Flying with Twins

Flying with twins! The task can seem so daunting.  I remember the first time I flew with my boys, I was looking for any type of tip or trick to help it go as smoothly as possible. They took their first plane ride at 8 months, and we’ve flown three different times since then.  Although not flawless, we aren’t afraid to fly so here’s six ways to make your trip as seamless as possible.

1) Accept Imperfection

I put this as number one because setting off on your endeavor with the right mindset will change your whole experience.  I was anxious going into their first flight, and I think they definitely felt that which probably made the situation harder.  If you accept that there might be some difficult moments, then when they happen it will be easier to deal with.  I know that is a lot easier said than done, but I made myself think this way for the following flights and it completely made a difference.

2) Wear them out in the airport

See all the sights!  You know you’re going to be in the airport for several hours because here’s another tip…leave even earlier than you would normally leave to be early!  Trying to chase two kids (or more) while shuffling luggage, toys, and accoutrements around will take longer than you think!  So even if everything goes flawlessly, you’ll still have an hour or two in the airport.  So go to the shops!  Most airports have a souvenir shop, and those are good places to find stuffed animals for children and usually children’s books too!

3) Ride the monorail 

Or airport transportation! It’s free entertainment.  You can ride through all the stops which is what we did, or even get out and look at the different places at each stop.  This is where I’d suggest finding a play area.  I never knew airports had these, but I accidentally found one that was in our terminal once.  Many airports have them, and they are foam type jungle gyms, like the ones at a mall, for kids to run all that energy off.  You can look up which terminal to find one in before you leave so you know where to go!  Along this note…walk everywhere! Sure you have the stroller, but they are about to be sitting for hours.  Make them walk!

4) Get Situated 

Here’s where you’ll need to make a choice. I do not recommend being the first to board when they call for anyone that might need extra time.  If it’s your first flight then perhaps consider it to put your mind at ease, but the less time you have to keep your toddlers confined the better!  So that means thinking about what you’ll need in your chair and pack accordingly.  Any bulky items that go in an overhead bin should stay there.  It will be so cumbersome to try to stand up and pull things out during flight with a child.  Overhead space is never guaranteed, and your belongings might end up rows away from you.  So whatever you think you need in your arsenal during flight, put it in a backpack and keep it with you in your seat, or under theirs.  Also, safety first! Anything could happen so make sure you know where to get a child’s life vest, and listen to other important safety announcements.

5) Toys

This one I bet you have figured out! Old toys, new toys, toys toys toys! I always go to Target about a week before we leave and pick out some new toys.  One’s that are smallish because I plan to fit what I need in my backpack.  But I don’t show it to them until we are buckled in on the plane.  That’ll take up about 5 extra minutes instead of 2 when they have something new lol! But hey, sometimes, every minute filled counts!  And if it’s a toy that sings or plays repetitive music but will keep them entertained, bring it.  Who cares if someone doesn’t want to hear wheels on the bus, it’s better than crying!  And people have headphones so they’ll figure it out.

6) Bring all the snacks

And I mean alllll the snacks! My kids eat a whole buffet on a plane and it surprises me every time.  I had a ton of extra snacks with me because I wanted to take them for use at home.  But they didn’t make it that far!  But that’s okay, because the more time they spend eating the less time they spend fussing.  And that’s a few more minutes down!  Also, when they were babies (and still now) I would give them a bottle or a pouch to suck on during takeoff to help their ears equalize and keep from clogging with added discomfort.  Haven’t faced any problems by practicing that.

Now that we’re on the topic I could go on, but this is a great start.  Message me if you want to know anything else, and good luck!  Just remember you will eventually get to your destination.  Go see the world!