A 13 hour long flight with two hyperactive three yr olds.....
Just trying to imagine how it would pan out, had been giving me the shivers for days!
What would I do if they didn’t sleep?
What would I do, if they wanted to jump over and under each other’s chair and play like the last time?
What would I do, if they thought the man nearby, who had covered his face and was trying desperately to sleep, was only playing peekaboo with them?
What would I do, if they thought the man nearby, who had covered his face and was trying desperately to sleep, was only playing peekaboo with them?
After all, they had gotten more mobile, more capable of independent thought and less likely to sit still with each passing month?
I’d like to say a great deal of strategizing and planning went into our 13hr trip from London to Singapore, given my worries, but honestly we did nothing.
Yes you read right. NOTHING. Nada. Zip.
Given that we were busy with packing and moving our home from London to Singapore, there was no time or energy left to plan how we were going to entertain the boys through the flight.
So just the basic things were done – the iPad was fully charged in case we needed some entertainment, two of their favourite toys and some snacks were packed and so were some extra clothes; because each time we haven’t, V2 has taken upon himself to remind us of that omission by dutifully throwing up on us on those occasions. And with that, we decided to leave it to Destiny/ Luck/ Chance/ Fate/ Kismet and hoped all the trips we had taken with the boys had made them more travel savvy.
And well, what to do you know! Kismet must have been smiling on us when we boarded. If I was getting stressed about the immediate future, watching them jump around in the lounge in excitement, eating the free peanuts and potato chips and staring at the planes parked or taxiing outside, I shouldn’t have bothered. The boys walked in, took their seats and discovered Singapore Airlines’ legendary in-flight entertainment. And like it happens with most people on their first encounter with SA's impressive in-flight entertainment, it was love at first sight.
Needless to say, I couldn’t have asked for a better or easier flight experience. Buoyed by the smoothness and ease with which this trip and the past few holidays have passed by, I decided to do this post – on travelling with kids.
Now, I am no expert (as the lack of effort in preparing for a journey would have forewarned you) but after having survived 6 international flights and countless road trips with twin boys in a span of 3 years, I feel I have reached a point where I can sit back, imagine a halo around my head and proceed to utter some wise (???) words for the benefit of those who might want to travel with kids but are worried about what it may entail.
So here it is, all the gyaan disseminated from my experience of travelling with 2 toddlers in tow.
Read and follow at your own risk.
Read and follow at your own risk.
The first step is always the hardest!
The first journey with the kid, will always be the toughest.
The first trip is the one where you will start with no idea what to expect and where you will want everything to go off without a hitch. And where you’ll probably be so stressed that if anything went wrong, you will immediately question why you came on this trip in the first place!
The first trip is the one where you will start with no idea what to expect and where you will want everything to go off without a hitch. And where you’ll probably be so stressed that if anything went wrong, you will immediately question why you came on this trip in the first place!
But remember, this is the first step, the beginning of your learning curve; the experience that will teach you what not to do the next time around. So, don’t give up! Every subsequent trip will only increase your confidence and get your kids used to travelling, making holidays with kids much easier with each trip.
Our first trip to India, was a nightmare where everything that could go wrong, went wrong. We lost our bags, we encountered delayed flights, we were stressed throughout and the kids were sick during the entire trip. And after that trip, it took me months to even gather the courage to even plan another. But we did plan subsequent trips and holidays and things only got easier each time.
Children adapt really fast, adults not so much!
Having moved two countries in these last three years and having travelled with the boys a fair bit, I have come to believe that children adapt much faster than we give them credit for. They adjust better to change; they are more curious and open to new experiences. It is we adults who worry about how they will cope, what we should carry, what we should leave behind, what they will eat and what they won’t.
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| We always manage to find something to entertain ourselves even when we are stuck in a field with some stones that make our Mammy get all excited for no reason |
So you don’t have to get a panic attack if the restaurant you have walked into doesn’t have a kids menu. Chances are, you will invariably find something that is tasty and excites them, whether it be a creamy pasta or sausages with mash or a Nasi lemak with chicken drumsticks or a chocolate prata.
Great expectations: not so great!
Do not expect a trip with a child to go at the same pace as with another adult! You cannot expect to cover 3 museums a day with a child in tow. If that is what you are expecting, you are in for a disappointment. Slow down your pace and keep your expectations real.
Also plan for unexpected delays like sudden demands for toilet visits each time there is none for miles on the motorway. And yes, the trip to the sea-lion rescue centre may last much longer than the 2hrs you budgeted for, leaving you with no time to see the castle you wanted.
Shit happens. Live with it!
Plan ahead
While the company of our kids teaches us lessons in spontaneity previously forgotten, trip arrangements are no place to be spontaneous especially if you are travelling with a baby or a toddler. A few simple steps can reduce your stress drastically viz.
- Leave well in advance so you aren’t rushing at the last minute while simultaneously begging the kids to hurry up.
- Being stuck in long queues especially with a kid who asks you every ten seconds how long it will take, can give you a crash course in being patient and calm under duress! In order to avoid such crash courses, wherever possible, buy tickets for attractions in advance so you can skip the long queues.
- Check out activities for children at the destination you are headed to so there is something for them to enjoy each day. So if you want to visit a museum or a garden, make sure there is a visit to the zoo or a playground planned the same day so everyone is happy.
- Carry snacks and juice in your bag. Not only is food a good way to beat boredom, sometimes it is a critical back-up to have when you run into unexpected delays.
- Carry basic medicines for fever, ear ache or upset tummy with you wherever you travel. If your kid is prone to falling sick, always check ahead where to go in case you need a doctor. This time, V2 developed infections in both ears which was compounded by the long flight. Luckily for us, Singapore was a familiar city and we went straight to the paediatrician who was our doctor when they were babies.
- Always carry extra set of clothes. We learnt this the hard way; each time we forgot to carry spare clothing, as I mentioned earlier, V2 would choose that day to throw up!
- Load games/apps on your tablet/phone for in-flight entertainment. Keeps the kids occupied and most importantly keeps them from getting unduly interested in your neighbours
- If you are driving, try make a pit stop every 2hrs so they get to walk and run around. Remember the phrase "an empty mind is a devil's workshop" was probably created keeping bored kids in mind.
Choose wisely
Our first international trip, short of bottled water, we carried everything – books, toys, snacks, to formula and nappies! Only to realise, we could’ve purchased 80% of those in the destination we were headed to, thereby reducing our luggage drastically. So decide in advance what is an absolute necessity and what you can avoid carrying.
Most sensible travel websites and blogs will tell you that you needn’t carry 200 toys and video games to keep your child engaged. A few choice books/ toys work just as well. And a trip to a nearby park/ playground in the evenings or staying at a working farm is always more exciting than a video game.
Jet lag can be fun.... sometimes
In dealing jet lag I have always gone by the book (always follow your usual routine but as per the time in the new country) and never deviated from the written word.
Until now that is. This time, on Night 1, when the boys woke up at 1 am and we couldn't get any shut eye either, I broke my own rule and let the three men in my life go out at 3 am to get some food. We sat around the table, laughing over a really late dinner/ very early breakfast at 4 in the am and then each of us promptly fell asleep. It was absolutely the wrong thing to do, the wrong strategy to follow; but sometimes, letting yourself get carried away by the excitement of that moment is so much more fun than following the rule book!
P.S - The rules were back in force after that night and interestingly, my 3 yr olds were over their jet lag long before I had gotten over mine!
Take a chill pill!
Finally, relax! Being perpetually paranoid, I should be the last person handing out this piece of advice, but I have learnt ( ironically, the hard way) to relax and let things move at their own pace.
Accept that the pace will be slower than before, and that things may not go exactly as you planned. So stop aiming for perfection, be patient, enjoy yourself and share their excitement.
Accept that the pace will be slower than before, and that things may not go exactly as you planned. So stop aiming for perfection, be patient, enjoy yourself and share their excitement.
Guruma, tussi great ho!!
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