29 hour airplane trip with twin toddlers..

[Anonymous]

...OMG I'm dreading it. My girls are both 2. We are traveling overseas to visit family and I'm worried about the flight. 3 days of travel door to door, but flying time is almost 30 hours.

Any ideas on how to keep them occupied, less cranky? They are not interested in DVDs (maybe 10 min, that's about it).

Many Thanks!!!

[Anonymous]

You are brave!

-Magnet books
-Sticker books
-Magna doodle
-Beads and pipe cleaners (not if they are still putting stuff in their mouths)
-Snacks
-My 3 year old has a drawing Leap Frog thing. He loves it.
-Foam stickers
-Lots of snacks
-Benadryl!

[Anonymous]

Serious amounts of alcohol for yourself.

[Anonymous]

You may want to bring a supersized bottle of valium and lots of liquor from duty free and just start dispensing to the other passengers.

[Anonymous]

We've done a similar trip. Many times. The worst was just under 3 and we only have one.

If I were in a position to do so, I would stop overnight along the way. Are you crossing the pacific? If so, one thing you may be able to do without much additional cost is book a long layover in LA. Take an airport hotel room for the day, and relax before getting on the next flight.

As for on the plane: 21:14 has some good ideas - wrap every thing like presents. Maybe add some action figures or new dolls if the kids are into that? I would NOT bring car seats on the plane - too restrictive and confining. You will need the space.

[Anonymous]

I flew to Australia with my 23 month old daughter (who was also not interested in dvds). I would not do any toy with small parts, like beads (with all due respect to pp). My dd loved toy cars, stacking cups, stickers, magna doodle. I took her to the toystore before we left and let her wander around. I noticed what she liked and then went back and bought some of the smaller items (noted above). I wrapped them and let her unwrap them while in flight. She loved it. I also let her blow bubbles in the bathroom when things got a little tense.

I know I only had one, but it wasn't that bad. I made it worse on the way over because I was so stressed that we would disturb others that I think she picked up on it a little bit. On the way back, I didn't have the energy to stress and, consequently, she seemed more relaxed, too. In fact, she slept 11 of the 14 hours. I started believing in god after that flight....

Take a deep breath, have a glass of wine, know that it will end and that it will probably get bad somewhere around hours 8-11. Use benadryl if it gets really bad (but only if you've tried it first at home). Oh, and there is usually a narrow, long space between the last seats and the bathrooms in the back. Hang out there as much as possible. When your fellow passengers see you there with two toddlers, they will definitely give you space. Hang in there and know that you will attain superwoman status when you touch down back in DC!!!

[Anonymous]

Have you tried any of the Baby Einstein DVDs?

One thing that worked for my kids was telling them stories - such as the Three Pigs - and making it sound all dramatic.

I second the "serious amounts of alcohol" suggestion. The last time I flew with toddlers, I was reduced to tears.

[Anonymous]

This might sound silly, but young 2 or older 2?

The older they are, the more likely they will be able to color, do the "hidden message" things (the kind that come with a special pen and then they color the pages), and the better they will understand that they need to be pretty quiet and contained.

Agree with the poster who said no small things, they just get lost in turbulence and can cause serious heartache.

Are you flying across the pacific? If so, most flight times (at least that we've done to Australia) are overnight, so if you're lucky, the kids will sleep a lot.

Other than that, I really can't offer suggestions. We had gone to Australia every year to visit relatives, and I refused to go this year with a 2 (young 2) and 5 year old after our last trip (with a 14 month old and 4 year old) was a total disaster.

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah - if you are heading West: If you can keep them up on the flight to LA, they will sleep more on the flight across the Pacific and you will be happier. Don't worry about their schedules, because that's doomed.

To 22:30 - you made the right call (I am still not over the trip we took with a nearly three year old, but I have been back). I will never NEVER go to Australia again at Christmas. 24 hours in a frikkin' plane with an overpriced ticket --- and when you get there everything is shut. Plus, the stress of Christmas is just too much.

[Anonymous]

May God be with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are brave!

-Magnet books
-Sticker books
-Magna doodle
-Beads and pipe cleaners (not if they are still putting stuff in their mouths)
-Snacks
-My 3 year old has a drawing Leap Frog thing. He loves it.
-Foam stickers
-Lots of snacks
-Benadryl!

LOL. Thanks these are great ideas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious amounts of alcohol for yourself.

OP here: absolutely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may want to bring a supersized bottle of valium and lots of liquor from duty free and just start dispensing to the other passengers.

OP here: LOL. I know. I think that's the only way we are ALL going to get through it. I feel so bad (already) for the other passengers. Oye!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I flew to Australia with my 23 month old daughter (who was also not interested in dvds). I would not do any toy with small parts, like beads (with all due respect to pp). My dd loved toy cars, stacking cups, stickers, magna doodle. I took her to the toystore before we left and let her wander around. I noticed what she liked and then went back and bought some of the smaller items (noted above). I wrapped them and let her unwrap them while in flight. She loved it. I also let her blow bubbles in the bathroom when things got a little tense.

I know I only had one, but it wasn't that bad. I made it worse on the way over because I was so stressed that we would disturb others that I think she picked up on it a little bit. On the way back, I didn't have the energy to stress and, consequently, she seemed more relaxed, too. In fact, she slept 11 of the 14 hours. I started believing in god after that flight....

Take a deep breath, have a glass of wine, know that it will end and that it will probably get bad somewhere around hours 8-11. Use benadryl if it gets really bad (but only if you've tried it first at home). Oh, and there is usually a narrow, long space between the last seats and the bathrooms in the back. Hang out there as much as possible. When your fellow passengers see you there with two toddlers, they will definitely give you space. Hang in there and know that you will attain superwoman status when you touch down back in DC!!!

Great ideas! Thank you. Maybe I'll lose a few pounds on the way there Only benefit I see. They are very energetic. Never sit still for me. Oye, I need a glass of wine just thinking about this trip. I promised my parents (who live in Australia) that we would visit. I kept pushing it off and now they have threatened to disown me if I don't come. My sister made it there with a three year old and an 8 month old...so they don't really get why it's taken me this long to concede and take the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This might sound silly, but young 2 or older 2?

The older they are, the more likely they will be able to color, do the "hidden message" things (the kind that come with a special pen and then they color the pages), and the better they will understand that they need to be pretty quiet and contained.

Agree with the poster who said no small things, they just get lost in turbulence and can cause serious heartache.

Are you flying across the pacific? If so, most flight times (at least that we've done to Australia) are overnight, so if you're lucky, the kids will sleep a lot.

Other than that, I really can't offer suggestions. We had gone to Australia every year to visit relatives, and I refused to go this year with a 2 (young 2) and 5 year old after our last trip (with a 14 month old and 4 year old) was a total disaster.

They will be 26 months old. So younger 2. Good point. we start off at 10:00pm. So they will be sleepy (and hopefully not so cranky).... I guess that's not so bad.