Guest Sara Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Would appreciate any advice/tips you could share on how best to travel with 2 children, aged 3 and 1 to Australia. We're staying overnight in Hong Kong on the way out to Perth as I thought this might help. What about jet lag? Any thoughts on how best to help them deal with the time difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aldo Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 When you check in inform the nice lady that your kids are extremely hyperactive and if you're lucky she will give you a whole row of the plane to yourselves. Failing that I strongly recommend Phenergan (for the kids) amphetamines for the wife and tranquilizers for the husband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 If you do resort to medicating either yourself or the kids - do try it out first as you may get a adverse reaction or you may find the little ones sleep for too long and you're unable to wake them for necessary drinks etc., At some point the kids will get naturally tired and and go to sleep. Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaulnLisa Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 We bought some new toys and hid them from the children, we would surprise them with one every now and then, worked for us. Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hi Sara Welcome to Poms in Oz, Please allow me to introduce you properly to Aldo. Please click on the link below and then follow the link to the Horror Flick. It reveals (amongst other things) thatAldo's children survived the journey to Oz! http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/queensland/27633-my-jungle-adventure.html Aldo was only having you on, as you no doubt realise. Seriously, though, do not give the children anything which might make them drowsy because it might de-hydrate them as well, and also you can't have floppy, semi-comatose children in case of an emergency. As Ali said, they will sleep when they are tired anyway and if the flight is not full, the cabin staff are usually good about helping to convert spare seats into beds for the babes. I would take sweets that they can suck during the descents into Hong Kong & Perth because both are both quite steep because of the hills nearby. As a result, the cabin pressure is altered pretty quickly during it. This used to give me acute earache when I was a child, flying back & forth between the UK and Malaysia the whole time, and sucking boiled sweets helps to make one's ears 'pop' to reduce the pressure. I sometimes still get this earache whe flying even now and the sweets still help. The planes all, always, carry boiled sweets for any passenger who wants them. However, their choice of sweets may not be the ones your children would choose! You can also order children's meals if you pre-book them in advance. With Cathay Pacific, these might even be loaded into the plane! Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 drinking/sucking from a bottle or a tommee tippee cup would help if they couldn't have sweets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EM&M Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I am travelling back ot the UK soon with 2 girls 31/2 & 16 months. I have firends as far a dubai and after that the last leg is alone. On the way here the girls were just gone 3 and 10 months and they were good as gold. As lisa mentioned for the older one I went to the pound shop and bought it bits new colouring books etc stickers.... I hid them in her little trolley case which she had packed herself for the journe with her special teddy etc. We always let her buy a magazine at airport as well. I did bring some snack foods as well as my 3 year old hardley eats anything and would not eat the food on the plane. So I made a bit of a packed lunch so that I knew I had food she would eat. They were both good as gold and we had 3 x 7 hour flights. Fingers crossed they are the same going back lol. Does anyone know if they supply cows milk on Emirates for babies?? Em x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 :biglaugh: I have to laugh, sorry. A good many years ago now I flew to Uk for a 2 month holiday on my own with a 12 week old baby and a 3.5 yr boy. I never even gave a thought about taking them on such a trip. Only thing I did take was travel sick pills because I get horribly air sick and didnt know if the kids would too - better safe than sorry. I look back now and admire that I did it, I was probably nuts! I travelled really light - the baby in a sling on the front, a small cabin bag for me with a few disposable nappies and a change of clothing. I made a backpack for the lad (that tells you how long ago it was) and he carried a few essentials including some matchbox toys and a couple of transformers which I had wrapped up as presents to keep him occupied. I had a backpack with all our belongings in it so I was incredibly independent and mobile throughout. The only rule we had was if the baby slept then we all slept. I walked a good way across asia with the baby who decided to be interested in everything going on rather than sleeping. It was in the days of a two stopper - we stopped in Bahrain as well as Singapore. Then two months later I did it all again as we came back. I have done it several times with the kids on my own since then and never had a problem - I didnt even think I would have a problem. I even sent my eldest son on his own to UK at 9 to be the family representative at my parents' ruby wedding - no problems there either. If you treat it as easily as you would treat a routine trip on the park and ride bus you will be just fine! I think you can overthink these things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crafty1 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 :biglaugh: quoll, i'm going to have to disagree with you here! i'm taking my 4 and a half year old daughter and 6 and a half year old son to melbourne via dubai and i am NOT looking forward to it all! last year i took them both to toronto by myself, what a b****y nightmare:arghh:! i took the sweets, the new toys, bags they packed, the little surprises and they still drove me nuts! i'm flying emirates via dubai on the 17th of march, to melbourne, i'll pay and you can take them on a different flight by yourself if you like! :twitcy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 i'm flying emirates via dubai on the 17th of march, to melbourne, i'll pay and you can take them on a different flight by yourself if you like! :twitcy: No worries, you're on!:twitcy: I guess when I did it I just didnt give a thought that it would be hard! I look back now and wonder why I wasnt freaking but I had flown with the oldest one to UK and back a couple of times and also up to PNG with him so it just sort of happened. Just another thought, you could send the 6 year old on his own and pick him up at the other end. (I did send DS1 on his own to UK and back at 9 and he was a gem) and that would leave you with just the one to worry about:) Good luck with it, I am sure it will be fine! (maybe no sweets this time!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriarty5 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hi I just read your post and noticed that a couple of people recommended boiled sweets, I would definitely go with the drink and straw option after our little boy choked on a boiled sweet as the plane was about to take off on the last flight we were on - it was very scary, the sweet was really lodged and it took a while for it to come up, they had to stop the plane and call for nurses and doctors - I vowed then that my children will never eat boiled sweets ever again!! Just thought I would share our experience as I would hate the thought of that happening to anyone else. Hope your flight goes well Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughspiders Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hiya I know how you feel. Mine will be 2 and 4 when we travel!!!(hopefully) Molly is an absolute nightmare. She has a mind of her own. Not a child that will stay still. No way will she sit and be still and be entertained she wuill want to be up and about and OFF!!!! I have no doubts that she will try and open the emergency exit doors!! Im absolutely dreading it!!!!! Bex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozzie Wannabe Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hiya I know how you feel. Mine will be 2 and 4 when we travel!!!(hopefully) Molly is an absolute nightmare. She has a mind of her own. Not a child that will stay still. No way will she sit and be still and be entertained she wuill want to be up and about and OFF!!!! I have no doubts that she will try and open the emergency exit doors!! Im absolutely dreading it!!!!! Bex Hi Bex, any chance I can book a flight with you so my little "cherub" can be equally entertaining? She'll probably spend the flight playing with the toilet!! Elle xx :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughspiders Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 hi Elle Maybe we should go halves on employing a nanny to sit at the other end of the plane with em!!! In fact even better...we could go business class and stick them all (incl husbands) in economy and deny all knowledge of em when they are wrecking the place!!! lol Bex x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozzie Wannabe Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 That sounds like a plan to me! Where do I sign up? xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crafty1 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 :yes: sign me up too! or the other plan could be to send quoll with all the kids and we go independently!:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 :yes: sign me up too! or the other plan could be to send quoll with all the kids and we go independently!:biglaugh: You pay for my fare home and it would be a doddle! Unfortunately you would be wanting me to travel in the wrong direction! I forsee a career move coming on! Nanny to emigrating kids - sounds like there could be a really lucrative business in that. Yup, I like that one. Almost as good as being a Foreign Affairs courier - I always fancied travelling with a briefcase attached to my wrist (I wonder how they managed in the loos - I digress!) I have just the right t shirt for the Nannying job too - I wear it a lot - "Do I LOOK like a people person?" (I confess, I am a psychologist!!!) On a serious note though, do avoid sweets - sugar makes kids hyped up as well as possibly choking them! Drinking lots of water (get them into the habit before you leave) is better than any sugar laden stuff. If you take a late night flight and run them ragged during the day before then they will probably sleep the first half of the trip anyway. Then make them run around deserted parts of the airport during transit and you should be ok for the second half of the trip. I always work on the premise that kids will unerringly find your fear so if you (fake it til you make it) present as being super confident about flying across the world with them, utterly in control parenting etc etc then they will not try and exploit your weaknesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughspiders Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 In fact i think i will just send them all in the container and have a 30 day holiday prior to their arrival!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 In fact i think i will just send them all in the container and have a 30 day holiday prior to their arrival!!! Now that is definitely what I call a plan!:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughspiders Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Only trouble is i believe they all have to be clean!! I'd have to jet wash and disinfect them all and the other half may need quarantine or at least a good wax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesellisle Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Quoll, My OH has that T-shirt...........(he really does!)...lol! Would you be available to escort our three for a reasonable price? If not, we were thinking of industrial strength glue or a large rope to keep two of the three under control and out of mischief! Happy travels everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorrisons Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hiya I know how you feel. Mine will be 2 and 4 when we travel!!!(hopefully) Molly is an absolute nightmare. She has a mind of her own. Not a child that will stay still. No way will she sit and be still and be entertained she wuill want to be up and about and OFF!!!! I have no doubts that she will try and open the emergency exit doors!! Im absolutely dreading it!!!!! Bex I have a 21 month old daughter exactly the same, she is such a good girl BUT not an easy child and hates to be restricted and sit on my knee and keep still for more than 2.5 seconds. Wish me luck, we travel mid April to Perth via Singapore. Will make sure that I take plenty of new little toys and stickers, she loves stickers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzy+1 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I was worried about the 25 hour flight with 1 hour stop over with my 3 year old-but i need'nt have been. I packed a million toys into as much hand luggage as i could manage (or not as the case was!) and not once did she get something out to play with on the whole 25 hours.I would say she slept for half of it, watched the kids TV programmes (very good in flight entertainment for little ones) and they seem to feed you every 5 minutes on those long haul flights???she was given a free bag with lots of colouring things and puzzles etc on the 2nd part of the flight and that kept her entertained. I wish i had left the hand luggage at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Angelcake Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I've got twin 2 yr old boys and a 4 yr old boy, all typical boisterous, can't sit still, lets rough and tumble and sword fight kinda guys! 24 hrs on a plane is going to be hell for everyone involved - agggggggggggggghhhhhhh!! Especially those people sat near us!! A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crafty1 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 :jiggy: Sorry i haven't been on for a while, the comp was sent to Melbourne ahead of me, i seriously considered bribing the packers to add the kids to the box, but thought customs might have something to say! We made the trip on the 17th of march and i have to say, the kids were amazing! We left 'home' at 4:30 am on the monday, flew from gatwick at 10am, landed in Dubai at 5pm, flew out of Dubai at midnight to singapore for an hours stop and then landed in melbourne at 2:30pm tues (all uk times), which was 1:30 am on the wednesday in melbourne! i really needn't of worried, i had brought the kids nintendo ds's a month before and they spent most of the time playing on those, am currently weening them off the flaming things!! they only slept from dubai to singapore, mummy really didn't sleep at all, i wish i was small enough to curl up on those seats! so what i should have been more worried about was me, i was sooooo bored and tired, that I was the cranky one and just couldn't wait to get off the plane! :arghh: the thought of doing the journey again any time soon is a definit no-no, but not because of the kids, because i don't want to!! good luck everyone still planning the trip, just don't get too stressed about the kids, worry about how you're going to cope being on the plane for soooo long!! :twitcy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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