Flying internationally with a 20mth old and a young 3yr old. Are we going to be miserable?
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Anonymous
Every passenger on that plane will be miserable and no child is so cute that constant screaming or misbehaving is understandable. Make sure to sit in very lasrt row. Bon voyage. |
Anonymous
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I did a straight 18hr flight and it sucked. It all depends on your kids temperament. I will never do it again, them bad memory is forever etched in my mind. Amazing that we spent $4,800 just for misery.
Why in gods name do you not have a tablet for the kids to use of some sort? Do you have a suicide wish? |
Anonymous
Only true if there are a bunch of Americans or British on the flight. |
Anonymous
Because no one thinks listening to your unruly child screaming during an overnight flight, people are sociopaths? You re crazy. I can be understanding yo a degree, but no excuse for your child to scream for hours. |
Anonymous
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OP, will you be alone or be with your spouse? I'd try to wear them out before the flight, take them to the playground and have them run around to get their energy spent.
For both kids, I'd take plenty of activities: coloring book and crayons reading books for you to distract them for 20-30 minutes reading periods. iPad/dvd player Uno card game for the 3 yo snacks but no sweet snacks Plus, they nap a couple hours at a time, right? |
Anonymous
Obviously, you are not acquainted withFrench, German, are you. |
Anonymous
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Suggestions: can you buy or borrow an iTouch and load it with games? After a very rough 7 hr flight with a 2 yo, I purchased one for the flight back and it was worth it. There is something about the interaction and the simplicity of some of the games that keeps a toddler's attention longer than a movie.
I would also bring a DVD player, even if they aren't into movies. Maybe they will be lulled by the engines and find it interesting. You need to have every option. I would also buy lots and lots of little toys and wrap each one. When our kids were toddlers I would pull one out, make a big production of unwrapping it, and then they would play with it for awhile (stretch as long as possible). We spent hrs on a flight working our way through a dozen tiny containers of playdough, each a different color. Each one held dc's attention for a little while and I just kept going. I find that our kids do better on flights that you'd think and sometimes get sleepy and calm from the noise and vibrations, but I do bring a ton of stuff, and it is a heck of a hard day for the adults. |
Anonymous
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Prepare for the worst, which will be a few hours of hell. then it will be over until the next flight.
It will probably be unpleasant, but not the end of the world. FWIW, in a year or two it will be very much easier to fly. |
Anonymous
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I just took an 11 month old and a (not quite) 3 yr old home on a flight from Asia back home to DC. By myself. It was a 13 hr flight. Yes, exhausting and tough as hell, but anything is doable. Remember, flights won't last forever and when you eventually get to your destination, it'll be worth it.
I brought a ton of toys and snacks (1 new toy per hour they would be awake was the guideline I used. Way too much and I ended up with plenty for the return trip too.). Got a bassinet for my small 1 yr old, which helped. (Some airlines go by weight rather than age for allowing bassinets.) After my trip, I'm pretty much not scared of anything anymore! |
Anonymous
| Yes |
Anonymous
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You won't be as miserable as the person sitting in front of your 3-year old.
Yes, you will be, but you will survive. If you are stopping along the way, I recommend googling first and finding out where the showers are in the airport. You might want to take one. You might need one if the kids throw up. |
Anonymous
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Sorry, I beg to differ. Do NOT sit in the very last row. Totally claustrophobic since there are always people lining up for the toilets. Smells bad, too if the plane takes longer than expected. Sometimes the last row doesn't recline.
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Anonymous
| Why exactly are you doing this? |
Anonymous
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Contact nanniesintheclouds.com
People who are nannies and already on flights (so you don't have to buy their ticket). There may not be a nanny on your flight, but you never know. |
Anonymous
x100000000 |