Give me all your tips about flying with kids:

[Dizneydaz]

Few quick comments-we've always taken to stroller to the gate which makes carrying things to the plane a little easier, but you will have to fold the stroller and put it on the security conveyor belt. Once a security guard directed us to the "family friendy" line and I didn't know I still had to fold up the stroller-when I asked the guard what "family friendly" meant he said they give you a little more time with so many people behind you trying to get you to move faster.

Wore my crocs last trip-comfortable and easy to get off and on.


From personal experience I doubt if your kids will sleep on the plane. They'll be too excited.

Oh, and my daughter6 loves flying. She even enjoys the little bumps in the rode.

Have a great time.

 

[eeyore45]

Tara - if your 4 year old will leave them in, there's earplug type things called earplanes that people have said work. But I think they are supposed to stay in the whole flight to be effective...

Just to add you can get the earplanes at WalMart - they are around $5 they make adult and Child size, I had a hard time finding the child size, they are an "ear plug" design - and like the other poster said just put them in before take off, then on the descent...

Also give them a decongestant to help keep fluid out of the ears!! (mine are older now we do sudafed...)

For the "swallowing" do use tootsie rolls!! Our speech therapist love tootsie rolls too because they aid in helping develop the muscles needed for some speech - stop lol , now that I have a dd - she needs NO help in talking!! (our DS are hard of hearing, so had lots of speech!!)

Have Fun!! Good luck with DH!!

 

[Desnik]

Thank you all so much!! I already have the Elmo aqua doodle mini mats. He actually hasn't played with them in awhile so I'll just pack them and they'll be new to him!!LOL.. Also, we will bring the PSP, which we have movies for as well as games. Great idea with the squish balls. DS loves them and they are great for his OT issues.
Should I ship stuff down or just use goodings.com to have groceries delivered? I would need things like diapers, wipes, Pepsi

 

[challada]

Don't waste your $$$ on those earplanes! We fly often and bought them for DD when she was about 1 since we were weaning off a bottle and she wasn't ready to chew gum yet. We bought these little things, stuck them in her ear and as soon as her ears started bugging her at take-off, she yanked them out and threw them in the seat. So as we are on steep uphill, I'm digging in the airplane seat cushion to find that darn $10 earplug and coming up w/food stuff, wrappers, etc...while she's screaming away in my lap now and DH is holding her carseat out of the airplane seat.
Anyway, to make a long story short, she would never keep them in and they don't seem to work even for the few seconds they would be in her ears.


You have lots of good ideas here....
My things I do: always bring gummy snacks to get the chewing/swallowing going on the way up and down, include NEW crayons and paper for the trip (but only small box as half will roll on the floor and away), a kid magazine each is fun, electronics help too like gameboy or leapster....
On the dollar store stuff, we just ended up doing this for our trip in a couple days: GIFT WRAP them all...as they get bored, bring out a new 'gift' and you now waste time w/unwrapping as well as playing!

 

[NotUrsula]

GIFT WRAP them all...as they get bored, bring out a new 'gift' and you now waste time w/unwrapping as well as playing!

Careful with this one. It tends to depend on the airport, but sometimes TSA will insist on unwrapping any gift-wrapped item before they will clear you through security. I have personally seen it happen at STL, MDW, TPA and DEN.