International with 2 Kids!

Updated on December 14, 2006
K.B. asks from Cape Coral, FL
5 answers

Myself and my two kids, a boy almost 6 and a girl 3 1/2, will be traveling out of the country at the end of this month and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience, tips or pointers to share with me about our flights, customs, etc. I have flown with the kids on numerous occasions but never this long and out of the country. Thank you for all your suggestions! :)

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So What Happened?

You guys are great! Thank you for all the helpful hints & tips. Keep the advice and support comming, Ill need it! :)

More Answers

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K.B.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

I have flown with my children for the last five years and they are all international flights. Best thing I can say is have plenty for them to do, and a bit of tylanol. It really isnt bad if you get comfortable and get them comfortable. Just have plenty color books and maybe a DVD player would help. As far as customs I have no advice other than be patient because they mena business and arent there to help. Good Luck.

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T.B.

answers from Boca Raton on

Have a wonderful trip! If you're flying somewhere other than Canada, I would recommend packing some favorite snacks, especially if your kids aren't adventurous eaters. Snack packs of Goldfish, fruit gummies, etc... even small individual cereal boxes may be lifesavers in between meals or when local food is "different from home". (Of course if it's Canada, most is the same there.)
Flying out of the country you will need documentation for the kids... birth certificates/passports. If their father is not coming too, you will need a notarized letter stating his permission for the children to accompany you to your destination(s) -- be specific. (I had to do this when I flew with 6 month old DD to Canada last summer.)
With airport restrictions, you are not allowed to bring any drinks for the children through security. You may purchase them at the gate in the concessions and bring those on board. It may be helpful to grab a juice/water because the flight attendants can't always serve you right away.
New toys/games/books/activities are always a good thing to pack for in-flight entertainment. Hopefully there's a good Disney movie playing, too!
Happy trails!

T. B

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S.P.

answers from Miami on

Hello,
I have a lot of experience traveling on international flights with 2 kids, with and without my husband so I hope I an help. First of all, depending on the airline and your destination, you may be required to have documents that allow your children to fly with you, if your husband is not going with you. Your airlines and travel agent should be able to help with that legal stuff. For the help that we moms always need when traveling, I have found that my 6 year old boy does so well with a gameboy or portable dvd player, or something of the sort that will keep his mind on fun things. One flight I was on actually had electronic devices for each seat where kids could watch movies, cartoons, and even play games. So me lugging around the portable dvd player, dvds, and games was a pain, but that's ok because the next flight did not have the same luxuries. My daughter is 2 and I find it is harder to keep her occupied during long flights and it's just easier when my son is really into his fun stuff. I have found that if I keep my daughter awake as long as possible before we get on the flight and try to get her sleepy so that by the time it's time to take off, she is ready for sleepy time. Keeping thier ears clear is very hard too, but I make sure that when we are taking off or landing, the baby has a bottle or binkie to suck on and my son is chewing on gum. I think the most important thing is to be prepared. Know what will keep your kids entertained and helping the baby sleep helps, incase your baby is not as good a traveler as some. I hope this helps.

S.

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L.T.

answers from Orlando on

K.,
I don't know about traveling international, but I found this article for you. Babycenter.com is my favorite site aside from this one when it comes to advice. I hope this is something you were looking for.

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/refcap/bigkid/gtravelo...

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V.

answers from Boca Raton on

your kids are pretty big so shouldn't be much of a hassle. portable DVD player with a few of their favorite movies and 1-2 new movies.
playdough maybe
colors and paper. the 6 yr old should be fine either way this is more for the younger one. you'd be amazed how well they tend to do on flights.
V.

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