Best tips for 15+ long flight with 3 kids under 7.

[sylvi76]

Ages: 7, 4, 2.....how am I going to keep them quiet and happy on that long of a non-stop flight? I am hoping they will sleep a little bit.

[bettyandbob]

I would use one carry on for entertainment. Include snacks, even stuck you don't normally let them have. I would get new to them paperbacks at garage sale and thrift shops. I'd also look for small toys at garage sales and thrift shops. I'd get Wikki sticks, crayons, magna doodles or etch a sketch, finger puppets. And I'd really hope that the inflight movie was age appropriate.

 

When I got to the location I'd keep all the entertainment put away until the flight home.

[KristenR]

Bubble gum or some sort of chewy snack (like gummy bears) to keep them swallowing so they can pressurize their ears easily.

[Amira]

Audiobooks have saved us on flights like that, at least for the kids who aren't too little. My kids also sleep a lot on the really long flights, but for us, that flight is always a leg or two into the journey and the flight leaves in the middle of the night so we're already wiped out. If you're on a decent airline, there could be a monitor at each seat with plenty of entertainment.

 

Mostly though, I just hunker down and try to deal with life. It's nice if you're on a flight with a reasonable number of small children. People seem to be more friendly if it's a flight that often has lots families instead of mostly business people, but I think that's more about destination than anything.

[TXMomof4]

Bendaroos - long car trips, long flights - they are the best.

 

http://www.bendaroos.com/

 

There are even trip ideas on their website. We used these on a flight to Germany - 4 kids, 7 and under. They are really great. It's like playdough almost without the mess, they stick to the seats and trays but don't leave any residue. They don't take up very much space. Even I was playing with them.

[nono]

All the excellent suggestions above plus...

 

Prep your kids ahead of time by reading about planes and flight. Teach them what 16 hours is. One day when they were up early, I set a timer for 16 hours, knowing they'd still be awake when it dinged. They went about their day and forgot all about it. The look of surprise on both their faces when the timer went off was priceless! :) So, it gave them a concept of the length of the flight, even though both had flown that distance 1 or 2 x already.

 

The big thing I impressed on my kids when they were little though is that they may not, as one little person, disturb an entire flight. "If you get upset, you have every right to cry. However, you must do so quietly. You may not disturb the other people on the flight who didn't pay their money to have a screaming child sitting beside them." (Then, I also did a lot of praying for a smooth flight so that I could haul them off to the bathroom if they did get disruptive...:tongue_smilie: )They really did manage to cry more quietly the couple times went wrong in their little world than they did at home, so I feel it's worth mentioning. My kids really enjoy long flights, long car rides, etc.

 

OH, and one other thing that I used to say when they were tiny that they now repeat back is that "Sometimes it will get dull. Sometimes, you just have to sit and think." They even have "thinking faces" that will make the other one ask, "So what are you trying to think about?" ;)

 

 

Now, if I were to book a flight that long? I wouldn't worry in the least. I have a Kindle Fire! :) Less stuff to haul....esp. the books, which get heavy!

 

Best of luck! I bet it will go better than anticipated. :grouphug:

[amy g.]

I need suggestions too.

 

We have a 10 hour flight on Monday. I'm really worried about my spoiled 2 year old.

[mumto2]

:iagree:

 

Also make sure too go over the rules of plane travel with them. Things like quiet voices, no kicking the seats ahead of you, anything else you can think of.

 

Go over the things you know will happen on the fight. Seat belts, where you put your things, food and beverage carts, duty free with very expensive snacks, movies. Depending on the airline there may be a map you can track your planes progress on. We love that.

 

We have a gameboy that only comes out on really long trips. They share. When they were the age of your dc's I tried to make sure they had not seen the trip toys first. I packaged them in groups to be handed out every couple of hours.

 

Fruit is a great plane snack. It helps thirst without the bathroom trips. You only take what will be eaten. The fruit all must be left on the plane due to custom's laws.

 

The most important thing is everytime you "pop" your ears help them do it. It does not come naturally...dd13 still needs to be reminded and she has a ton of frequent flyer miles! I also give decongestants before a flight. Ears are really important.

 

Check what the children's meals are typically. Do not pre- order them unless your kids will like them. My dc's have never liked them. Much prefer the beef, chicken, or veggie option.

 

On that note let them "splurge" on the beverage cart. Choice can make the whole trip more fun.

 

Have a great trip!

[mumto2]

Double post. Sorry

Edited March 22, 2012 by sawuk
double post

[stripe]

Toys! Snacks! And a change of clothes. Do as much running around during layovers as you can.

 

I kept my kids busy and happy for hours by bringing along a checkbook box filled with small wooden blocks with a 5 year old and nearly 3 year old. Bring small things with multiple uses.

 

We practiced trying to pop our ears. It didn't really work, but gum might help with the older two kids. I told them to open their mouths like a lion. Some of the flight attendants also tried when one's ears got painful but nothing did help. I'd explain this to them so they're prepared.

[nono]

An alternate way to pop ears is to hold the nostrils shut and to swallow. My ears don't pop well. Thank goodness I took up scuba diving. It sure has helped my flying! :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh yes, I also agree on the thinking about the kids meals. Esp. if you are not flying coach. My kids much prefer the adult selections.

[ricm]

After doing lots of flights of 10 hours or more - I am counting at least 12 - with my kids while they were under 7, I think there are tons of good flight ideas here but I would focus on the sleep part of the trip - and not just the plane flight.

 

Yeah, 16 hours is a long time but after you get there then the hard part starts - getting adjusted to the new time zone. And you want to start that process as soon as you can.

 

The magical sleep answer for my family is benedryl. Full strength for adults, chewables for kids. It's completely safe and helps anyone fall asleep when you need a little help. Here is the approach we take:

 

If you are traveling west, then I'd recommend very little sleep on the flight. Perhaps a nap. This would help you get ready to be sleepy and hopefully get some sleep once you get there. Hopefully there is no big transfer or travel after your flight. Take benadryl as directed on the package once you start your go-to-bed process for the next couple of days.

 

If you are traveling East then sleep on the flight is critical. I would recommend giving your kids chewable benadryl an hour before you would like them to sleep. (as directed on the package)

 

One word of caution though: Some kids get jacked up on Benadryl; test it on your kids before you go.

 

And for taking away the entertainment when you get there - This might sounds good on paper but when your kids can't sleep and it's 2 in the morning, a relaxing movie has saved my next day many times...

rm

[tabrizia]

Benedryl didn't work for us on our 15 hour flight with an 18 month old. It didn't make DS hyper, but it also didn't make him sleepy. Be aware that they may not sleep, especially the younger one. DS slept for a total of 2 hours on our flight out and 6 hours on our flight back. Our biggest lifesaver was an iPod with kids shows on it (this was before iTouch/iPhone, Android phones). It kept him entertained and happy, it also helped with jet lag once we arrived.

 

One quick thing we found once through security we bought a couple of extra bottles of water. The plane had a lot of water, but toward the end (last 2 hours or so) they started running out, so having our own water was nice, just a bottle for everyone, but it was useful.

 

Snacks were also good, we brought lots of freeze dried fruit, which worked wonderfully on the plane.

[NotSoObvious]

Bendaroos - long car trips, long flights - they are the best.

 

http://www.bendaroos.com/

 

There are even trip ideas on their website. We used these on a flight to Germany - 4 kids, 7 and under. They are really great. It's like playdough almost without the mess, they stick to the seats and trays but don't leave any residue. They don't take up very much space. Even I was playing with them.

 

 

Seriously. If you have creative kids, these are the way to go! My girls played with these for our entire two day car trip one time. I kid you not. We store them in a plastic ziploc bag. They were a life saver. My kids don't do movies very well, so we need to stay busy. Also, take headphones. One of my kids listened to the pilot's station for hours on a cross country flight. Weird. ;P

[bbmom]

For the ear pressure-earplanes! They work wonders- http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=12444&catid=183126

For the little ones, beading and lacing activities are easy to bring and kept mine occupied at that age for quite awhile. I second (third?) The bendaroos (or wiki sticks) and will add that my kids can get lots of enjoyment out of a pack of post-it notes as well-let them stick them around wherever since they clean up easily. Sticker or coloring books, workbooks, and picture books they can look at themselves without you having to read to them. Lots of snacks-lollipops and goldfish have saved me on more than one long flight. We also bring empty sippy cups for the little ones and buy water and juice once we pass through security. My biggest issues have come not in the flight, but in clearing customs and immigration with very tired children. If your oldest falls asleep during the flight, wake them up about 30 minutes before you land so they are awake enough to walk when you land-then have a double stroller (or 2 strollers, or a stroller and a baby backpack) for the 2 littles. Depending on where you stay, keep a stash of snacks and a portable DVD player with you-one of my kids always wakes up starving and unable to sleep at 2 or 3 in the morning-the DVD player keeps them from waking everyone else up and even if you are staying with family you might not want to get up and be rummaging through the kitchen in the middle of the night.

[Shellers]

I highly recommend trying to get the first seats right after the bathroom. There is more leg room and you won't have to worry about the kids kicking the seats in front of you because there won't be any there, it's a wall.

 

I was seven months pregnant and flew with a 10 month old to Indonesia. We requested the seats I'm referring to and got them. The flight was very long, I almost went crazy, but having the extra room helped tremendously.

[Bootsie]

I would carry plastic cups with lids, even for the older ones, to put their beverages in on the plane. Those little plastic cups, crowded seat back trays, and a little turbulence can be a recipe for something spilled on everyone. Some packets of instant oatmeal are easy to pack and you can always get some hot water if you are looking for a backup in case your kids don't like the airplane food.

 

When mine were younger, sticker books from the dollar store would keep them busy for a while. If I was hoping they would sleep, I would bring pajamas for them to change in to.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I'd say splurge on the things you know they'll love and for that day let them play with those things just about as much as they like. :) Try to pack a variety of things (electronics, coloring, books, bendy sticks, toy cars, etc) and rotate them when they seem to be getting restless. Be prepared to possibly be an entertainer for 15+ hours. :) It's not so bad and it can be simple.

 

We took our 10yr old, 8 yr old and 4mth old boys to Hawaii and that took 15 hours after airport changes. The 4mth old turned 1yr old in Sydney Australia and that took almost exactly 24 hours. Same 4mth old was about 22 mths old while in Rome, Italy and that took 18 hours. He always did pretty awesome.

 

Have fun!!

[stripe]

The magical sleep answer for my family is benedryl.

I know someone who did this with kids. It meant the kids slept like logs but were WIDE AWAKE by the time the parents were ready to sleep. I'd proceed with extreme caution.

[TundraAcademy]

We used to fly back and forth from Alaska with 3 little ones. I hate to say it, but electronics saved our lives! We had a portable DVD player and Leapsters. I also rationed small snacks throughout the flights.