Long flight with kids advice please

[ldubhawksfan]

We are taking our kids 6 & 8 to Europe for spring break. It will be a short trip, and while they have flown dozens of times back to the Midwest and to Hawaii, this by far will be our longest flight. I’m a little worried how the youngest will handle sleeping on the plane. We will do melatonin and all, but in a seat, I don’t know how curled up he will be able to get. I was going to get a cheap inflatable footrest to bring, but looking at Virgin Atlantic’s site, they are quite explicit about how only 2 brands are allowed, the cheaper being the Plane Pal ($130). I’m not sure I’m ready to drop that money on something for one flight, but I’d love insight from someone who has experienced a similar 11 hr flight with younger kids. Thanks!

[jr]

We flew 17 hours one way with my kids this summer - a 6 hour flight followed by an 11 hour flight - and I was really pleasantly surprised by how well they did. They were 6.5 and 9.5. They just watched their iPads allll the way home. They slept very little - maybe two hours? (And same when we flew the other direction, which was a little easier because we had several days between the two flights.) But they did fine! The day after they were tired, but they powered through. So basically, this is a long way of saying I recommend managing your expectations about how much they’ll sleep, but be optimistic that they’ll do ok anyway.

[SweetPotato]

I took my son to Europe for the first time last year. He was almost 10 and it was an absolute breeze.

We had a 4ish hour flight then a layover and then an 8ish hour flight.

There’s a whole long story about how I booked a third seat so he could lay down and United fucked it up. But in the end I gave him a Benadryl at the start of the second flight and he was able to sleep for about 4 hours. He had zero jet lag. I would do it again tomorrow.

For the flight have an iPad with downloaded content in case the WiFi or in seat screen aren’t working. Snacks if you have a hungry picky eater like I do.

[harrisonbergeron]

I live in Paris with 3 kids, so I've made this trip a lot from baby age to 8 years old. By 6, they're usually ok with less than ideal sleeping conditions. The hardest age in my experience is 3/4 because they don't understand why they can't just lay in a bed. Don't waste money on the foot rest.

Enjoy!

[sweetpea]

I made the trip to Europe last year with same age kids. We took a 7-ish flight so they could watch a movie and eat and then it was night time. They had next pillows and slept fine in the seats with no extra foot rests

[jaidit]

Just throw an iPad at them and they’ll manage to sleep when they are tired. Honestly on long flights just bring all the snacks and all the movies.

[adelbert]

Like most of the others here, mine almost never sleep on the long flights and instead keep themselves awake staring at their devices. Although the oldest (13) now is back at the age where sleeping is cool and he'll doze listening to music for hours. But I wouldn't bother with any sort of pillows or foot rests or whatever. A hassle to bring along and the chances they use it are low. Snacks are important, digital devices (tablets, switch, whatever they like), content that doesn't need wi-fi, and a powerbank just in case and you're good. Flying with those ages I've even been able to read a book or watch a movie on a long-haul flight.

[joy]

My seven year old actually curled up on the seat with her head on my husband’s leg. She slept great.

Me, on the other hand….

[thatgolfb]

Sleep on flights is so iffy. You could get lie flat seats and then not sleep anyway… ask me how I know. 🙃 I have never been good at sleeping more than an hour or two on planes.

Knowing that, depending on my kids, I’m not sure I would spend the money on a foot rest. Maybe a neck pillow?

[coolbeans]

Jan 25, 2024 6:10:06 GMT -6 thatgolfb said:

Sleep on flights is so iffy. You could get lie flat seats and then not sleep anyway… ask me how I know. 🙃 I have never been good at sleeping more than an hour or two on planes.

Knowing that, depending on my kids, I’m not sure I would spend the money on a foot rest. Maybe a neck pillow?

This is me also, I can never sleep on planes.

I have the Trtl neck pillow though and although a little pricier I find it a million times better than a regular neck pillow and much more comfortable. I still can’t sleep well on planes but it’s at least way more comfortable and I don’t end up with a sore neck.

[emma]

My 9yo has done the 10ish hour flight to London many times now and usually gets around 4 hours of sleep. We put the armrest up and he lays down across either MH or me although he’s getting kind of too tall for that now. If he’s not sleeping he alternates between iPad, switch, and the seat back tv. Make sure you have wired headphones for the inflight tvs

[Cher]

We’ve done long haul flights with our kids since they were little. After one red eye where my oldest opted to iPad the whole flight instead of sleep and then barfed all over the car service, we do talk to them ahead of time and make sure they know they have to sleep. Our rule is they can iPad from the time they get on the plane, through dinner service. If it’s an airline that paces the meal, they usually have some express option where it all comes out at once, we ask for that. Then as soon as they eat, the rule is iPad goes away and they need to try to sleep. I’ve never needed any gadgets or supplements or anything, usually they just curl up and the dimmed lights and the white noise of the plane does its job. I find setting out a plan and managing expectations ahead of time works best for my kids.

Honestly, as soon as they’re into watching a screen, I find flying long distances with kids really no big deal. Now, I’m taking a two year old on the longest commercial flight in the world this summer. That, I find a little daunting. 🤣

[ldubhawksfan]

Thanks all for the input. I’m not worried about entertainment. We know the drill with content on their tablets for flights. Our flight is a red eye, so we figured after a movie, dinner, etc and it being pretty late CA time, we would all try to sleep. I’m glad to hear most kids have just made due without the footrest thing. Right now we have 3 and 1 seat, which would mean both kids curling up on me. So maybe we should reevaluate that arrangement.

[ldubhawksfan]

Jan 25, 2024 6:10:06 GMT -6 thatgolfb said:

Sleep on flights is so iffy. You could get lie flat seats and then not sleep anyway… ask me how I know. 🙃 I have never been good at sleeping more than an hour or two on planes.

Knowing that, depending on my kids, I’m not sure I would spend the money on a foot rest. Maybe a neck pillow?

I made the mistake of showing the kids how much bigger this plane is than our domestic ones and DS (6) saw the beds and requested that. I said we can’t afford those and he offered to pay some with his Xmas money. 😝

[spicysalmonroll]

Jan 25, 2024 5:42:21 GMT -6 joy said:

My seven year old actually curled up on the seat with her head on my husband’s leg. She slept great.

Me, on the other hand….

Same... I traveled a lot as a kid and I thought a 10 hour flight was no big deal. Now at my age, anything over 6 hours is my own personal hell and I just cannot get comfortable or get out of the anxiety attack in my mind that it's taking so long and it's never going to end. I can't even focus on a movie because it's all I can think about, and my son is just like doot doot doo everything's great! 

[mothafuckinteatime]

I’ll echo all of these comments, my two have handled long flights just fine without any special gear. I did get the toddler a jet kids carryon and used it for our Europe trip this summer, but he’s 2 and I know will be able to use the bed for a few more years.

That said, I bought those airplane foot hammocks on Amazon for cheap, and both myself and my oldest loved them. They hook to the tray table and are adjustable, and I found them super comfy.

[adelbert]

Jan 25, 2024 8:53:02 GMT -6 ldubhawksfan said:

Thanks all for the input. I’m not worried about entertainment. We know the drill with content on their tablets for flights. Our flight is a red eye, so we figured after a movie, dinner, etc and it being pretty late CA time, we would all try to sleep. I’m glad to hear most kids have just made due without the footrest thing. Right now we have 3 and 1 seat, which would mean both kids curling up on me. So maybe we should reevaluate that arrangement.

If it's a red eye then I would either do no tablets or tablets only until food. Otherwise you'll be stuck with super crazy tired kids. Headphones with music /rain sound/ audiobooks can be good to help them fall asleep as well.

[joy]

Jan 25, 2024 9:04:07 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

Jan 25, 2024 5:42:21 GMT -6 joy said:

My seven year old actually curled up on the seat with her head on my husband’s leg. She slept great.

Me, on the other hand….

Same... I traveled a lot as a kid and I thought a 10 hour flight was no big deal. Now at my age, anything over 6 hours is my own personal hell and I just cannot get comfortable or get out of the anxiety attack in my mind that it's taking so long and it's never going to end. I can't even focus on a movie because it's all I can think about, and my son is just like doot doot doo everything's great! 

On our 9 hour flight home from Finland, I watched multiple episodes of Friends. I kept telling myself “Okay, one episode over. 2 more and it’s been an hour!” Ugh.

My GP gave me Antivan to fly. I was never scared as a kid but it’s crept up deeply as an adult.

[jr]

We just bought these, which I’m excited to use on our next trip. We previously had a ride-on kind that was too bulky to fit in the overhead, so these look much better.

rollrider.com/?fbclid=IwAR3v709ULwu46eOajKjIVAdRs27s5pdugZHy4ocgojMQM5FHUXD7y2vYPlQ_aem_AfL_lX2b9Q87pTWeJcvVVtU5U-7z6gXmSzBQLqYeQPb8GXbJf_YSPcbIMEarm3qgMOc

[jr]

Jan 25, 2024 8:53:02 GMT -6 ldubhawksfan said:

Thanks all for the input. I’m not worried about entertainment. We know the drill with content on their tablets for flights. Our flight is a red eye, so we figured after a movie, dinner, etc and it being pretty late CA time, we would all try to sleep. I’m glad to hear most kids have just made due without the footrest thing. Right now we have 3 and 1 seat, which would mean both kids curling up on me. So maybe we should reevaluate that arrangement.

We always do 2 and 2, with the kid in the window and parent in the middle, and the younger kid behind the older in case she kicks. (You could also put the parent at the window so you can lean on the wall to sleep while your kid leans on you.) We find it easier (and fairer!) to have a 1:1 kid to adult ratio.

[soiree]

Jan 25, 2024 9:06:38 GMT -6 adelbert said:

Jan 25, 2024 8:53:02 GMT -6 ldubhawksfan said:

Thanks all for the input. I’m not worried about entertainment. We know the drill with content on their tablets for flights. Our flight is a red eye, so we figured after a movie, dinner, etc and it being pretty late CA time, we would all try to sleep. I’m glad to hear most kids have just made due without the footrest thing. Right now we have 3 and 1 seat, which would mean both kids curling up on me. So maybe we should reevaluate that arrangement.

If it's a red eye then I would either do no tablets or tablets only until food. Otherwise you'll be stuck with super crazy tired kids. Headphones with music /rain sound/ audiobooks can be good to help them fall asleep as well.

Ditto this. We do ipads, movies until meal service is over then it's screens off. 
I have one picky eater and she always brings her own meal. Even if it's just a salad or sandwich we get in the airport. She won't eat airplane food. So that's something to consider. It's better than her arriving hangry and tired  
A cozy blanket and soft socks help them get comfortable. Good luck, my kids sleep better on the plane than I do! 

[agm04]

Jan 25, 2024 10:28:53 GMT -6 jr said:

We just bought these, which I’m excited to use on our next trip. We previously had a ride-on kind that was too bulky to fit in the overhead, so these look much better.

rollrider.com/?fbclid=IwAR3v709ULwu46eOajKjIVAdRs27s5pdugZHy4ocgojMQM5FHUXD7y2vYPlQ_aem_AfL_lX2b9Q87pTWeJcvVVtU5U-7z6gXmSzBQLqYeQPb8GXbJf_YSPcbIMEarm3qgMOc

yesssss we have the zflyte scooter suitcases and it makes getting through the airport pleasant for all of us.

[agm04]

my kids (also 8 and 6) are the outliers i guess, because they don't sleep well on red eyes and get cranky AF. we've been flying to chile every other year since they were infants. we have the inflatable foot rests and they do help, but not really enough to be worth the hassle.

we do benadryl before dinner (we tested both that and melatonin at home - melatonin gave both of them nightmares), then let them watch tv with their noise cancelling headphones to wind down. we just sort of resign ourselves to a rough night and next day, and get through it.

my recs:
- noise cancelling headphones
- bendaryl or whatever else helps them sleep
- sleep masks
- tray table covers (i have these) greatly reduces the number of times you have to dig stuff out of bags under the seats. i even use these when i fly alone.
- i also use seat covers so they can put their faces wherever is comfortable without me worrying, but that is probably OTT.

[thatgolfb]

Jan 25, 2024 8:00:54 GMT -6 Cher said:

We’ve done long haul flights with our kids since they were little. After one red eye where my oldest opted to iPad the whole flight instead of sleep and then barfed all over the car service, we do talk to them ahead of time and make sure they know they have to sleep. Our rule is they can iPad from the time they get on the plane, through dinner service. If it’s an airline that paces the meal, they usually have some express option where it all comes out at once, we ask for that. Then as soon as they eat, the rule is iPad goes away and they need to try to sleep. I’ve never needed any gadgets or supplements or anything, usually they just curl up and the dimmed lights and the white noise of the plane does its job. I find setting out a plan and managing expectations ahead of time works best for my kids.

Honestly, as soon as they’re into watching a screen, I find flying long distances with kids really no big deal. Now, I’m taking a two year old on the longest commercial flight in the world this summer. That, I find a little daunting. 🤣

You are very brave. My two older kids at the same age would have been fine, but after our recent long haul I have thought multiple times, “DS would have lost his shit.” 😂 So I think we will be waiting till he is older for any flight beyond the 5 hours to Hawaii or the east coast.

[Cher]

Jan 25, 2024 13:17:10 GMT -6 thatgolfb said:

Jan 25, 2024 8:00:54 GMT -6 Cher said:

We’ve done long haul flights with our kids since they were little. After one red eye where my oldest opted to iPad the whole flight instead of sleep and then barfed all over the car service, we do talk to them ahead of time and make sure they know they have to sleep. Our rule is they can iPad from the time they get on the plane, through dinner service. If it’s an airline that paces the meal, they usually have some express option where it all comes out at once, we ask for that. Then as soon as they eat, the rule is iPad goes away and they need to try to sleep. I’ve never needed any gadgets or supplements or anything, usually they just curl up and the dimmed lights and the white noise of the plane does its job. I find setting out a plan and managing expectations ahead of time works best for my kids.

Honestly, as soon as they’re into watching a screen, I find flying long distances with kids really no big deal. Now, I’m taking a two year old on the longest commercial flight in the world this summer. That, I find a little daunting. 🤣

You are very brave. My two older kids at the same age would have been fine, but after our recent long haul I have thought multiple times, “DS would have lost his shit.” 😂 So I think we will be waiting till he is older for any flight beyond the 5 hours to Hawaii or the east coast.

We took her on multiple long hauls this summer, so I know she can do it. It’s just I don’t know if I’m going to want to do it around hour 20. 😬🤣

[mc13]

Jan 25, 2024 2:03:01 GMT -6 jaidit said:

Just throw an iPad at them and they’ll manage to sleep when they are tired. Honestly on long flights just bring all the snacks and all the movies.

Yes, this! We flew 14 hours to Australia last February when my girls were 8yo and 6.5yo twins. Charge up the iPads, give them snacks, and make sure they know there is an expectation of sleep ahead of time. I feel like my girls do better if we walk through the whole plan so once we get on the plane, it’s like a check list.

[blurnette989]

Along with everything else here o do have each kid pack their own backpack to carry on the plane with their preferred snacks and some non-electronic toys in case they get board. A favorite with my kids is a pencil box with Legos and you hot glue a Lego flat board to the top or inside the lid. It's an easy contained activity that we can also take on the go during the trip for meals out too.

[ldubhawksfan]

Jan 26, 2024 6:15:15 GMT -6 blurnette989 said:

Along with everything else here o do have each kid pack their own backpack to carry on the plane with their preferred snacks and some non-electronic toys in case they get board. A favorite with my kids is a pencil box with Legos and you hot glue a Lego flat board to the top or inside the lid. It's an easy contained activity that we can also take on the go during the trip for meals out too.

That is pretty brilliant and I want to do this before our 8 hour roadtrip next month for my son!

[ldubhawksfan]

Bumping my own thread to ask those who have traveled to Europe with kids car seat/booster age. We have transfers from the airport. Do kids 6&8 need boosters in transfers and taxis (or Uber?) I would imagine so, and I don’t know why I thought we could manage without car seats since much of our travel will be public transport. Uggg. I plan to call the transport companies to find out if they offer boosters, but then we would have to not use a taxi for our transport to the rail between cities.

[Cher]

I was with my then 5 and 9 year old in Italy, Greece and Amsterdam last year. Zero car seats or boosters were used and/or required.