We got through 6 fights in total!
We just got back from a two week holiday to India. I have more posts to write about our experiences there but for now I’m going to congratulate myself and my family for getting through 6 flights in total (2 of them domestic). This was my 16 month old’s first time on a plane. Any normal parents would have started with a short plane journey from London to Lanzarote, or something similar. But us being us we decided to go the whole hog and do a 9 and a half hour journey to India! Did I mention that we flew indirect? It seemed to work fine the last time we went two years ago, but that was just with two kids aged 5 and 6 and a half, plus we flew from London City Airport which is 15 minutes away from us. Throw a toddler into that mix and travelling to an airport which is an hour away at 5 o clock in the morning puts a whole different spin on things. Oh well you live and learn!
My top tips
I thought I’d note down some tips so you too can learn from our mistakes and make life easier for yourselves when traveling with little ones:
Travel during sociable hours
It’s really worth putting some thought into the kids sleep patterns and minimizing the disruptions of their routines. If you are travelling long haul there is obviously going to be a time difference but it helps if the kids are not totally out of it when they reach their destination. Our whole family had to wake up at 4am to travel to Heathrow for a 9am flight. I’ve never seen Mini Me 1 and Mini Me 2 get ready so quickly as they were super excited, but 10 hours later that excitement had worn off and they looked like zombies. Mini Me 3 was totally exhausted too as she didn’t sleep much on the journey to Delhi. We arrived at Indira Gandhi Airport at 1.30am. By the time we came out of the airport it was almost 3am, which was 9.30pm UK time. That’s quite a late night for young children that have been up since 4am and had a very long journey. Poor things. The journey back wasn’t the best timing either as the plane departed at 2am. By this point they were on Indian time so were ready for bed before we even left for the airport! One advantage was that the baby fell asleep before check in and stayed asleep for the next 7 hours. Mini Me 1 and Mini Me 2 also slept a lot on the plane. Next time we travel to India my hubby and I both agree that we should take an early evening flight from London Heathrow which reaches Delhi at 10am in the morning (around 5am UK time) then try and keep everyone awake and put them to bed at a decent hour Indian time. That way they have more chance of acclimatizing quicker.
Take a direct flight
I usually try and save money by taking an indirect flight to India. While cheaper flights are great and it might seem like a nice idea to be able to stretch your legs, and in some cases it’s necessary to change flights because the journey is so lengthy. However with three kids ages 8 and under, and one of them in a pushchair you definitely won’t be skipping along to the next boarding gate. You’ll most likely to be dragging or carrying at least one of them, holding their backpacks which they packed themselves and swore they would be responsible for carrying, along with everyone’s coats and other random things you’ve picked up along the way. I found myself doing constant headcounts and stopping Mini Me 3 from running towards escalators. Also Frankfurt airport is huge and we had to take a bus, a train and run the rest of the way to the boarding gate! It was a cold winters day but I was dripping in sweat by the time I boarded the next plane! To be fair the journey back to the UK was a lot let stressful as the baby slept a lot and the kids played in the play area at Zurich airport then fell asleep again on the flight from Zurich to London. I think we just got lucky though because my sister also flew back from Delhi to Birmingham that night and her kids were throwing up for most of the journey!
Consider paying for a seat for your toddler
Lots of people (including me and my hubby) take advantage of the fact that you don’t have to pay for an air ticket for kids under 2 years old. You just pay the tax which is nothing compared the price of an older child’s ticket. However, this does mean that your toddler will be on your lap the whole time. Sure you can walk around a bit with them on the plane during waking hours, but when they’re asleep you end up awkwardly holding them on your lap, and not being able to move. I thought I was going to get deep vein thrombosis at one point! Mini Me 3 is tall for her age so she was too big to fit into the bassinet on the Lufthansa flight. We booked seats with extra legroom to make it more comfortable for everyone and I ended up making a bed for her on the floor at one point! I’m not even sure if that’s allowed, but you gotta do what you gotta do and the fasten seat belts signs were off at that point. If your toddler is big but still under 2, I think it will be more comfortable to buy them a seat. I know it makes the trip more expensive but for long haul it’s worth it.
Take a well equipped changing bag
As well as extra nappies, wipes, baby paracetamol, snacks, formula and sterilized bottles, it helps if you take things that will keep toddler busy. I took a new Teletubbies coloring book. Mini Me 3 wasn’t interested in colouring at all but there were stickers in it too which she liked and it kept her busy for around 15 minutes. Don’t’ expect anything to hold a toddlers attention for much longer than this! Mini tubs of Play doh are also a good idea for keeping little hands busy. I used both these things during take off and landing times when Mini Me 3 had to be strapped to me and she wasn’t very happy about being restricted. I also found a dummy/pacifier helped and giving bottle feeds for comfort. If you are still breastfeeding and considering dropping it, keep going until you return from holiday. Anything that can comfort and calm your child is super helpful when you’re in the air.
Gate Check In your buggy/stroller
Even if your toddler is good on their feet, chances are they will want to run off in the opposite direction you are heading. Also little legs get tired quickly and they may need a nap. That’s why taking a light weight stroller on holiday is a good idea. You can check the stoller in at the gate when you board. Just make sure to get a special gate check tag for the stroller when you check in your other baggage. We took the stroller all the way up to the door of the plan when we were travelling back from Delhi to London. We also had it during transit. It was very useful. Bear in mind you have to fold the stroller and put it through security with all your other hand luggage and coats etc, so you may have to remove your sleeping baby at that point. When you reach your destination the aircraft ground crew either give your stroller to you as you get off the plane, or as in the case of Delhi airport, you retrieve it in baggage claim in a designated area for strollers and other odd items of baggage.
Don’t expect to relax
Gone are the days where you can take advantage of inflight entertainment, or even eat your meal properly. As for having a cup of tea or coffee? Forget it! Travelling with a toddler means you are constantly on high alert. Whilst a baby might be happy to sit there and state are things or sleep, a toddler has their own views on what they should be doing during a long haul flight. It’s usually the opposite of what you think they should be doing. My sister, brother in law and nieces were on the same flight from Frankfurt to Delhi so they helped entertain Mini Me 3. We also let the kids play in the kids play areas in Heathrow and Zurich which tired Mini Me 3 out a bit. The last time we went to India as a family of four, Mini Me 1 and Mini Me 2 were intent on watching as many movies as they could, or reading or colouring. Mini Me 3 has no interest in any of these relaxing activities. You might have more luck on a night flight when your little one will be asleep….fingers crossed.
Look after yourself
Make sure you get plenty of rest leading up to your big journey, even if that means starting the packing way earlier than you planned to. Keep hydrated and try to eat well. Take snacks for yourself too. When your baby or toddler falls asleep on you you sure as hell won’t want to wake them so empty your bladder as soon as you get on the plane (or just before!) and then get ready to stay put for a while. Flight socks are great for preventing swollen feet and legs. I used to suffer from swollen feet when flying but since I invested in flight socks my feet and legs are fine. Remember to do foot rotations and flexes to keep the circulation going. You can do this even with your baby sprawled across your lap. And for God’s sake wear comfortable hardwearing clothing. Your toddler will be scrabbling about on your lap and be spilling things on you so wearing your best outfit is a no no. You can still look stylish, just be practical too. On one of the domestic flights we took whilst in India Mini Me 3 pooed in her nappy just before take off. She had loose motions at the time so it was kind of a poo explosion and was seeping out of her nappy and clothing. We had to stay put till we were in the air and could undo seatbelts, so my dad who sitting next to me slid a copy of the Times of India newspaper under her. This was basically damage limitation to the brand new outfit I was wearing! Good thinking Papa!
The stresses of the long journeys aside, we had an amazing time and Mini Me 3 even enjoyed it in her own way. It was lovely to see the kids all having fun on holiday. However, on the way back from Delhi both my husband and I vowed that we would never take a long haul flight again until Mini Me 3 was at least 4 years old. We forgot about the fact that we’re planning to attend a family wedding abroad in the summer, and probably another big family occasion on another continent in 2019! So erm, that plan not really going to work out! Oh well I’ll probably need to re-read this blog post for my own benefit before the next journey! I hope this has helped some of you, and do share your own experiences and tips if you have any.
Bon Voyage
MummyImperfect x