We are going to Israel in May with our kids, ages just-5 and 20 months (both boys). We took the older one when he was just over a year old, not quite walking yet, so this time will be a different ball game and I'm dreading the flights! We will have four adults to two kids (hubby and his parents and me) so that'll help...but still...you mamas know how it is, a lot of the kid management will fall to me!
I figured some of you would have some brilliant ideas that I haven't thought of to deal with sleeping and keeping them entertained.
The basics of the flights are on the way there, the long flight (NYC - Tel Aviv) starts at like 11pm (after 4 hour layover in NYC, after 3 hr flight from Dallas!) so sleep will be the goal once we settle in to that flight. On the way back, the long flight starts around noon local time so that flight will be more about keeping them entertained.
Older one:
sleep-wise, I'm trying to think what type of pillow/blanket setup would work best. He'll have to sleep in the airplane seat obviously.
Entertainment-wise, we have ipad and he has a Nook and we have an ipod...books and activity books...trying to get him into a couple of card games now...I will of course have snacks...any other thoughts?
Younger one: This is the one I'm most concerned about.
Sleep-wise: He does NOT like to be held to sleep. When he is tired and I'm holding him, he will literally reach for his crib. When we flew this far with our older son when he was a baby, I held him to sleep and then lay him on the floor of the plane at my feet on a palate of blankets. With this one, he will fight and squirm and fuss if I try to get him to fall asleep in my arms. I can try lying him on the floor on blankets and hoping he'll fall asleep on his own but with that I'm afraid he'll be too stimulated by the weird surroundings. I wish I could somehow put a little tiny tent around him! Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Entertainment-wise, I imagine he'll walk up and down the aisles a lot, may look at books for a few minutes at a time, MAYBE do an ipad game for a few min at a time, snack some, but I'm having a hard time imagining how we will manage him hour upon hour! At home what he likes to do is build with blocks, climb on stuff, push things around the house (push toys, his own stroller, his high chair, etc)
I have started going to dollar store and Target and such and collecting small, random toys that are cheap so no worries if they get lost or broken, and my plan is to have a bag of this for each of them for both of the long flights (there and back) so they'll have some new and novel stuff that I can keep pulling out. But not sure how much that'll buy me especially with the younger one. This idea plus snacks are all I've really got right now.
Also - any suggestions on dealing with jet lag would also be appreciated! Last time we used Melatonin pretty successfully and otherwise just did the usual trying to stay outside during the day and stay active till we got adjusted. Any other secrets?
Let the ideas flow!!! Thanks in advance!
In my experience, plane rides make little ones extra sleepy. I think if you can let the kids switch to different adults once in awhile, that would really help to keep them occupied. Safe travels!
We fly to Ireland all the time, not as long as flight as yours but with a lay-overit took us 16 hours.In any case, after our first leg, I put the kids in their PJS and did their bedtime routine. My youngest feel asleep and slept for the whole flight, 8 hours, while my oldest settled down into sleep after about an hour. So I do think your kids will sleep from NY. Just make sure you prep them and tell them beforehand..."We are going on a plane. How exciting....once we do a stop for food and some play, we are getting on another plane and will get to have a sleep over on the plane, etc.;'
Do not let your child walk up and down the isle...this is so rude to other passengers. This is the same rule in a restaurant...you might think your child is the most cute child in the world, passengers and fellow diners DO NOT.
There will be four adults and two children, if the kids need to be entertained while they are not sleeping, the four of you, with the LIMITED assistance of the airline staff, need to do everything you can to avoid making the flight for other passengers miserable.
I try to make flights with young children non-stop and late night as much as possible.
First off on long flights, EVERYONE, including the toddler, should take turns walking down the aisles. This is to prevent DVT/blood clots. Of course, you don't let your kid go alone, but yes, walk the aisle!
When we went to India when my son was this age, I made him a bed of the floor (we had bulkhead seats, worth it to ask the airline for them) with blankets and a pillow and he slept 8 of the 16 hours we were on the flight. It was wonderful. After the first flight and the layover, I bet he will conk out pretty quickly. The movies on the flight entertained him pretty well and we did the different toys and walking while he was awake.
As far as the jet lag, I try to stay awake as much as possible the first day over there. Any naps should be fairly short. We just push through until we make it! Good luck!
Can you afford to get a seat for the 20 month old? A car seat on the airplane would be invaluable for a long flight like that. Maybe even check flight loads to see if there will be an extra seat for you? Also, a car seat would give your 5 year old something to prop a pillow against to sleep. Otherwise, it seems like you have good ideas and will be doing everything you can!
For us the flight is the "no rules" zone. Which means the boys could always decide what they wanted to do. Of course they would always try to stay up all night. We let them play as much video games as they wanted or they could watch a movie or two. Whatever they wanted. Sometimes they managed to stay awake almost the entire flight, other times they'd fall asleep before dinner was served. But they were always so exited about being able to play video games or watch movies without limitation that they never gave us any trouble during the flight and they were usually exited about the flight days in advance.For the waits at the airport I always brought books to read and little matchbox cars and Thomas trains and a toy plane. The cars, trains and planes were a great distraction for them. Since they will be jet lagged anyways I always felt it was pointless to enforce any sleeping rules on the plane. At the destination I send them to bed early the first night and resume the regular schedule after. It always worked well for us without any melatonin or other drugs.
We've taken some long flights when our kids were similiar ages to your children. For jet lag, at least a week before you leave, try to start putting your boys to bed earlier (and maybe yourself as well) to start moving towards Israel's time zone. Try to move your schedules up 15 minutes to 30 minutes each evening so that you and the kids are going to bed a little earlier each night (and getting up just as much earlier the next morning). It will really help you once you're there. You could also try to get your stomaches on the new time zone (eat lunch 1/2 an hour earlier each day, same with dinner), until you're at maybe three hours earlier altogether, which gets you almost halfway to the time difference before you're even left.
For the plane, the little toys are great, as well as little fun snacks for them. Be really friendly to the flight attendants, they can be your best ally during a long flight by trying to reseat you so that you have empty seats next to you or your husband (with the kids in between you, if that's what works best for you), giving you a bit of extra space.
And before you leave for your trip, you could play "airport" or "being on the airplane" with your kids... let them pack a pretend suitase, give them a pretend plane ticket, play around the house pretending that you're taking a trip on the airplane, etc, to get their mind to start thinking about it.
I would try to buy a seat for your baby so you can put him in a car seat.
Take turns w/the other female adult & see if she can help hold the baby or
entertain the older one.
I would try to make a bed at your feet for your toddler or baby to sleep.
Try to buy new toys to pull out of your bag for the older one when he gets
restless.
Definitely the iPad or kindle & download new free games.
Let the older one walk around at the airport during lay overs.
Buy those soft blocks so he can build & knock them down w/o them
hurting someone's fee when they fall.
Their favorite snacks & plenty of them.
Favorite blanket or cuddly for the oldest one.
New baby toys for the youngest one so you can pull them out & give to
him/her (quiet ones).
Coloring book or blank sketch pad & coloring pens or crayons.
Take your oldest to walk down the aisle w/you. ALL the adults do it on
long flights. And I find the adults to be the annoying ones on flights, not
the kids. :)
Try to think positively.
A backpack for you w/2 little comfy blankets for them. The backpack will
give you hands free when you need it.
Sending you best of luck wishes for an easy flight!
