traveling overseas with eight month olds

thatslife

Fri, Jun 11 2010, 12:19 am

I traveled with my kids when they were 7 months old. we went on a five hour flight. it was actually alot easier than it is now when there a little over 2. first piece of adivce is expect the worse it wont be that bad usually. as far what to bring. im a firm believer bring a few toys that your kids know. a few essetials and get the rest when you arrive. the less luggage the easier it is. yes it might be more expensive but honestly your sainity is worth it. as far as strollers it depends on if your going to need your carseats when you arrive. if yes than snap and go if not double stroller is usually easier. I honestly took both and gate checked them all. it was comical but one stroller held my carryons and one held my kids. foods are tricky bc some foods they dont let you take. I would say take bananas, and maybe a jar or two. im against jar foods I barly ever gave them to my kids but honestly the easiest to travel with. as far as jet lag it isnt easy. it should take about three days. some up to a week. ask a family member to help out the first couple of days keeping the kids awake during the day. work on yourself first so you can be a proper parent... meaning do your best to get over jet lag and the kids will follow suit. one thing I did was my kids were completely wide awake but I still put them in bed at there bed time and than figured ok its sleeping time. for me it worked. good luck and remember kids do adapt pretty easy. well most do. and yeah its a pain when there out of schedule. but its a vacation you only live once........

Mrs Bissli

Fri, Jun 11 2010, 9:16 am

1. General airplane/airport advice: any seating plan? Do they have their own seats or anyone flying on laps (doable, I've done it, but definitel harder to manage)? Some people like bulkheads (more legspace) but they don't have storage space as there're no seats in front. For a red-eye, I prefer to take the whole middle row, adults on the aisle kids in the middle, so that we can lift the armrest to let the kids stretch. For bickering kids, we split the family in two rows. Small esp commuter aircraft won't allow 2 children in the same aisle.
Gate-check the stroller, make sure there's no loose bits sticking out that can break, ask when you can pick it up on the other side (sometimes when you de-plane, sometimes all the way at the luggage carrousel, depends on the destination airport). Do the online check-in. For boarding with active toddlers, I recommend one adult boarding early to store bags, secure carseats. The other adult can board later that way keep the kids active and running. Make sure the late-boarding parent has the children's passports/boarding passes.
You can ask the FAs to warm the bottle/keep it chilled. Just remember they're very busy before/after serving snacks/meals, in the middle of duty-free, and closer to arrival. I'd ask nicely when they don't seem too busy.

2. nothing that makes noises/sounds, or with small bits. Magnet shapes etc are good, ditto for soft toys, books. If the airplane has individual screens, they may have kids cartoons but many small children have difficulty using earphones/headsets. Not practical once onboard, but I used to carry a small blowing buble liquid/straw an blew bubbles in airport lobby etc.

3. plain cooked pasta in a ziplock bag. cheese stick/slices, bananas (for int'l flight make sure you finish them before you land, most customs won't allow agricultural products), strawberries, teething biscuits or rusk. Despite the liquid rules (no more than 3oz, 1 ziplock bag), you are allowed to bring in baby milk and babyfoods.

5. Spare set of clothes for EVERYONE (in case of delay or lost luggage). Make sure to bring a few extra than you think you'll need in case of flight delay/lost luggage. Wipes (good for wiping spills and cleaning hands), ziplock of different sizes. Make sure you have the right kind of clothes to match the destination weather. Don't forget a light jacket in case of strong A/C.

6. It takes longer for children to get over the jetlag. One way is to get adjusted to the destination time several days before you start the journey. Otherwise try to stick to the destination time. Taking a leisurely warm (not hot) bath helps to fall asleep and sleep longer on the first night at the destination.

7. Your kids also will have to go through security check at the airports, including taking off shoes. Crocs/sandales are easier than closed shoes. Remember a child with own seat is entitled to full luggage allowance. For carry-on, I like bringing a backpack (keeps hands free) and a large beach-bag (open basket type or something with large opening) that I can dump things accumulated (blankets/stuffed animals for the kids, snacks, wipes, "interesting rocks and leaves" kids pick up along the way).

Happy travelling. Many people have done that.

Teomima

Wed, Jul 14 2010, 3:56 pm

We flew 12 1/2 hours with our twins when they were 7 months old. It actually wasn't that bad. We had bulkhead seats and when they weren't asleep in the bassinets it still gave them a place to play plus space for us to stash extra stuff (toys, diapers, bottles, etc.) Mine are twins girls and even though we don;t usually dress them in matching outfits, we did so for the flight for the "cute factor" and it worked. Everyone around us was so nice and understanding.

I'm actually really nervous about our upcoming trip. The girls will be a year and a half and an international flight is a looooong time for two toddlers (lap babies, I might add! It's way too expensive to pay for extra seats) to be cooped up in a tin can.