Surviving Twins

So by now, unfortunately, your twins aren’t flying for free. And you have to pay twice what you’re used to. So here are a few more ideas for making the trip a little less stressful.

1. Get Seat Assignments. Unless it’s really worth it to fly Southwest, go with an airline where you can get your seat assignments in advance. Checking in and boarding will go much smoother and be less stressful.

2. Carry Own Carry-Ons. Now that they’re a little older, have each child carry their own carry-ons. (Snacks, activities, etc). A small bag, backpack, or rolling suitcase is best. Very popular now are the rolling backpacks, which would be my recommendation. Not only will this lessen the load that you have to carry, but they will feel “big” and responsible by carrying their own belongings. Just make sure that they aren’t too heavy to carry, and don’t let them carry anything you wouldn’t want to lose. (Clothes, I.D., Plane ticket, etc).

3. Buy a New Toy. While this might seem silly, think about how much kids love their brand new toy, game, book, etc. This will hold their attention much longer than any old game they’ve played with for 3 months. (And that’s important if your flight is a long one). Of course, don’t forget to buy 2! (This worked for my sister, flying alone, on an international flight, with her 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins).

4. Portable DVD Player. This may not be in your budget, but you can get a decent one for about $80. You can also use a laptop if possible. Plus, just get a headphone splitter and 2 sets of headphones, and you might not hear your twins for the rest of the flight. What I can’t help you with is finding a movie that they’ll both like.

5. Introduce Kids to Neighbors. If you can’t sit in the same row as your kids, your kids will most likely be sitting next to a stranger. And to make you, your kids, and the stranger feel better, introduce them. Not only will it teach your kids politeness, but it will also help the neighbor feel more comfortable in dealing with and talking to your kids.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 3rd, 2006 at 7:23 am and is filed under 3-5 years, Travel. You can follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your site.