Those who regularly follow the blog will have noticed my absence during the last month.
My husband, my girls (aged 3 and a half and 1 and a half) and I have traveled to Argentina to visit the rest of the family.
After two flights of 12 hours each I am able to offer some first hand suggestions that have contributed to the trips not becoming true nightmares, especially the return one that I have returned alone with the two little ones.
Many times we have given advice in the hope that they may be useful for your trips with your children. Recently Elda gave us some very useful tips that I have put into practice, to which now I add some advice based on my own experience.
For starters, the success of a good trip with children is based on planning. At the time of booking the flight, it was very clear that since they were very long trips they had to be at night to be certain that the girls would sleep on the plane, even if it was not the same time they sleep in their bed, at least a few hours were insured.
Day trips become much more tedious for children because they need to spend energy in some way and aboard an airplane is not the best place to do it. Therefore, if you have the possibility to choose, it is best to opt for night flights.
Despite the new restrictions for traveling with liquids on board, you can bring food for the baby, no more missing.
For the doubts, what I have done in the fear that they would make me taste the milk that I cannot even smell, has been to take the formula and cereal milk preparation. I bought a bottle of mineral water after passing the security checkpoint, poured the water in the bottle and asked to heat it up in the microwave of an airport restaurant. So, at bedtime the water was warm, I prepared the bottle on the plane with the milk and cereals and ready. Without having to be roaming the aisles of the plane begging the hostesses to warm my bottle.
Although they were not very comfortable, since the youngest is less than two years old and still has no right to a seat, they slept eight hours of the twelve that the flight lasts. Nothing bad.
For the hours they are awake, we must entertain them in some way. It is best to choose toys that do not make noise so as not to disturb other passengers and take up little space, fundamental. Ideally, books, especially those of painting or those that bring stickers that distract them for a long time.
On long flights two meals are usually served. When you go with children (at least I did it and it went very well) I recommend that the children go up well "eaten", that is to say, do not expect the plane's dish to be your main meal, but a complement. The hours they serve them may not be the time your child usually eats, or it may happen that they don't like airplane food, which is more than likely.
Anyway, especially if you are traveling alone, or I suggest you first order the child's food, feed them and then, once they have eaten, ask for yours.
I hope that my advice is useful and applied, since it is not worth giving up a good trip with children, no matter how long the flight may be.
