Traveling for 23 Hours with Toddlers

Wow! This age is tough. I would suggest getting a portable DVD player depending on how into tv they are. Also, you could bring washable crayons and paper. That age loves to draw. Washables are easy to get out with only water too in case they decide they'd rather color on the seats or airplane! Snacks! This will fill their tummies and maybe they'll sleep a bit. Playdough if you're really desparate. Just watch that they don't eat it. Books, books, books! Reading to them is great for both of you and again, they may fall asleep! Toddler tunes is a good cd also for that age. If you keep it low or they will keep headphones on it's good. I hope this helps! Oh yeah, you could also give them the reccommended dose of benadryl also. This helps them be sleepy but be careful, in some children it doesn't do anything and in some, it has an opposite effect. I gave my kids a decongestant with benadryl (or any antihistamine) before their flight. The decongestant will help with preventing plugging ears for take off and landing. Nothing's worse than a screaming child whose ears need to pop but they don't understand how to do it themselves. Well, good luck!

M.

My doctor told us to give the infants a decongistant right before the flight to open their nasal passages and their ear canals. Less fussiness and they sleep part of the way. Have a favorite toy and hope for the best. Those water pen coloring books are great for that age because they aren't messy at all. They have them at Target and Michaels. My kids love them for long car rides

My sister used to live in Australia and came home with her two kids to visit once a year. Her doctor gave her a mild sedative to give her kids. I know that sounds scary but I think it was like when we take benedril. Also take plenty of small toys, snacks, and their favorite stuffed animal to sleep with. I have also seen a lot of parents who have DVD players with the kids favorite DVD. Ask for a row that has a plug in for electronics and you need an adaptor like the ones you plug into a cigarett lighter. Oh, and don't forget a small blanket for them. Good luck.
J.

The first thought was ohh my! If you have not travel like that before, all I can say is Good Luck. I fly with my kids alot and one is 7 the other is 1 1/2. The flight is only two hours and my youngest has a hard time towards the end.. I get the seats in the very front so he can play on the floor and make sure you take your car seat, so they can sleep. May the traveling God's be with you..

The longest trip I've taken with my toddler was 14 hours. His pediatrician suggested Benadryl it worked for half the time, but I don't know how well it would work for 23 hours. You may want to contact your pediatrician. Just don't feed them too much before take-off. I learned that lesson the hard way. Good Luck!

C.,

I drive all over the U.S. sometimes over 30 hours straight, with my son. He is three now but I have been doing it since before he was born. If your kids have any favorite toys or blankets definately do not forget them. I just flew to Michigan a couple weeks ago and I forgot my sons blanky, the flight was fairly short but the fit he threw when it was time for bed and didnt have his blanky, I would have rather forgotten everything else if only to remember that one thing. Anything that will sooth your kids. I dont know how you feel about your kids watching T.V. but I think that a portable dvd player saved my life a few times on long trips. It really helped my son to calm down when he started to get restless after awhile, and by calming him down it helped him to fall asleep. I know that there are several inexpensive portable dvd players on the market, or you may want to call the airline and ask if you would be able to use one from the kiosk in the airport. You take it with you, it about $12 dollars, then you turn it in at your destination, because it is an international flight I dont know if that would work. Also, I know most people take their childrens car seats on the plane with them, but at first I didnt really know you could do that. Definately take the car seat, it helps with the squirming, and keeps them safer. Make sure you take gum or hard candy for them to suck on for take off and landing, it will help their ears. Or for your sun give him a bottle or sippy cup during which will have the same effect. I would either call the airline ahead of time or tell them when you go to check in, that you are traveling with two small children and for them to put you in the best seats possible. Maybe have them seat you with other children and their parents, this will not only give your kids one more distraction but it will cut down on the annoying glances you get from other people who either dont have children or whos children are perfect;). Hope any of this helps. K.

These ideas aren't original, but they may help.

Wrap new items and let them unwrap one every so often.

Have a bag with interesting feeling things and let them reach in and choose something without looking (I had a fuzzy lamb, plastic bracelets, pipe cleaners, squishy animals etc.)

Bring magna doodle type drawing tools.

Chalk can be used on the pull down trays and then wiped off.

Tangle jr. is fun and all one piece.

Portable DVD player(s) are cheap and helpful. Take your children with to buy headsets, to make sure they fit them comfortably and will stay in place well. We found that the ones with larger ear pieces(that cover the whole ear) tend to work better and adjust smaller.

Bring their carseats (I found that the kids stayed in them WAY better than just on the airline seats, because they were used to being restrained in them in the car.)

If your children tend to throw things, think about tethering them (I used self-stick velcro and then had one tether with the matching velcro on the end of it).

Get kid leashes for in the airport and then let them go on their own power as much as possible (to use up the energy they can't on the plane). I got the best laughs out of my three-year-old when people saw her just running circles around me.

Of course bring their favorite snacks, even bring a few new ones, SMARTIES necklaces are candy, but they are not sticky and they take a while to eat AND it helps develop important muscles for talking. Pull and peel Twizzlers can also be pulled apart and eaten by putting one end in mouth and bringing the rest up without using hands.

In other words don't think about the most efficient way to do anything, think about what would take the longest and still be fun.

Gate check your stroller, and use it to transport the car seats in the airports.

Freeze water in sippy cups (about half way full) and use when they come around with drinks (getting up is impossible with a tray down and you can put the sippy cup back in the bag or on the floor without worry) I even used a cup with lid.

Also, if you think your kids will have a hard time taking a nap at the appropriate time or sleeping for the night, some doctors recommend Benadryl (but try it first to make sure it doesn't do the opposite). I have also had success with Melatonin, it is used by business travelers to combat jet lag and get on the new schedule. It comes in a liquid form or chewable (my kids were helped by an amount as small as 1/6 of 1 mg) it just helps them get sleepy in a calm darkened environment. For the chewable/liquid, check your health food store (GNC WHOLE FOODS, etc.)

About me: I have traveled every year with my kids, starting when my oldest was two and the next was 4 weeks (and it was just the three of us). I now have four children from 10 down to 14 months. I wish you the best.
K.

C.,
I've never attempted that long of a flight but last summer I flew with my toddler and we took his portable dvd player with us with some of his favorite movies. I guess this would only work if your kids enjoy watching movies but we had some of his old favorites and bought a new Little Bear movie since that was his favorite show at the time! We also bought a few new toys like the travel size aquadoodle and magnetic construction tin that had manetic tractors to stick on the construction site pages. We bought all of these at Wal-mart so it wasn't real expensive items! Also, be sure to ask the flight attendent for the seat belt extension - it makes it much easier to buckle the carseats in. Another thing we did was my husband took the carseat on when they called for people who had small children or needed extra time and got it all buckled in and our bags situated before I came on with my son. Then, we came on when they called our seats and he was ready to just hop into his seat! I hope this helps and I wish you luck on your trip!
S.

C.,
We do lots of plane travel never as far as Nigeria! Here are a few of my suggestions.
I suggest you go out and buy a few new small toys (dollar stores sometimes are good for this) and wrap them each up seperately. Then every hour you can give each of your children something new to open and play with.
Another suggestion is to take something like Fruit Loops (I can not remember the name of the organic brand) and a string on the plane. You can sit with your two year old and string the fruit loops on the string. This takes awhile and when you are done she will have a necklace to snack on through out the flight.
Also a portable DVD player is a MUST have.
Good Luck and have a nice trip!

OK SO I WAS IN THE ARMY AND HAD TO FLY TO SAN ANTONIO AND GA WHEN I WAS STATIONED IN NY. WHAT I DO IS TAKE HIS LITTLE DVD PLAYER HIS FAV. MOVIE WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS SHREK AND LET HIM SEE IT. AND HIS FAV. SNACKS, DRINK. ANY THING THAT YOU KNOW KEEPS THE BABIES BUSY. EASY WAY TO TRAVEL STROLLER WISE THE UMBRELLA STROLLER. AND A BACK PACK TO FIT EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED I WILL BE GOING TO GA MY SELF IN 1O DAYS AND HERE WE GO AGAIN. LOL. BUT JUST KEEP THE BABIES BUSY WITH THERE FAV. ACTIVITY. ALSO I DID DRIVE FROM NORTHERN NY TO SAN ANTONIO, TX AND THAT IS A 29 HOUR DRIVE. NOW HE LOVED JUST LOOKING AT THE DIFFRENT SITES AND AT NIGHT AFTER DINNER I PUT ON SHREK. OR WHEN I NOTICED HE GOT FUSSY. AND BY THE TIME I KNEW IT BAMM HE WAS ASLEEP. BUT I DO KNOW HALF OF THE TIME THE BABIES WILL BE ASLEEP. LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES. A. L

A portable DVD player is always a great help. Your two year-old may also like a small Magna Doodle. On a recent flight to Guatemala, I had my two year-old use the Aqua Doodle Elmo sheets and he enjoyed that. Another idea I've heard is to buy a few small toys they've never seen, wrap them, and then pull them out during trying times. Just having wrapping paper to pull off should be fun. I've traveled several times with my son alone since his birth and I always found it helpful to sit in the back of the plane near the bathrooms, if only to give him a few minutes to get up and stretch his legs more easily than if we were halfway down the plane. Good luck! :)

omg you are stronger than I am! Benadryl for a decongestant (and it will make them sleep) and take a DVD player or PSP. Godspeed

I am sorry that I do not have direct experience to share with you, so all I have to offer is a prayer!!

Maybe you could speak to your pediatrician for tips, as well as the other mothers who, unlike me, actually have advice. The longest flight I have taken my toddler on is 4 hours (in the airport for 8 hours total) which wasn't bad at all, but I packed EVERYTHING for that. I would check with the airline to see what all they can accommodate, too. (ie keeping milk cold, etc.)

Best wishes and have a wonderful trip!

Sorry I don't have any productive advice, but you might be interested in this. Several months ago, I gave my daughter (now 18 mos) Benadryl for a rash and it seemed to make her hyper, not drowsy. She was so tired, but just could not go to sleep. This week, I heard a story on National Public Radio that there was a study showing that more times than not, Benadryl does not makes children drowsy the way it does adults. If you are considering this, ask your pediatrician or pharmacist and try it at home before you go. I'd hate it if this backfired on you! Good luck!

Hi C.!

I am going to give you the same advice I was given - give them some allergy medication that will make them a little drowsy. That, combined with the movement of the plane, will make them sleepy. My husband and I traveled with our 2 1/2 year old daughter to Asia (23 hours in the air - not including layovers) and she slept well on all the flights. You may even check into what airline you're flying - we flew Gulf that time and they even had an "air nanny" - someone who will take your child and play with them. I was amazed! Good luck!

J.

Purchase a portable DVD player. It worked so well for us driving 27 hours moving to Texas. You can also just have them listen to music on it. Bring books to read, little toys to interact with. I brought addition snacks, a pb & j sandwich. I had my son's back-pack filled with things just for him. I'm sure they will sleep some as well. Good Luck!

Some may disagree with this, but following the advice of our pediatrician, we gave our toddler Benadryl to fly to upstate NY. On the way there, it was a HORRIBLE flight - we didn't give her enough. On the way home, I gave her ALOT (Dr. said OK) and she fell asleep when we took off and woke up when we landed. It was SO AWESOME and she just got a nap out of it and was totally fine when she woke up. Honestly, she and we, were so miserable on the way there we would have done anything to ease her and our pain. The benadryl worked!!
Now that she is 3 she doesn't need it - now a portable DVD player is KEY!!
Happy flying!

I know it's not the ideal, but I would buy a portable DVD player with batteries (so it can run independently) and get some Baby Einstein videos...

Good luck...

Hi C.,
I first to ask you is you husband from Nigeria? Mine is. My husband is from Jos. We have a 2 and 3 year old. We made the trip last year and we are going in December. We moved here from London last year and now live in Corinth. We go in December, we are going to break up the flight and stop in London for a few days. I tried Dramamine on other flights abroad and it seems to work better than Benyadryl.
I would love to talk to you more. Please feel free to call me at home ###-###-####.
It would be great to get to know you and your family. We have not met any other couples from Nigeria yet.
Please greet your husband for me and your children.
Sincerley,'
K. D.

One thing my pediatrician told me when my daughter was 7months, is to have her suck her bottle as the plane took off and landed (perhaps have your kids drink out of their sippie cup.) This helped reduce the popping of the ears that can be painful for kids. It worked, we were only flying for 1.5 hrs, but it was great.

Car seat, car seat, car seat! I traveled all last summer from here to CA 4 or 5 times when my grandmother was dying. My children where 1 and 3 at the time. All I can say is to have that car seat and see if you can keep them in it as much as possible. As soon as my son figured out that there was an option to get out of the seat, it was a fight to keep him from running around. He could easily get out of just the airline seatbelt but at least with the car seat, I could strap him in and not have to fight him the whole time.

I also had multiple toys to keep them distracted and LOTS of snacks. We don't snack at our house so the various little snacks I brought along were a novelty that kept them busy.

I have heard lots of people say to get a portable DVD player and that it is WELL worth the price. If I ever have a summer like last year where I know I will be on and off a plane for months, I will definately get the DVD player.

We had a 23 hour drive from Canada back to Dallas over the summer also and, while we tried to drive most of it at night, we had a tape player with stories on tape for the rest of the daylight hours. They liked to look at the books and listen to the stories.

I have never drugged my kiddos for a trip but I would certainly not be against it! Ask your DR. about it!

My husband and I are going to be travelling in December to England with our 2 children that will be almost 3 and almost 1. I'll let you know what works for us when we return.

Hi C.... Last time I traveled with my son (10.5 hours flight) he wasn't walking, so I guess was a little easier. In September I am going for another trip (same 10.5 hours) and now he is 17 months and I don't really know what to expect.
In June we went to Miami with him (only 3.5 hours) and he did Ok, but would not stay still for a second.
If you get any really good advice from anybody or even from your doctor, please let me know.
The flight we are taking is at night, so I am praying he will sleep for at least 8 hours...
Good luck to you!

P.

Take lots of snacks, quiet activities (coloring books, books, etc), and a portable dvd player. take extra battery and try to talk to the airlines to put you in a row that has an electrical socket so you can recharge the dvd player. good luck.

HI. I have travelled twice to South Africa with my 21 month old daughter. On my last trip, I travelled alone with my then 16 month old daughter. The portable DVD player was a life saver. I could not have lived without it. Also the magna doodle was a hit. I bought it and only gave it to her on the plane so it was a treat. Also teh crayola markers that work on special paper is also cool. Try not to take toys with small parts or makes too much noise. Usually on long trips, passengers don't mnd kids walking up and down the aisle so let them explore. they cannot get lost :) I would not recommend benedyle as it is a long flight and kids are usually cranky once it wears off and you don't want a cranky kid on the plane. The main thing is not too stress as kids can sense this and it makes it worse. Also a good book is a great idea. Hid your one year olds favorite toys and take them out on the plnae one at a time and it will seem new to them. Take some of their favorite snacks as food is served as weird times for them. Good luck on your flight and email me if you have any other questions. Oh and make sure you carry records of your kids vaccinations on you just in case.

R.

Bring lots of toys, snacks, and gum for the pressure change. GOOD LUCK!

Hi C.,

We have flown a lot with our son who is almost two. I usually buy a couple of new toys or books for him to play with. I have even hidden a few favorite toys before we go on a trip so they seem new to him on our trip. We bring plenty of snacks and a pacifers for take offs and landings. But 23 hours is a long time. Best of luck to you!

Hi C.,

I can totally relate to this as a year ago we moved here from New Zealand with our 2 children who were 12 months and 25 months. If possible try to book your flight in the evening so that they would be due to be going down for their sleep. We gave them their bottles then settled them and got a few hours sleep that way. Then its a matter of taking turns entertaining them with books, walking around the plane, colouring etc. The flight attendants were fantastic and very understanding. I saw one lady mentioned a portable DVD and having done a few cross country trips since we have been here would definately agree with that suggestion.

We had been to the pediatrician for antihistamine to help them settle if need be but had no need, I was told by her to trial it before we left as it can make come children restless. I also had a homeopathic mouth spray called Rescue Remedy which can be used on children and while I didn't need to use it for them was grateful I had it for me after having to say goodbye to all our family and friends!

Good luck and hope you have a great trip.

We traveled from Dallas to Zurich to Milan (total of 20 hrs) this summer & the best thing we did was bring their own carseats. It sounds ridiculous, and they were the biggest pain to drag through the airport, but they slept the majority - i'd say about 16 of the 20 hrs. They are just so used to sleeping in their carseats, that i think it was something familiar & comfortable in the midst of a very different experience. We also took the airplane blankets and hung them between the seats to create a darker, less stimulating environment. people probably thought we were crazy! but no complaints from anyone around us.
other long trips the dvd player has been our saving grace. bring their favorite movie/show!! most of all, keep your cool, b/c if you lose it, they lose it. good luck!! :)

C.,
We took our daughter, who had just turned 2, to Hawaii last November (9 hour plane ride/ 2 hour layover / 2 more hours on plane). We brought a TON of stuff for her to play with on the plane (books, DVD player, colouring stuff, tangoes etc.) but the toys she played with the most were these small plastic type animals that my mother in law gave her. She brought 6 animals (black bear, polar bear, cheetah, jaguar, tiger, zebra) and played with them the entire plane ride! I couldn't believe it - I would never have bought her those toys. I've seen these types of animals at Target and the Tractor Supply store.
Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!
D.

Hi, C.!

Yes, my husband and I were in the air with our 23 month old for 19 hours ( one way ) to visit his family in eastern europe.
No one had portable DVD players back then, but if we could've we would've taken one! What we did take was a lot of what others have already suggested in their posts; new toys, coloring books, snacks, etc. I don't think I saw anyone else mention these, but we brought pages of stickers and a blank notebook. It kept her busy for a couple of stretches when she was getting bored. She used our 'walkman' to listen to some of her favorite music, but when she sang out loud at the top of her voice, we discontinued using that! We did what our pedi recommended and gave a dose of Benadryl when she was getting fussy. And brought cammomile tablets that disinigrate under the tongue (safe for infants - from the health food stores) to help with ear pain and fussiness. We managed okay, although we were thankful that she slept for a long period on each major flight. We were even more relieved when we arrived at our destination! The memories of the special time together will be worth it all, though! :)

i recomend using a backpack not a regular diaper bag when site seeing. it frees up your hands. also an umbrela stroller for the baby. lots of wet wipes... i put mouth wash in a small spray bottle to clean pasifiers when they fall on ground. good luck. and have fun.

Well, my husband and I have not ventured too far away from home yet, only about 5 hrs in the care to see family. But I was given a book while pregnant and just this week found it, and started to read it. This really might be a helpful tool for you. It's called "On the Go with Baby, A stress-free guide to getting across town or around the world" by Ericka Lutz. The book is a bit humorous and I think may be just the advice you might be needing as your family prepares for this wonderful trip. It takes you through different ages and stages of children and things that will be helpful to you. The other suggestions about toys, activities and dvd players are all good. I just thought you might want a little something different to look into. Good Luck, and have fun!
-E.

hi there,

i dont fly, but I travel from the US to europe all the time with my daughter who is now a toddler. She comes with me on buses, trains, cars and cruise ships... sometimes for up to 40 hours.

My advice to you is o bring something he always brings when he sleeps (like a blanky), and keep him on a schedule. If he is flying when i is his bedtime, let him know it is bedtime and lie him down. If he refuses due to excitment, let him walk up and down the aisles with you for a little while and let him see what is going on.

Also, bring a lot of juice and a lot of toys.

My main advice is try not to get irritated. He may not sleep, so you must try to keep him occupied.

I try not to worry about the people around me. If he plays up, all I can tell you is to try and distract him with toys or snacks...

if you want to ask me more questions, just email me. I wish you the best of luck.

R.

Hi C.,
New toys that your children have never seen is always helpful, music, books and if you will have any connecting flights a blow up beach ball is a great airport toy to run off steam with and then deflate when done.
Good luck and happy travels,
R.

Hi,
I've traveled a fair amount with my toddler since she was 12 months. Since each child is different, you may have to experiment. With Emma, we did a lot of preparing--like taking her to the airport to see the planes, talking a lot about what it will be like, etc. Then I found the biggest backpack I could get on board with and loaded that puppy up! I had snacks, books, crayons, small stuffed animals, DVD player with a whole library of movies, a photo book with pics of familiar people and things, and I wore a charm bracelet that my daughter loves to look at and play with. Not sure what airline you are flying, but if you can get on the first row, it usually has more leg room, which makes a great play area. I would sit on the isle and my husband would sit by the window. We were on about a 6 hour flight and there's no way my daughter would sit still that long, so we would take her on walks. Good luck!

I used to fly back and forth from England to Houston all the time, and the best advice I've ever gotten was to think of those 10 (or in your case, 19) hours and pure mother, father and children time. You will not rest (so dont set your heart on it) You will not watch a movie, you will just enjoy the time with your little ones. Its a bit like giving birth naturally... you know its going to hurt, but as long as you keep your mind on the end result (a beautiful baby, or in your case, an adventure in Nigeria) it will all be worth it. So, in short, prepare your mind.