Advice for the Travelling Family

We (our family) are just about to embark on the longest journey we've ever done since the five of us became six. There are some things about this trip that I dread and some things that I look forward to (one being touch down the other end). A twenty one (anywhere between twenty two and twenty eight if you include stop over time) hour flight with a petulant seven year old, argumentative six year old and crazy little three year old, not to mention Baby J and all his paraphernalia; would have been the type of thing that, in days gone by, I would have avoided like the plague ( or at least have enlisted help for), but these days I just get on with it .

I have some advice I'd like to share, because it helps me to know it:

• Mum and Dad abroad (even in five star accommodation): Never eat the same dish in a restaurant. If the worst happens and the fish/lobster/chicken (delete as applicable) happens to poison everyone who eats it, then ONE of you has to be OK to look after the children. It's a horrible feeling to not be able to look after your own babies at any time, but it's even worse when there are two of you in a strange place, debilitated...particularly with a toddler jumping on your head saying "are we going to the beach today mummy?".
  

• Check your escape routes...it sound simple but when you check into a hotel, you need to know how the hell you will get your family out in the event of an emergency...unfamiliar surroundings will leave you feeling helpless in charge if you don't. Make a plan and inform older children of what you would expect them to do in a fire/flood/storm and where the fire exit are etc.

• Don't let your children use public toilets alone. This is something I disallow my own boys, even in our home country; the risk to your children of meeting someone undesirable is not necessarily increased by being abroad, but not being fluent in the native language would make things hard for your child to raise the alarm if they did.

• On a more cheerful note, liase with your flight provider before your flight - find out how much help you can expect once onboard your plane. Most are more than happy to accommodate families and have children's channels and entertainment packs etc. Check that you can get a Sky Cot for babies too.

• DO NOT APOLOGISE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. Most children are remarkably chilled out on a plane journey - there's a sense of sleepiness and calm about flying; but they inevitably get bored. If your little one wants to check out the toilet whilst the seatbelt signs are off, let them; if they want a drink every half an hour, get them one. If the guy behind you tutts and groans everytime your offspring utters a word that's not in a whisper, don't even bother to tell him to fuck off. Tell yourself that "there's always one" and that he probably shoots blanks which is why he has no concept of the job you are trying to do. Also remind yourself ( and if it becomes an issue, Mr/Mrs Blank Firer too) that you child has as much right to his seat on the plane as he does. Please. Don't make your child feel bad about being a child.