BANG!
Here's what I would do...
1) Wrap up a bunch of small presents for them. Without telling them that you have them, surprise each child with a present every time they show good behavior. When you surprise them with the little gift, tell them, "I am so proud of you listening to Mommy/playing nicely with your sibling/playing quietly by yourself that I want to give you a prize!
2) Have about 7 to 8 presents for them, giving them the little gifts each time they demonstrate the "good behavior." But the secret with this technique is to SURPRISE them and catching them when they are doing good.
3) Use lots of praise during the day, be relaxed, and adjust your style with them. Afterall, you will be
ALL ALONE WITH THEM and you will need their cooperation for the day to go well.
4) Be sure to carry PLENTY of kid-friendly things to eat. Ritz-Bitz, Animal Krakers, Lorna Dunes, Fruit Snacks/Roll-Ups/Bites, Raisins, small bottles of water, etc., etc., etc. Eating is a great diversion for kids, and oftentimes difficult behaviors they exhibit are a signal that they need to eat something and quick!
5) Bring along little books to read together, activity pads, coloring books/small box of crayons, pocket travel games, small dolls, travel size magic slates, all of these could be ideas for the little gifts.
6) Do you have a portable DVD player? We have one as our girls, 10 and 6, still enjoy watching movies on long flights. And believe me, that player gets a lot of use! If you have one, buy a new movie that they have been wanting for a while, but DON'T TELL THEM YOU HAVE IT UNTIL YOU ARE ON THE PLANE! Surprise is a powerful tool used very little in American child-rearing!
7) Find out what aircraft you are flying. Go to
www.seatguru.com and see where your seats are; show them where they will be sitting. Learn where the water closets are, the galleys, the flight deck, the exits. When you board the aircraft, ask the lead flight attendant if they could see the cockpit and intoduce themselves to the pilots. They will love it and so will the flight officers as sometimes we have little interaction with customers.
8) While in flight, take walks up and down the plane. Go to the water closets. Explore the little gadgets there. Turn on & off the water. Find the tissues; blow your nose and throw in waste can (push open the lid, let them do it - its fun!). Open the drain after you wash your hands; listen to the vacuum system pull the water out of the sink. At altitude, depending on what aircraft you fly, the noise is very funny!!
9) Take walks to the galley. Say "HI!" to the flight attendants; they usually love to talk! Ask for a drink & a snack (if you want something else to do or try some "airline food'). Say "HI!" to older ladies on the plane; they usually love to talk with kids!
10) Look out the window often. Point out landmarks to them. The flight crew might identify some sights below. Take out the inflight magazine and turn to the airline's route map. Show them the departure point and show them the route they will fly to their destination. Talk about how fast you are travelling (approximately 525 - 535 MPH air speed without significant head winds).
11) Find blankies and make a tent at your seat. Crawl under them with a pillow and books. Snuggle together and tell funny stories.
12) If all else fails, give them Benadryl and sit back and enjoy yourself!!!!
(I know, now its YOUR TURN to shoot ME!)
", I should let you know that my Nov 2005 WDW trip was booked before I found out I am pregnant (at trip time, I will be 4 mos). That being said, DH and I are taking our 2 1/2 yr old daughter and 9 month old son. Everything was fine 
and well, until we found out last week that DH has a seminar for work that he has to attend in Texas, which starts the day we leave Disney. So that means DH flies from Orlando to TX on the last day, while I get sucker punched into flying home to NJ with the 2 kids alone (and 4 mos preggers) 
. I am soooooo dreading this flight home!!! Anyone have any suggestions out there???????????? 
