Carry On Bag - what to take on long haul flight for two toddlers

[BlueberryPancake]

I have a 2.7 yo and a 15 month old, what do you recommend I take on the plane with me for a 7 hour flight (leaving heathrow at 3 pm) plus another 2.5 hour connecting,domestic flight? In all with waiting times, it will be about 14 hours journey, plus getting from here to heathrow and waiting there three hours!!

So far I have:

• Milk and juice (obviously), bottles and beackers
• Nappies/wipes/bags
• Some snacks - rice cakes, raisins, biscuits, and chocolate buttons for bribes, and a pot of baby food for DS2
• pyjamas, and slipper-socks
• Calpol sachets
• a sticker book for DS1, and a few other books and a magazine
• crayons
• Spots book to try to keep the 15 month entertained

What else should I take? Maybe a blanket or sheet?

would ask for blanket and pillow as soon as you get on the plane, I've seen them run out before. Only long-haul I've done recently was to US and you could pick your own tv channels, including kids programmes so hopefully that will help. What about some finger puppets? Would keep both entertained perhaps. And some happy family cards or similar for the older one, which you can use as things to talk about with the younger one? Too long ago for me to remember really but I'm sure others will be along to help

Those little aquadraw mats are good.

Do you have an ipod? Could put something suitable on that for the older child.

Yes does anyone knows what the rule is out of heathrow for liquids? Maybe I'll start another thread. I'l probably need over one litre of full fat milk for the two of them, from door to door. Long-haul flights will have milk on board, right? What can I take on the flight??

Could always buy milk in Boots airside, ditto juice. Once it is bought there then you can take it on board, not sure how you would store it though.
Still being strict when we went recently, though we were not trying to take baby milk, may have been more lenient if that was the case.

nothing more than 100ml containers I'm afraid. But you can buy liquids once you get through security. You can take more of baby milk but you have to be able to taste it and not sure whether your 15mo would be considered a baby. Also not sure whether you can buy full-fat milk past security. Haven't flown out of Heathrow with a LO to know the full answer but hopefully someone will be along soon who has.

Califrau - had to ponder -what could be worse than poo?!?! It must be bad...!

Ah yes I see what you mean - especially awful in a confined space for you.

I bought full fat milk once through security from whsmiths at Manchester airport...

prior to the flight we called to ask if they had milk on board and they wouldn't guarantee it (BMI). It was hard enough to get the question understood by the foreign call centre person. i was v frustrated!

cheerios are another good non messy snack

my dd was 13 months when we flew 8hrs and she played for ages with a packet of pictures of babies faces cut out of a book or magazine (v kind gift given by her childminder)

Buy your milk, juice and anything else liquidy over 100mls at the airside Boots (call ahead to get them to reseve the milk for you). Plum baby pots are ok to go through security - bigger jars (eg. Hipp are not)

take lots of snacks, change of clothes for you, DP and the kids (you WILL need them - DS managed to wee all over me and vom all over DP - fortunately I'd packed 2 changes of clothes for DS), portable DVD player is always handy, books, few wrapped up cheap toys, favourite cuddly toy per child, magazines and lots of nappies and wipes. If they sleep in sleeping bags, take those also for the nightflights (helps settle them and makes sure you're not worrying about blankets etc.)

You will need changes of clothes for you and dcs - they will spill something on them or on you, practically guaranteed. And lots of wipes, for all sorts of things....

I also collect a small group of little toys that ds has not seen before - small tub of playdough, a car, a magazine with stickers, a notebook and (washable) pens, a little plane, a wind up toy (not one that makes noises though), etc, to keep him entertained, and I bring one out every so often, when he is getting bored.

Make friends with the flight crew - they will bring you water, milk, biscuits, ice cream, whatever and it will help keep dc's busy. You can even ask for a glass of ice - most kids will spend at least 20 mins playing with ice cubes.

Ask for seats at the bulkhead and make sure you are on the side which has access to teh larger toilet with the baby changing table - you will need the extra space.

Sorry - it will help keep dcs busy