Little ones on flight from UK - eek!

[Guest fluxsta]

As the time to visit on our reccie approaches, I'm getting more and more nervous about the prospect of taking our 1 year old twins (on laps) and 4 year old on the flghts.

 

We have 2 stops - Singapore and Perth, whch breaks it up a bit, but I wondered if anyone had any tips on how to keep them entertained on the flight and also HOW TO GET THEM TO SLEEP!! Are flights generally full? Anyone ever wrangled an upgrade by begging?? .....Feel that one of our fellow passengers may have committed manslaughter by the time we get there!

 

Any tips would be gratefully received!!!

 

Catherine

[Guest shella_n]

Hi

We came over with our 5 year old and 3 year old earlier this year and we followed all the advice - wrapped up several presents to give them as the flight went on, broughts sweets & treats etc etc etc but I can honesty say it was no where as bad as I expected and most of the presents went unwrapped cause the kids were asleep (now this is saying something cause our 3 year old is completely hypa and will never normally sit down for 2 mins).

 

They were good tips though so you might like to try those. Our flight from Singapore to Adelaide was pretty empty so we got to spread out and lie the kids down.

 

Hopefully it wont be as bad as you are expecting either

 

GOod luck to you.

 

Michelle

[Guest fluxsta]

Hi

We came over with our 5 year old and 3 year old earlier this year and we followed all the advice - wrapped up several presents to give them as the flight went on, broughts sweets & treats etc etc etc but I can honesty say it was no where as bad as I expected and most of the presents went unwrapped cause the kids were asleep (now this is saying something cause our 3 year old is completely hypa and will never normally sit down for 2 mins).

 

They were good tips though so you might like to try those. Our flight from Singapore to Adelaide was pretty empty so we got to spread out and lie the kids down.

 

Hopefully it wont be as bad as you are expecting either

 

GOod luck to you.

 

Michelle

 

 

Thanks Michelle,

 

I will be out buying little pressies today! It's good to hear that the flight ay not be full. It is a night flight. If I could get my little ladies to lie down, they may well sleep for the whole flight!!....Fingers crossed.

 

:jiggy:You have cheered me up! Happy Christmas!

[Guest seekingsunshine]

bless you!there have been quite a few threads on this so do a search to see what others have suggested before...

 

we flew over with a 11 week old baby and three year old twins. Three year olds were fantastic- no problems whatsoever, we packed toys for them in their trunkis but they only looked at them in the airport....durng flight they were sleeping, eating and happily watching tv. your four year old will be fine!

 

we got a night flight which definately helped, plus we were ten hours in singapore airport which was too long but meant that when we got next flight they were ready to sleep again!

 

i guess you are flying wth singapore airlines? THEY ARE FANTASTIC! really good with kids.

 

have you booked a skycot for your twins?if u can book one asap as even if they dont sleep in it it is extra space and legroom for you all!

 

it will defnately be hard work with twins (take it they are walking!!!) but they will have to sleep at some point during one flight at least so take courage from that!and dont worry about other passengers, most have been there and done that and should feel sympathy for you!

 

just pack lots of little toys and treats, would definately reccomend trunkis as our older two loved wheeling around on them at the airport!

and you will get here eventually!!!!

 

i wouldnt panic too much, if you can survive the first six weeks of sleepless nights after having twins (which you obviously have!) then you can pretty much survive anything i reckon!good luck!

[Guest fluxsta]

bless you!there have been quite a few threads on this so do a search to see what others have suggested before...

 

we flew over with a 11 week old baby and three year old twins. Three year olds were fantastic- no problems whatsoever, we packed toys for them in their trunkis but they only looked at them in the airport....durng flight they were sleeping, eating and happily watching tv. your four year old will be fine!

 

we got a night flight which definately helped, plus we were ten hours in singapore airport which was too long but meant that when we got next flight they were ready to sleep again!

 

i guess you are flying wth singapore airlines? THEY ARE FANTASTIC! really good with kids.

 

have you booked a skycot for your twins?if u can book one asap as even if they dont sleep in it it is extra space and legroom for you all!

 

it will defnately be hard work with twins (take it they are walking!!!) but they will have to sleep at some point during one flight at least so take courage from that!and dont worry about other passengers, most have been there and done that and should feel sympathy for you!

 

just pack lots of little toys and treats, would definately reccomend trunkis as our older two loved wheeling around on them at the airport!

and you will get here eventually!!!!

 

i wouldnt panic too much, if you can survive the first six weeks of sleepless nights after having twins (which you obviously have!) then you can pretty much survive anything i reckon!good luck!

 

 

Woo hoo! Another twinnie Mum!

 

You feel my pain! hehehe! Double the joy, but double the wiggling and deffo NO sleep for the first 6 weeks!

 

Thanks so much for your tips. Ordering Skycots for extra legroom is GENIUS. Will book today!!! We didn't consider this as we thought that the twins would be too big for teeny cots. They're 1 in two days time, so will be 13 months when we fly. Still quite teeny, I suppose.......We're actually flying with Quantas, but the Singapore flight is run by British Airways, I believe.

 

I suppose Bella will be fine if she can watch TV (I haven't flown long haul for so long, I had forgotten that you each get your own TV - much to the amusement of my hubbie!) We have 5 hours in Singapore and then 8 in Perth, so,as you suggest, the girls will probably be ready for naps by the time we board each plane...

 

Deffo feeling positive now! Thank you SO much!

Catherine x

[Guest kas17]

we came over with a 4 year old and 2 year old in August and the inflight entertainment on qantas kept them entertained when they were awake, did the present buying stuff but like the others didnt need it. We had 4 hours in Singapore airport and went to the swimming pool in the terminal hotel, we had just enough time and it really refreshed us all. The kids were great at going to sleep on the flights unfortunately they were so spread out we never got much sleep but at least we got some peace

Karen

[Guest Trakki]

We flew over with 4 kids aged 7, 5, 2 and 14 months, thought it was going to be an absolute nightmare so packed their rucksacks with new toys etc, we had a 630pm flight and by the time we boarded, they got served food and got over the initial excitement they all fell asleep, even the 14 month old who was (and still is now aged 3) a nightmare. the older ones and the 2 year old watched the TV's and were quite happy, they slept for most of the flight and the flight attendants were great (singapore airlines), the break at singapore was great, had a swim, booked a room in the transit hotel so we got a Mcd's for the kids and me and Pete relaxed on the beds and they could have a roam in the room so we napped and knew they were contained lol. Then the flight from singapore to Adelaide was also ok, they all fell asleep again, the 2 year old fell asleep on take off and got woken up when Pete put her seat belt on for landing. All in all 100% better than we thought although we did keep telling each other 'it is only a day, it's only a day' lol. We didn't get a cot on the plane as it would have meant me with the baby and 5 year old at the front and Pete with the other 2 somewhere else so we opted to be together I was in the row infront of Pete. On the first flight they had left the seat next to me empty so the flight attendants gave me loads of those little pillows and blankets and we padded out the spare seat and he curled up on that and went to sleep.

 

The toys they had came in very handy the first few days when we were tired and jet lagged as they played with them while we relaxed.

 

 

You will be fine

 

Hope that helps a bit

[Guest ajw]

We are heading over from Johannesburg end of March 2011, and have a 4.5 and 2.5 year old boys, and yes we have given some thought to how we will approach the flight. Fortunately we have a direct flight to Sydney and although longer than to the UK, the most important factor was picking the flight that leaves just after 6 PM. When we hit cruising altitude it would be normal bedtime for them and hopefully they play ball!

[Guest css]

i havent got any tipe sorry as we havent done it yet,we have it all to come,i hope it all goes well for you and hope you have a great time and find its everything youve ever dreamt of,make sure you let us all know how it went and what you think of it-where are you heading and when you hoping to make the move,clare

[Guest guest4504]

Hi, Our twins were 1 when we flew over. After geing up at 4am to start the go for Oz ( getting breakfast, drive to Manchester, waiting at lounge, boarding ..... ) they were ready for a good sleep anyway. The bulk head cots were great for them napping and the cabbin staff were A1 ( singapore ). As for being on our laps, we just raised the centre arm rest between us and they sat between us with toys. the 13 hour flight was not a great pleasure but not anyway as bad as we thought it would be. Actualy, the cabin staff did take james and emily for a walk around at times to give us a sit for us to eat. Dont thing to bad or worry im sure its going to be OK. hope you enjoy and merry christmas.

[Guest The Dimmocks]

We flew in Feb with our then 4 year old and 2 year old twins. Was really worried about the flight but it went really well. People around us didnt even now we had 4 kids with us until we got up to leave the plane. I would take a spare change of clothes as well for your eldest just in case, ours was sick on second journey and I had a spare pair of shorts but no pants, or shoes which she managed to cover. I personally wouldnt take to much stuff on long plane journey again, we took little bags full of bits and piece to keep them occupied and we never even opened them. Singapore airlines give the kids plenty of things to keep them occupied. It just another thing to carry on and off the planes.

 

Good luck on your trip and hope you like what you see.

 

Michelle

[snifter]

Some good advice been given.

 

A few things I do (when on a night flight).

 

Always take your childrens PJ's/sleepsuit and sleeping bag or blanket. If boading around 10pm, get them ready for bed before you board and put them in their sleeping bags (if they use them). Then spend a bit of time just rocking them in a quiet corner. Cabin crew should be ok to help bring your handluggage on board if you have to carry your children. Just ask nicely and they usually are happy to help.

 

Once on board I'd suggest a dummy (if you use them) or a drink from a bottle (bedtime milk) for during take off and the first 20 minutes or so of the flight. You can also invest in some special ear plugs for young children which can help their ears from having pressure problems. 5ml of Calpol can help (take sachets on board for the flight).

 

Then during take off you'll have to have the 1 year olds on your laps so just spend time rocking them a bit, singing or doing whatever you need to to have them settle.

 

Our son was asleep before we even took off on the outward leg from LHR to Singapore. He slept for 8.5 hours on that flight. Was brilliant. We put him in his PJ's and sleeping bag and that was his signal for bedtime. By the time our flight left at 10pm he was so tired it didn't take much for him to be asleep.

 

Be aware is is very hard work having a young child sitting on your lap for an extended period so if you can get them into the baby rockers or cots then it would really help. Our son didn't fit in the BA baby rocker chair things and so he sat on the one empty seat (the lady in the bulkhead row without a child got bumped up to business class). If you are on a Qantas flight the cots are great as they have a cover to go over them to keep bright light out.

 

I swear by bedtime routine and keeping kids in it when flying. Having them sleep in their daytime clothes is often more effort than spending 10 minutes before boarding getting them ready for bed.

 

Don't be afraid to give 5ml of Calpol half an hour before take off either. Often the ear pressure can hurt them and it does help.

 

I also put in a few small packs of cereal our son likes for breakfast and just got into the timezone changes as quickly as possible. Airline food isn't great for under 3's I've found. We asked for a proper childrens menu for him (over 3) as we never fed baby food per se to him and he has just always eaten what we have. So we took some cereal packs for him and plenty of good snack foods. The menu for under 3's was a bit bleh. Take as much as you can food wise for your younger ones. Also you can buy some cartons of formula once you've cleared passport control.

[Guest mark&rachel]

We came over with a 1, 3 and 5 year old. Night Flights were the key for us. Hours excitement on the plane and then bang out like a light. We stopped off in HK for 3 days to try and break it up a bit. For us it helped as it meant only the flights a few days apart and some relaxation in between. Wont work for everyone though.

 

HK to Adelaide was a nightmare. We had our son in the basin and a korean kid whose mother was 8 isles away. Not fun but we had no choice.

 

We have flown Cathay and Singapore and Singapore were by far the best. Cathay were ok just not 1st class.

 

Good luck though as it will be tough with twins. Worth it though.

[Guest liamcnaught]

As the time to visit on our reccie approaches, I'm getting more and more nervous about the prospect of taking our 1 year old twins (on laps) and 4 year old on the flghts.

 

We have 2 stops - Singapore and Perth, whch breaks it up a bit, but I wondered if anyone had any tips on how to keep them entertained on the flight and also HOW TO GET THEM TO SLEEP!! Are flights generally full? Anyone ever wrangled an upgrade by begging?? .....Feel that one of our fellow passengers may have committed manslaughter by the time we get there!

 

Any tips would be gratefully received!!!

 

Catherine

 

Catherine your post reflects exactly how we were feeling before we came over....I have 4 boys - 12, 8, 6 and 18 months (on my knee).

Firstly you have booked the best airline for kids. They were amazing..we flew Heathrow - Singapore - Adelaide. Both flights youngest had a seat and Singapore to Adelaide gave us 3 seats for him to lie across. If he cried they came over offering food, milk or toys. Seriously I could not fault them and inflight entertainment for the older ones kept them busy. Night flights mean lights are dimmed and they create atmosphere for sleeping.

Like everyone said take some toys that they haven't seen before. I was so paranoid about the poor people that would be sitting around us, however I took the approach that anyone travelling economy class has to make allowances for any types of passengers, be it babies, kids, adults or pensioners. If they really hate kids that much upgrade to a suite!! (Obviously if the parents are not bothering to reprimand bad behaviour - thats another story/debate).

Luckily the older kids were great, however the baby did get a bit upset, however we made sure that we distracted him with toys and books etc and he did sleep.

Hope this helps

 

Good luck

 

Lia

[Guest Mizzmp]

Hi,

 

There are plenty of kids films throughout the flight. Whenever I fly with my son I give him some calpol about 20 mins before take off to settle him. My advice is to check in online and choose your seats. The best ones are a row of 4 in the middle of the plane and they have a wall behind them, should make sense when you see the seat plan. These allow you to put the seats right back but nobody is affected behind you so the kids have more room.

 

Good luck with the flight! Its not as bad as you think and its for a good cause.

 

x

[Guest the terry's]

When we went with our then 2 yr old, we caught the 10pm flight to Adelaide, which made life a bit easier as she was cream crackered by the time the lights went out. We also took some paper and stickers (the cheap one's you get in most supermarkets) which also worked a treat (until the person in front put their seats back and ended up crushing me against my seat as I had all the bits and bobs on the table).

 

Try and ask for the seats behind the barrier in the middle row, when we went there were two cribs which in your case if your twins do fall asleep at least you'll be able to put them down and have some play time with your 4 yr old, anyway hope all goes to plan and you have a quiet flight.

 

Helenx.

[Guest fluxsta]

Magic! Thanks very much, we are kind of hoping that we can display the 'exhausted parents' look and receive some good seats and sympathy!! We will try and get those seats, and from feedback it appears that Quantas as an airline are very helpful and obviously used to dealing with children. I am sure they will be keen to make sure most other passengers are not disturbed as well! Thank you for your best wishes...........