4 kids on a plane for 6 hours- help!

[LuvOrlando]

For the most part my kids enjoy being able to switch between a couple of choices. A 6 hr flight probably means there will be some movie playing on board and USUALLY if you call the airline they will tell you what it is so you can figure out if it will keep you kids attention. IMO I would pick up child-friendly ear plugs at Walmart before you leave because that topic is always good for a complaint from the kids. Keep the receipt if you end up not needing them.

Besides the movie I rely on coloring, a deck of UNO, a few games of Hangman and hand held video games. To me, the best option is a portable DVD player for each set of 2(headphones are good here too because the plane engines are really loud and the volume just isn't high enough). Since DH & I split up with the kids DS & DH will use the player on DH's laptop and DD & I will share a portable unit. Of course, one would work also if the kids take turns in sets of 2. Sometimes we use the player and sometimes not. However, its most important use wasn't on the plane but when it was used during a 3 hr delay at the airport a few years back. We found a wall outlet and plugged that baby in and it kept ALL of us peaceful while everyone else around us went buggy. It was the best $100 I ever spent.

 

[susancl]

It looks like you have some boys in the mix. I have 3 boys 7, 7, and 4. They love cards. Not playing cards, but collecting cards. They like pokemon, yugioh, baseball, animals, etc. My older boys tend to like pokemon and yogioh since they can read. My youngest likes the animal cards. If they get new ones, they study them for hours.

They all like magazines too. We get National Geographic's Kids Magazine, Ranger Rick and Disney Adventures.

Also, they all like to do mazes.

 

[FourBoysMom]

I'm taking 6 kids with me, on a 2.5 hour flight (hubby drives the car down).

I was on the phone with my airline (Southwest - wonderful airline) and was told that the invisible markers are perfectly fine and that the regulations are FAA specific, not airline specific.

You may now buy drinks in secure areas of the airport to bring on the plane... outside drinks (juiceboxes) are not allowed. You must buy in the airport (money, money, money).

She also told me to request extra drinks as soon as I get on the plane (before take off) so that I have them if needed (I have two little ones in my group ages 1 & 3). She also warned me to be careful that the sippy cups I brink NOT have the insulated double layer - some of those contain a liquid and will be confiscated.

The older ones (ages 9, 10, 15, 16) will be bringing their homework and ipods....but i'm sure they will still drive me crazy.

Best wishes....I feel your pain!

 

[krismom]

I'm taking 6 kids with me, on a 2.5 hour flight (hubby drives the car down).

I was on the phone with my airline (Southwest - wonderful airline) and was told that the invisible markers are perfectly fine and that the regulations are FAA specific, not airline specific.

You may now buy drinks in secure areas of the airport to bring on the plane... outside drinks (juiceboxes) are not allowed. You must buy in the airport (money, money, money).

She also told me to request extra drinks as soon as I get on the plane (before take off) so that I have them if needed (I have two little ones in my group ages 1 & 3). She also warned me to be careful that the sippy cups I brink NOT have the insulated double layer - some of those contain a liquid and will be confiscated.

The older ones (ages 9, 10, 15, 16) will be bringing their homework and ipods....but i'm sure they will still drive me crazy.

Best wishes....I feel your pain!

Wow. You win.

 

[FourBoysMom]

Wow. You win.

Nope....I'd rather take 6 on a plane for 2.5 hrs....than 4 on a plane for 6 hours.....You win..... Besides....the 15 & 16 year olds are supposed to be there to "help"

Trixie

 

[kimnkel]

Thanks, Gotfids. I have my moments. Most people are really very nice, though--don't you think?

Of course I would sincerely hope that all parents would be as considerate as possible, and use good sense so as to minimize the negative effect of their children's behavior on other travellers. Just like I would hope the lecherous businessman traveling alone to his stupid convention would stop making annoying chit chat with me, when I am obviously trying to read--or that I wish the airlines would stop forcing me to sit through multiple episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Note to American Airlines: Everybody Does NOT Necessarily Love Raymond, and just because your parent company owns his syndication rights it doesn't mean you should feel free to hold us hostage to the silly reruns, you cheap &^%$.

But I digress.

It isn't always easy, and it is sometimes totally impossible to quiet a 6 month old with ear problems caused by the air pressure changes. They cry because they are hurt--it is their JOB to tell us about it. So how does it help matters to cast dirty looks or make muttering comments to the other passengers about the helpless parents, who are already upset? How about a sympathetic smile? A "hey, I've been there" wink? As for the kicking the seat thing---toddlers have energy in the amount of X. Said energy must be expended, or they will spontaneously combust. To expect a toddler or small child to behave as if he were fifty is rather an exercise in futility. And anyway, see my earlier comment RE: 50 year olds, traveling w/o their wives.

I'll take 4 small children, anyday.

One unpleasant man nattered on so much about some children (that I thought were really behaving rather mildly) that I finally suggested that on his next trip he should charter an airplane, and then that way his fellow passengers wouldn't have to listen to him whine. But then, he was the same guy that complained about the quality of the wine the airline was serving. In coach. LOL. Oh, please. (I, OTOH, found the vintage of my Diet Coke to be quite adequate.)

 

[dzorn]

own with http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

Oh neat site. Gonna definitly use for Sunday School.

Denise in MI

 

[dzorn]

Depending on age I would go with DVD player and/or gameboys. If the are old enough I teach them to play cards.

Denise in MI

 

[CowboyCO]

We are leaving in less than 24 hours and my two boys (7&5) have a carry-on bag with books, stencil books(new), crayolas, and we have a prtable DVD player. We have two 2/12 hour flights. We also make it a point to seat one parent and one child in different rows. No bickering and the kids are much better when they can't pester each other. Split them up -- 2 kids per adult if traveling with 4!

 

[sameyeyam]

I took my DD (then 2) to visit grandparents in Reno, NV. Well as you can imagine the flight to Reno is not usually filled with kids! She cried the entire way, threw a muffin at the flight attendant and was otherwise just a rotten kid! I felt really bad for the other passengers, luckily it's only an hour trip.

When I got off the plane I felt lots of eyes burning through the back of my head. So I very loudly and cheerfully announced "For those of you interested in changing your flight we will be returning Thursday night on the 6pm flight". It gave everyone a good chuckle and helped release the tension.

 

[Nicolepa]

That is "perverse", not "perver t BTW.

I travel a lot for business, and I more or less find it boring, brain numbing, and dulldulldull. I actually enjoy a good old fashioned kid tantrum on board. I am sorry that the child is unhappy, but hey--it livens things up. Plus everyone gets so torqued it is most amusing--I just want to say PEOPLE! Don't you remember what it was like to be three? And do NOT tell me you are actually, really, authentically annoyed with a 6 month old infant, or I will dump my glass of wine in your pompous...

lap.

I'm the lady that will let your toddler kick my seat for five hours without getting bothered (strangely hypnotic: thump...thump...thumpthump...thump...) and that will teach your ten year old to play spider solitaire on my laptop over the Atlantic ocean so you can finally get a little rest. Or maybe 5 card draw, one-eyed jacks wild.

For what it is worth, I like the scrapbook/memory book idea, but my kids (now grown) would have doubtless been too wound up to be that industrious on a flight. "Aw, mom, that's like school!" (Heaven forbid!)

Good luck!

I just want to say THANK YOU! If more people would just go with the flow like you flying wouldn't be so stressful for us with young children (and yes I do parent my kids, but sometimes the planets just aren't aligned right).

I had a man actually bring me to tears once. He made me so frightened I was afraid to leave my 17 month old alone to go potty. Did I mention I was 5 months pregnant on an 8 hour flight by myself?

 

[poohluvrs]

I just want to say THANK YOU! If more people would just go with the flow like you flying wouldn't be so stressful for us with young children (and yes I do parent my kids, but sometimes the planets just aren't aligned right).

I had a man actually bring me to tears once. He made me so frightened I was afraid to leave my 17 month old alone to go potty. Did I mention I was 5 months pregnant on an 8 hour flight by myself?

You poor thing!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Oh neat site. Gonna definitly use for Sunday School.

Denise in MI

SS is where I first started using it. Very handy!!! Enjoy!

 

[RxforDisney]

BANDAIDS!

A friend of mine gave me this idea. Get the cheap character bandaids from the store (2-3 boxes). Kids LOVE sticking them all over themselves, paper, and occasionally an airline seat or two! Kids don't usually get to play with bandaids, so they think it is cool. If you don't mind the extra $, and you are going to Disney, get the Disney Nexcare ones. They are like tatoos! My kids love them!

Lots of luck!

 

[kimnkel]

DUCT TAPE!

What? It might come in handy, either for the kids, or for *bleeping* bleeeeppps* like Nicolepa ran into.

Aw, well, Nic, he probably had an unhappy childhood. Or maybe he had alzheimers. (When ever anyone is a *bleep* hole to me, I just assume they have some form of senility. Do you know, senility is so common....)

Good luck to all of you wonderful parents out there in cyberspace-- and whatever happens, try to remember to enjoy it all--it passes so fast. The blink of an eye.

I wish I had some good advice. I guess all I can say is that whatever you pack for the kids, most importantly don't forget to pack your patience, and your sense of humor. Put them in your carry-on.

I'll be at Disney this December I am getting married there, after losing my husband quite a few years ago. My *new* husband and I will be the ones looking wistfully at your little ones, and giving each other little smiles. We raised 7 kids, between us, so a two year old throwing a muffin probably would not faze. Beisdes, the only appropriate response to airline food is pretty much... here! Have your muffin back! LOL.

God bless.

 

[mum of two pirates]

The muffin thing classic. I have been there done that, but not on the plane. My boys are 7 and 8. Now when I see kids doing stuff like that in a store and the mom stressed out. I tell her been there done that and guesse what it doesnt get any better.

 

[all4fun]

Take absolutely nothing!! My kids never like the stuff I take along, they only like the overpriced stuff purchased at the airport. So now I just take a little extra money and let them purchase stuff at the airport. Besides it kills the time in the airport. It seemed like whenever I took stuff for them to play with, I just ended up lugging it through the airport, then they dropped it under the seats and I ended up having to find it.

So it's better to take about $20 for each kid and let them get what they want in the airport.

Oh I have this same problem! After this last trip I decided the only thing we'll take again is our dvd player. Ds always loves to "shop" at the airport store too and usually I don't let him buy anything but next time I think I just bring an extra $20 and let him get a toy. At least it will be something he's interested in "right now". LOL. Besides that, the DVD player with a favorite Disney movie seems to be the only thing that keeps ds entertained for any great length of time anyway.

One tip I have is before you get off the plane, make sure you "sweep" the area for any items that may have fallen out of an open bag, dropped on the floor, or left in the seat pocket. Some how on this last trip we lost our collection of DVD's on our Orlando-Atlanta flight. Needless to say we didn't realize it until we were on our flight home. I filled out a report and called Delta lost&found but no luck Say good-bye to about $150 worth of ds's favorite Disney movies. So next trip we are only carrying on a choice of two videos that way if anything gets dropped it won't be a whole collection. Expensive mistake! Oh have I mentioned dh also lost his prescription eye glasses at MK (also never found)? This was our trip for losing things it seems [sigh].

So our next trip we are definitely packing "light" for our carry on items. With the stroller and car seat we always have enough stuff anyway. Ane we only have one kid to think about, lol. You're my hero.