crocoonimper

Has anyone got experience of flying with 2 year olds? Mat and Josh our twin boys will be just 2 in March next year when we hope to be in NSW - it will be the first time we have flown with children( if youre going to do it, do it in style!). Any advice or experiences greatly appreciated. We have flown to Oz ourselves several times and have had good and bad experiences if theres any way we can make it easier itd be good to know...

Stoney

We flew to Perth in Nov 2000 with a 2 yr old it was an absolute nightmare, we had a 2 hr stopover in Singapore which was no respite , so when we did it a year later we had a 4 day stopover in Singapore, must say it was much easier and would recommend it. depending on the SARS situation

jaz

Hi there!

We flew to the US last year. That doesnt sound too bad, but we had a 20 hours traveling to get to our destination. We had three flights, with only a couple of hours in between. My daughter was 2 1/2 at the time, and we set off with an attitude of "Just be patient, understanding, and KEEP CALM" We also have a son of 8 years. We were given the seats by the window, and that helped in some ways because you just had one child with one parent, and sometimes they would swap, and that was benificial to all of us.

Take beakers, so they cant spill. Favourite teddy or sleeping thing. A couple of pens and a pad of paper each. A couple of small books. We bought them a small rook sack and bought a couple of surprises, so they had both old and new, and they could carry their own things. You will probably still need a pushchair if you have to stop off at another airport on the way. You can ask them at check in to keep it with you so that they put it in the hold at the last minute, and they will get it out for you when you get off. At least this way you can strap them in if you need to know exactly where they are.

We had a 2 hr flight, 8 hr flight and another 2 hr flight, and our (then) 2 year old said at the third airport, "Can we have another plane?"! Do not expect them to sleep! Both of ours only fell asleep for the last 30 mins of the longest flight. Also, dont feel bad about walking up and down the isles. People will chat to them, and relieve a little boredom.

We were amazed at how they managed - we did have a few stropps and moans, but they were wonderful. I think that you should be aware of what you are expecting them to do, and deal with them the way that you would want somebody to deal with you in their position. At the end of it all, you wont see the people on that flight again, so dont worry about them and what they think, just exist to passify the kids, and ruin them if necesary. It wont hurt once.

GOOD LUCK!

Watt Dabney

Hi

When we emigrated to NZ 6mths ago it was the 1st time either of our kids (6 & 4 at the time) had flown.

My tip is assume they will be airsick, cause we assumed ours wouldn't and that was a big mistake. Our 6yr old son, who is never car sick, started throwing up 1/2 an hour into the 1st flight. He then pretty much retched on the hour every hour poor kid!! He felt really miserable. On the 2nd flight I got an airsickness tablet from the staff and it sorted him right out. He quite enjoyed the 2nd flight and even managed to eat his meals.
Apart from the airsickness they both coped really well, especially considering that the TV's would not work on the 1st flight. It was exhausting for us because when they did sleep it was with their heads in our laps which meant we were stuck in the seats for the duration.

Hope this helps


Paula

karawara88

Can't they go in the hold ?

Mandy Bale

I agree with the airsickness thing, my 5 year old son threw up all the way on the first leg. We stopped over for a night and day in singapore which I would recommend to do with young children, and this helped him recover and for all of us to get some sleep. On the second leg neither of them slept (6 year old daughter too) as harry potter was being shown on the little tv screens so they watched that about 4 times. We sat in the four seats across the middle and we had the two kids in the middle seats and I was one end and hubby the other. We lifted up the middle arms so they could lay down and felt they had more room like this. Another thing we didn't do which we should of, was at checking in desk tell them you have kids and they will bring their food out first before they serve anyone else, I think some of the flights do special kids meals too. I wouldn't take too many 'junky' snacks as this will make them feel rough, and to be honest ours hardly ate at all on the plane. Ask the flight attendant for the kids packs they provide, we didn't and they gave them to us at the end of the flight (useful - NOT). Its just a little pack with crayons and colouring in stuff in, but cause its new the kids love them! The flight attendants are very helpful if you ask, and some of them are very good with the children. Take plenty of drinks and save some for the landing as some kids suffer with the ears (my boy did, poor little mite!). you could even save a lolly pop for them to suck on as you land, that helps too. If you check in early (we were the first ones to check in on our flight!) you can sometimes choose where to sit, make sure you are seated near a toilet!

Don't expect to get any sleep and try to keep your sanity which is very hard when you have been awake for 24hours!!! At the end of the day, its soon all forgotten and once you have landed you can catch up on your sleep then (hopefully). And like someone said, don't worry about how your kids are behaving, if people around you don't like it then thats their problem, you won't be meeting those people again so don't worry or you'll be stressing all the way.

good luck

Mandy

renth

Go to the doctor and get Vallergan or Fenagan and put it in their juice.

Try it at home once before you go as it sometimes has the opposite effect.

Have a stopover too, don't try the journey in one go.

Rgds,

Dan

Slippers

Make sure you ask for bulkhead seats - you get a fair bit more room and the saucepan lids can have a bit of a mess about without you having to apologise to people being kicked in front whilst tucking into their cardboard lasagne and enjoying their Bruce Willis film. ALso, give the stewards/esses a big smile as you get on and you have got em on your side. Qantas staff were really great on my flight to the end of the weather with kids. I have to grudgingly admit this, even though my own seat was broken and kept reclining every five minutes (!) and the wife and I had to listen to some Aussie sitting behind us very loudly going on about his life and how his vestmaker didn't understand him to a pair of English women behind who had looks on their face like people on death row.

What a long flight though eh? Blimey.

All the best.

DianeOZ

[QUOTE]Originally posted by crocoonimper
We have done 3 flights with the kids at varying ages. First time was 1 kid aged 12 months. Not toooo bad and experience. Second time 1 kid aged 18months & 1 aged 6 yrs. 18 month old was an absolute nightmare!!!!! Just done it again aged 3 1/2 and 8 yrs and it was a doddle. Try whatever drugs you can to get him to sleep!!!

Good luck
Diane

dotty

Funny how all the mums are going for the Drugs option.

I did the horror trip many times with kids, my advice Drugs.

Just try them at home before you go. Nothing worse than 2 yo twins having a hypo reaction on a 27 hour flight.

And do not drink any alcohol yourself, you cant cope otherwise.
(Or perhaps drink the whole plane dry and let husband cope.)

And clothes, plenty spare. For you and the kids. You can guarantee that mum without spare clothes will be the mum the kids puke on.

Also if you want the kids to sleep, use the cabin blankets, to construct a tent over them, across the top of the seats, seemed to keep a lot of disturbance off. If the kids are asleep at food time, ask the cabin crew to store their meal or at least the bits that will keep.

Make totally sure they are toilet trained before you go, soo much easier.

Rosy

sound advice Dotty (as usual). The bit about drinking plane dry and letting Hubby cope was my strategy - it worked a treat!!!

Also, if kids are not fully toilet trained, just buy some "Overnighter pants" and let them do what they need to when they feel the need - far easier than trying to get a toddler to a plane toilet with 3 airhostesses and their trolleys in the aisles of a 747!!!

ems

I've done quite a few long haul flights with my daughter who's now 5. You'll all hate me cause she's always been a little angel, despite the fact that she was a bit of a nightmare toddler !

My advice is keep them occupied, we always take lots of colouring stuff, books, favourite toy to cuddle etc. Also take some snacks, and I would put pull ups on them if they're potty trained because, if you have turbulence and can't take them to the toilet, 2 year olds can't wait ! My daughter always took her own little rucksack with her stuff in, not forgetting a change of clothes.

We always ask for extra leg room seats this really helps, get your request in early..

HTH

crocoonimper

Hi all
Thanks for all your help - its given us a real laugh reading all your experiences! - but loads of good tips too. Putting them in the hold was the best idea from sounds of it...! And as a nurse Im definitely veering towards the dope 'em up option. But its good to know that so many others have made the trip with no major disasters. We are going for good in March as we dont want to really put ourselves and the boys through a validation trip and a migration trip within 6 months of each other, not to mention the expense - but I feel more confident now about planning that part of the process whatever happens.
Cheers xx Cath