Travelling with a wigglepot of a DS ...

[Itsjustafleshwound]

I know this question has been done to death, but please humour me...

I am looking at a 13 hour overnight flight with a 4 YO DD and my 2 YO DS who will be sitting in my lap (hollow laughter..)

DD isn't a problem, but with a late night takeoff and night flight, I have to keep a very wriggly boy on my lap

I am not madly keen on dosing him up but seems like I will just have to bow to the inevitabe..

Any advice?

Thanking you ..

buy him a seat

I thought once your baby had turned 2 you need to buy a seat anyway?

v true silverfrog

Yes, if he's 2 you have to buy him a seat (unless he isn't quite 2).

A single dose of something like Medised or Piriton to just take the edge off and (hopefully) tip him into sleep is worth it IME. Also, plan on spending a lot of time walking up and down the plane when he's awake.

Ensure you get a bulk head seat so there is more floorspace for him to play on (and no one in front he can p*ss off by kicking the seat!)

I've just got back from NZ and this advice might sound a bit pessimistic, but I would honestly say just be prepared for no sleep or very little sleep and then any you get will be a real bonus. Medised is worth a try if you find it helps with sleep at home.

It's really not that bad though. And even if it is, it's only a few hours out of your life. (I was dreading it last time I went until someone said "It's only 24 hours out of your whole life")

And I agree with the others - most airlines definitely make you buy a seat for a 2 year old.

I really struggled doing a flight with a two and 5 year old. My two year old wouldn't really let me have ,y seat as she wanted to lie down....I only got two hours of sleep in 26 hours. It was actually worse than I thought it was going to be!

I don't like a bulkhead seat at all as you can't move the armrests and you can have a HUGE tv right in front of you. And they are near the toilets.

I took a sling for my two year old so I could put her in when she was asleep which was good. I did drug my two. And I took a DVD player.

When we flew to California with our two last year (then 3 and 1), we were pleasantly surprised.

We booked bulkhead seats, as had a car seat thing for dd2, but we did all get 4 hours at least of sleep. dd2 slept quite well (we were on an overnighter too), but dd1 had a harder time settling (she is autistic)

Sometimes, the anticipation can be worse than the reality. If you go into it expecting to spend the whole flight pacing up and down, reading stories and singing songs, then any sleep/rest you get is a bonus, imo.

This year we are off to australia, and the bonus this time is that both dds do actually watch tv now (dd1 didn't at all last year - just wasn't able to follow it) and so at least we have built-in entertainment for them!

Thanks everyone...

He isn't quite two yet - he turns two on holiday so he has his own seat and his dad on the return trip ... it is just me and my children on the way out ...