In a little over twelve hours I will be on a jet plane with my mom, my two year old son and my one year old son bound for California. Pray for us.
It’s not so much the flying I am worried about. It’s all the eating, sleeping, pooping and playing that on a normal day, takes place in the comforts of our own home, but on a day like tomorrow will take place in the comforts of an airport and a 747. Oh yeah, and in the company of hundreds of strangers. And then there’s the shlepping, the security checks, the double stroller, the three hour time change, the hour ride to and from the airport, and the terrible two’s.
So in addition to packing snacks, movies, books and toys to occupy my children, I am practicing a few techniques to help me make it through the long day.
You may have heard of it. It’s a little thing called “serenity now.” However, I am not sure how successful this stratagem was for those who employed it. So, I may need an alternative. Any suggestions?
Brooke Frick 
Having flown internationally (several times) with 1,2,3, and four children at a time I am all for whatever it takes to get the job done!
-a few practicals: gum or lollypops so that the kids ears pop and don’t hurt so bad with the altitude change (bottle/breast/pacifier if a little one)
-a full change of clothes in carry-on for each kiddo (plus an extra tee for you in case the juice goes YOUR way)
-cover the kids seat(s) with a blanket so that they don’t get friction burns on their skin from all the wiggling they’ll be doing!
make sure YOU stay hydrated& ask for seats near the bathroom at the back wall if possible or middle divide. best location with kids!
take deep breaths,pray and pack as many wipes as possible! 🙂 You’ll make it and earn that badge x
Serenity Now! I flew with my 9 month old daughter and four year old son and it really went much smoother than I thought it would. It was a three and a half hour flight, so I brought along a little DVD player and that helped tremendously (I suppose now I would use our iPod to watch movies on…) My daughter sat in my lap and she had her bottle so she was occupied. It really was a good flight. My son only ran down the aisle maybe once or twice, but that was it. Good luck to you and safe travels!
It might be too late but I would suggest lots of alcohol. For the children. But that would probably be frowned upon (everybody throws around the term ‘child abuse’ so loosely nowadays)!
Oh gosh… The last time I took my kids on a plane it was when we moved cross-country, they were 2 and 7 months old, it was a red-eye, and they both had colds with fevers.
They cried and had fountains of snot and screamed the whole flight.
Soooo… Not too much to offer! Sorry!
I think the biggest hassle will be the diaper changes. I always knew airplane bathrooms were small, but I never realized how small until I brought a baby in with me. 🙂
A friend of mine’s son, when he was three, sat quietly next to her as she flew with him and her daughter on a long flight. Her daughter gave her no warning that she had to pee, and then overflowed her diaper. While my friend was busy attending to her little girl, her son suddenly started crying and said, “You’re going to have to change my pants.”
Really… what can you do but laugh?
I guess the moral of the story is, bring a spare set of clothes for the kids.
And… go ahead and let them run in the aisles. If it bothers someone, you’ll never see them again after the flight is over anyway. And honestly, they should understand.
Plus, don’t be afraid to hand them to your mom if you need a few bathroom breaks yourself! Good luck!