Asking for Advise - Ceres,CA

I have found the web site below has some helpful info. Good luck.

http://www.expatwomen.com/mothers/flying_with_children.php

Hi D.
I have a 20mth old daughter and have traveled to Asia twice and have gone a a few domestic flights. We just returned last week frm east coast. At 20mths, she was a little more active and we definitely needed activities. Here are some things that worked for us: 1) a large sketch pad with crayons or color pencils....trace hands..she seemed to love 2) Stickers (you can use sketch book too)3) Iphone or DVD with her favorite shows or movie 4)Listen to music with headphones
Good Luck on your trip and have fun!

Greetings D.: When we were in the military and moved from one side of the world to another I would:
1. check with our division and see if anyone from there was going to be on the same plane and asked for help.
2. make sure the airlines knows your situation so they can at least be aware of your tough times and help. You will have a very 16 plus hours flight--
3. I know that space will be limited but try and have something the child really likes for example "Elmo" and get a small dvd player and 2 movies (at 4 and younger they can watch the same one over and over) have things that they can sit in the seat and entertain themselves with-books,crayons and paper, I bought my granddaughter a musical toy for their 14 hour flight and it saved their sanity. also snacks since planes don't provide them for the children & don't forget a couple of changes of clothes and the baby blankets

4. Just be honest with the people around your seat-- you are doing the best that you can and are sorry that it is hard on them. You may find like I did that people were kinder than I expected and helped.
You are amazing not just for making this move but for being the wife of a military member and all the sacrifices that your family has to make. Wish that you could be going when our high school takes their annual trip to Germany cuz those kids are great and like to help.
Good Luck, and I hope that you get to visit lots of area in Germany and surrounding countries before coming back to the USA. Nana G

Make sure you take a small, folding stroller for the baby. (and/or piling stuff on it) Also I would highly recommend those harnesses that velcro on the childs chest and have a strap to hold onto them. Basically they are like a leash and normally I dont use them , but I had to take a trip when both of mine were about that age and having that harness SAVED me . When you're in the airport is when I used it....I felt so much better having my child "attached". When you are in line, holding kids, bags, purse etc. it's tough. If one runs off you are going to have to lose your place, drop your stuff to chase your kids. By having the harnesses you can have both kids attached to you while you carry all the stuff you'll have or wait in line.
The crowded airport was scary for me alone with my wiggly kids that wanted to run around, but the harness made me feel in control. It's for saftey. When you are on the plane or out of the hustle of crowds you can take them off, but the strap just velcros to your wrist and if they get a couple feet away from you you know it and can gently pull them back or stop them from going farther. Take your own snacks, in little portions to ration on the trip, a soft animal for each child, some small quiet toys for them to play with and some favorite books. You'll probably have the diaper bag and all that stuff too. Take any medicines with you and a bottle, sometimes milk is hard to find to buy and food is so expensive anyway at airports.... I wouldnt bother with crayons and such, but maybe if you have room a portable DVD players and a couple favorite movies in case you have to sit and wait somewhere a long time. You can just plug it in and they can watch a movie in the terminal if you have a layover. Good luck, but get the harnesses. LG

hi D.! i'm so happy for you and the kids that you are going to visit your hunny!!!
so, my first crucial piece of advice: get the kids their own seats so that they have their carseats to sleep in, play in, move around in -
2nd. you could get a small dvd player and movies so your 3 yr old can watch movies w/earphones on
3rd. get books of stickers and pads of paper, kids loooove putting stickers on stuff! an hour or two is easily passed this way :)
4. get some new books and bring some old favorittes :)
5. bring some of their favoritte things to eat, but not much to get them hyper (no chocolate, soda, overly-sugary things) - bring finger-foods that the kids can have fun eating themselves!
6. some new toys that are puzzling or very creative will engage them for ahile, too
hmmm, i'm sure there is more but the other mamas will have to tell you!
even if you only bring one carseat, for your younger kid, you'll be glad you did: having a familiar place to sleep safely, belted in, will be wonderful, you'll see!
lots of love and support to you and your family, brave mama!!!!!
XXXOOO
S.

I suggest bringing a portable dvd player with their favorite dvd's. If your 3 year old can use earphones buy the best fitting ones. And a Y connection so they can both listen. And extra extra diapers, just in case. Also, you can buy some new toys and wrap them, let them open them when things start going badly.
Wiki sticks, paper for drawing, snacks, books. Also make sure to bring medicing on the plane that you might need. And extra clothes.

Liquid for take off/landings-
Since my daughter likes Gatorade, I bring the powder along. Once we are past security, I buy a bottle of water and pick up a straw from fast food place ( if I don't have any at home). I mix up the drink for take off. When we have had long flights, I wrap up enough powder for all the flights (take off and landing). If she drinks it all on the way up, I ask the stewardess to fill the water bottle before landing and mix up a new batch.

Enertainment-
I tend to carry my laptop, which can show DVDs.

Comfy and dry-
Bring an extra change of clothes of two for each one. I have had to use the extra clothes on a flight.

EXTRA diapers
Enough said.
If your 3 yr old is in pull ups at night, put on during flight so there are no worries or leaks.

Car seats have to be FAA approved.
Look for the sticker on the carseat. Bring the carseats. It will help them sleep more easily (They know the comfort of the seat and it has a familiar scent.)

Snacks...bring plenty.

Medicine- carry it on .
If it is liquid, have it put in a smaller container at the pharmacy. When we leave the country, I carry antibiotics for all of us. My daughter does liquid, but I have the pharmacist leave it dry and just buy water when we need it. Since she has allergies, I give her the meds before we get on the plane. We never know who we will sit next to and if they have animals at home. I don't need a child with hives on an airplane.

Toys-
Bring along a new toy for each one and an old favorite.
If they sleep with something special, bring it!
Paper and crayons/markers are great for toddlers
Books

Hopefully, they will sleep for most of the trip. Be prepared that they stay awake for most of the trip and fall asleep the last 45 minutes. Yeah, that's a real joy. They don't want to get up and cry while you are trying to get all of their stuff and them off the plane. (Reliving a long flight at the moment. Sorry.)

It seems like you are going to need help getting to the plane. Let the airport know you need help and they will arrange it..give you a ride on the airport cart to the gate on each end.

They should let you board first and will help you get settled....let them know. Call the airlines and talk to a person about your needs. They usually are very supportive.

I just remembered...They will let someone go through security with you and wait at the gate until you take off if you are in need. Ask about that when you call. I took my mother-in-law to the airport and they let my daughter and I go through because her flight was delayed several hours. She was in a wheel chair to the gate and they would have had to stay with her if we didn't go through. The security guards made that call.

Hope it all goes well.
Stephanie

That is a really long flight so if you dont have a portable dvd player get one and take a few of their favorite movies that will make their time feel faster also color books and crayons. Keep telling them to be calm and when we get there they will see daddy. Take anything that they like doing tokeep their hsnds busy and give them rules staring now that they cant stand in their seats or kick the seat in front of them, no yelling or fighting with each other, no hitting and take your own snacks like juice, animal crackers and fruit snacks. If they act up separate them otherwise let them sit together. Good luck and Thank You and your husband for the sacrifices you are all making for us.

It looks like you have gotten lots of great advice already, but I thought I'd add a couple of points I didn't see when I was scanning through.
Many people reccomended bringing a DVD player, which can be a godsend, but takes up a lot of room when you are the only one carrying things. (Your three year old isn't too young to pull her own little rolling case by the way! I have a picture of my neice doing it at 2.) But check with the airline, most international flights play a selection of movies on a loop during the flight, find out if yours does and what the selection is (to make sure there is some appropriate stuff), then you'll only need headphones for them.
Snacks, snacks, snacks, and benadryl. I don't usually go for drugging kids to get them to sleep, but when they are so young it's the only thing you can do to help with motion sickness, and it can help them sleep at the appropriate time (on the plane) so that they adjust to the time difference easier when they get there.
The airlines will let you bring some drinks for the little ones (milk, juice, babyfood) through security, I just did it! But you can definitly get juice and water from the flight attendants. Don't be afraid to ask for help from the flight attendants so you can go to the bathroom too!
Oh! And get up and walk laps around the plane, you need to for your circulation and it will help when they are getting restless, just try to time your walks in between the services.
Don't forget a change of clothes for you as well as them. I know from experience it sucks to arrive in a new country and find that your luggage hasn't yet and you don't have any clean clothes!
Good Luck!

Pressure changes can make kids ears hurt, and yours are too young for chewing gum, but maybe some teething biscuits and lots of other snacks. Drinks are trickier since you can't bring liquids on the plane anymore...maybe call the airline (or look at the airline website?) and ask about milk bottles and things like that. I'm sure they have some kind of exceptions with babies, but you'll need to know in advance.
Touchy-feely toys that can be squeezed, stretched and rubbed to keep their hands busy (unless they like to throw things!). Quiet ones, NOT squeaky, so the other passengers won't be bothered. I saw a kid with silly putty on my last flight, but I'm afraid your kids might put that in their mouth...
You can bring books to read out loud to them.
My husband (ex-Navy) says "LOTS of diapers and LOTS of wipes!" = )
GOOD LUCK, and thanks to your husband (and you) for tolerating all those tough sacrifices that come with military service!

What worked for us in the past was a DVD player. Also, I went to the dollar store and got a bunch of little knick knacks and wrapped them up like little gifts. Every hour I would let the kids open up a "present" and it would entertain them for a while. When they got bored of that one, there was another to open up! They loved it! Good luck on your flight!

Just a word of caution if you choose to use Benadryl as suggested by a previous person. Make sure you know how your child reacts to Benadryl as it sometimes has an opposite effect and makes children wired, which you DON'T want on an international flight.

Best of luck!