Flying Trans-Atlantic with 2!

I wasn't naive.  I knew flying trans-Atlantic with two under 3 wasn't going to be easy.  I can't say I was pleasantly surprised but I did learn a few lessons that I will be using when I have to do this again (yes I will have to do this again....alone!)

First thing to mention is we didn't purchase a seat for Maddy.  We were trying to save some money and this was the obvious way to cut a few dollars off the trip.  We did take her car seat with us plane side (we almost always baggage check the car seat if we have a lap infant) in the hopes that there would be open seats on the planes.  This turned out to be a great plan as we were able to get a seat for her on 3 out of the 4 flights!!  She's at an age where she doesn't just "sit" on your lap or "sleep" on your lap.  She's also too little to really go without a seat for comforts sake.  It was such a blessing to be able to put her in her seat when she fell asleep without worry.

The second thing we changed up was the way we travel inside the airport.  Up to this point we haven't been a stroller family.  We've found it way easier to strap the kids to us and babywear through layovers and plane changes.  I decided to gate check our stroller for use in the airport mainly for use in Germany over the long layovers.  Mara is getting older and heavier.  It's just not feasiable to carry her, but at the same time she's too little to really walk these long distances on her own.  I'm so glad we did this because not only did the stroller do its baby duty but it also served for toting all of our carry ons.

Other things to note:

1. Let the toddler watch as much tv as she wants.  Airplanes and long haul travels aren't the time to inforce things.  We were in survival mode and if she wanted to watch Elsa for the 4th time I was game.

2. Bring lots of snacks.  We didn't have a ton in the house so weren't able to.  I know the girls would have done better if I would have been able to pull out some of their favorites in clutch moments.

3. Bring sleeping things.  This is different for every child.  We borrowed an inflatable pillow for Mara this time and it was ok.  I wasn't sold on it but it made me think about looking into something like it for the next flight.  Maddy was ok with her seat but still maybe could have used something to keep her head stable.  It flopped around and she kept waking up on the flights.

Lessons learned:

1. When flying with 2 kids and 2 adults get a 4 row seat whenever possible so that parents can do one on one coverage.  This also made for a happy mama.

2. Take turns.  When only 3 seat flying options are possible or if one child has to fly in lap switch up roles.  Its EXAUSTING for one parent to always be on no matter the duration of the flight.  Trust me.  Josh fell asleep on the last leg to Tbilisi while the kids were wide awake.  This mama was exausted and so angry by the end of the flight ;)

3. Ask for help and take your time.  Traveling with kids takes longer than traveling solo.  Make sure you have plenty of time for layovers, customs, exiting and entering the plane, etc.  Just causes less stress overall.

This flight wasn't easy.  Man traveling with kids never is.  I am glad we did it if only for the experience before I attempt it on my own this summer (am I crazy?!)