Flying with kids

I have never flown so much as during the past 5 five years after we moved from Hungary to the US. In the first 3 years I had just one little one to travel with now I have two. A lot of friends of mine were asking me constantly how I can fly 12 hours alone with two kids. It is not magic but maybe I can help by sharing  my experiences.

Recommendations

• Ask for a bassinet if your child is under 2 years old

If you have an oversees flight and your kid is not even two years old when you buy your ticket ask for a bassinet immediately. What is a bassinet? It is a small bed for babies on the airplane. Why? Because you don't have to buy a ticket for your child but it is very uncomfortable to hold him/her on your lap.

 

If you get one then your child can sleep in it and if he/she is up can sit in there and play with you. The bassinet sizes are different one every plane (depends on the airline and model). I recommend asking them the details (weight limits, length). Even if your child is taller than the length of the bassinet it is better to have one then nothing.

• Ask for a special meal if you/ or your child will need

Every airline offers vegetarian, gluten free and kids meals. If you would like to have one of these, you have to order them at least 24 hours before your flight. Some airlines have baby food and diapers too. If you need milk for your kid they can always give you. The flight attendants always helped me to warm the baby food too.

• If your child uses a pacifier, use a leash so you don't loose it

• Bring some medicine to handle headache

During our flight I have sometimes a very bad headache and I think even my young one has too. When she was very little and she couldn't speak, I had the feeling she has to have some pain somewhere because she was very fussy. After I gave her ibuprofen she was fine.

•  Bring your kid(s) favorite stuffed animal/blanket/pacifier... to calm her

Even on a short flight you will need your son's/daughter's favorite toy if he/she starts to be fussy or just can't fall asleep alone because everything is new for him/her. There's a lot of noise on the plane, the lights are always on, there are so many people around us and there isn't enough place to move. These facts could bother us as an adult too. So it is no wonder they annoy the youngster much more.

• Bring some favorite toys

One favorite toy of my kids are Legos.  Even when I was little I used to play with them. I still have some bricks from my childhood which are compatible with the new ones too. The other advantage is that both of my kids can play with it (it is good for a 2 and a 5 year old).

Sophie is playing memory with her dad 

We always bring some books with us. A book with big pictures to talk about and some stories are needed anyway on the vacation too.

My elder daughter loves drawing. In my huge back pack you will always find some crayons and paper or coloring books.

• Upload your kids favorite music/story/film on your phone

 My kids don't watch TV at home because we think it's unnecessary. The only place when I allow them to watch movies is on the plane. We always have a few episodes of age appropriate cartoons on our phones.

Sophie and Lili don't like Tom & Jerry so much, they like Curious George right now which they can watch on my smart phone, but only on the plane. (Am I too strict? Maybe. I have a lots of good reasons why.)

After all I just have to be honest flying is an unbearable thing, jet lag is much worse ;)  If you would ask my kids, they love to fly and Sophie's dream job now is to be a flight attendant. She has serious thoughts about her job: "Mama, I will have a treasure box on the plane and at the end of the flight the good kids can choose something from it." I would like to be one of them. :)