One of my daughter’s e-mailed me during the week to say she wasn’t looking forward to the trip home from the family holiday. She is returning from a three week holiday to the west coast of the United States with her husband and two children.
I kind of got the feeling that if I had offered to fly over and accompany them back, she would have jumped at the chance!
Instead, I told her to stop whingeing. In ‘my day’, we could hardly afford to take the children to Lone Pine Sanctuary in Brisbane, let alone further afield to the gorgeous Gold or Sunshine Coasts. Somewhere like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon and San Francisco were beyond the wildest dreams of my husband and me when we were bringing up the kids for the best part of 25 years.
In fact, it wasn’t until all four of my kids were finished school did we venture overseas for the first time since the year we had living and working in Europe in the first year of our marriage. So I haven’t actually travelled overseas with children. But … learning on the job as a mum (or at least I tried), and being a pretty good grandma and teacher, I do know a few things about children so this is what I e-mailed back to her after the call.
1. It’s not about you. Long haul travel with children is not something where you expect to relax. Forget about you, it’s all about the kids – and the other passengers. Catch up on your sleep before you get on board and when you get home, but otherwise be devoted to keeping the kids happy, occupied and as quiet as possible so they don’t annoy everyone else.
2. Plan. Make sure you have extra snacks, a change of clothing (including underwear) and your own supply of water. I was on a flight back from New Zealand earlier this year where the airline did not distribute water to passengers other than at meal time. Of course, I had my own and I ended up giving it to a young mum with four children who were very ‘boisterous’ and thirsty. Also make sure they have their own entertainment, such as movies, games or TV shows on the iPad – her and her husband have one each of course – and there are headphones so other passengers don’t have to put up with the noise. Download some books for them to read on the iPad and also have some other activities such as colouring-in books and cards. And also their favourite stuffed toy if relevant.
3. Move as much as possible beforehand. This means don’t bother trying to have a glass of champagne in the lounge before you depart, or stare at the perfume bar for 30 minutes in duty free wondering which perfume to buy – Guerlain Samsara for me, thanks. Walk around the terminal. Go up and down stairs (not escalators). If there’s a play area at the terminal, let them run around and be crazy so they get as tired as possible. Take regular walks around the aircraft, but go with them.
4. As there's four of you, ask for the middle seats. That way you're all together as a group and you're not inconviencing anyone else with, for example, if the cabin is darkened and you want the lights on, or to get up to go the toilet. You can request this from the airline before you get to the airport.
5. Realise that if you can do this, you can do almost anything. So look on it as a positive experience.
Oh and P.S. No, we can’t baby sit while you have a rest.
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