still use large muslins (over 1 meter square) as blankets, pillows or whatever

we also always give the kids their own backpacks with a few toys and their snacks in to go under the seat in front - much easier than rummaging around your own hand luggage

we quite often get the kids to choose a book in the airport as their “bedtime story” for the holiday

highly recommend getting a buggy that fits into the overhead locker so you can contain the 1 year old until you’re at the plane door.

This. And as others have said, spare outfit for all. Good quality non-leaky plastic bag or two, headphones for the ipad, blanket / comforting things if there is any chance of sleeping. Buy a seat for your one year old. Put both kids in window and you two in middle, same row, and let someone have the aisle. Calpol, and no harm in a dose before flying, ears really can hurt and it is often too late by the time it starts happening. Also, we slightly extended nappy wearing for whichever of our five was flying at the time. who was at that age. Watch they do not bash / kick the seat in front (not all do this, and they often cannot reach) but I had one that would not stay still. Make your luggage easy for yourselves (tempting though it might be to do hand-baggage, and use the kid's allowances, and "cute backpacks" this is a massive false economy when you have grumpy toddler, a screaming baby and several backpacks to carry). Customs often let you through the manual channel, take this offer. I have flown tens of times with my five as kids, and they became very good flyers, know the process, not fazed by anything etc. and have flown independently since 16 without an ounce of bother or anxiousness - although it is not up there with getting into Oxford, It is a bigger life skill than we maybe recognise sometimes, and worth the investment. It will go fine, have a great holiday xx

Absolutely do it but as others said it’s hard work and not at all relaxing!
We flew a few times a year with our four close together in age children. Our first trip away they were 6months, 18 months, 4 and 9.
I felt like some crazed magician continually producing entertainment and snacks from my bag.
A huge yes to change of clothes for everyone and more nappies than you think as flying made mine poo for England!
If it all goes pear shaped don’t worry all the other parents will just be glad it’s not theirs. Out of about 20 flights we only had one truly horrific one where everyone cried or screamed on the way down for about 40 mins (felt like hours) everyone around was lovely and said they had all been there. It turned out two were cooking ear infections which explained the screaming.

Lived abroad from family so flew several times long haul with mine when they were little. Usually by myself too. It’s not fun, and you need to be organized.

Spare clothes, including for you. At least 2 outfits for baby. Spare nappies, more than you think. Pull ups for 3 year old if they normally wear them at bed. Cheap folding buggy that you don’t care if it gets damaged. Car seats?

Dummy/bottle/lollipop/pouches or something to suck on. iPad (the savior), but keep it only for flight. Colouring, stickers, books, little toys. Anything with minimum mess and pieces. Snacks. All the snacks!

Don’t just throw all your stuff in one giant bag, you’ll never find anything. Use packing cubes or ziplocks or something to divide up the bag. Backpack so you can carry it hands free. Possibly a sling for baby although you do have 2 adults. Once the airport didn’t have my buggy at the aircraft door so I had to walk to baggage reclaim with 3 year old and 1 year old by myself. Was incredibly glad of backpack and sling that day!

Run around as much as possible in airport. We’d just go to an empty gate and let them roam about. Even better if they found a toddler pal to play with. Most airports have a little playground somewhere. And definitely don’t rush to board the plane first.