Flying with Twins

Kolcraft Double Umbrella Stroller

By Kristy Zurbrick

"Over the river and through the woods" takes on a whole new meaning when you're cruising at high altitudes. A plane trip to grandma and grandpa's is a challenging adventure, especially for a mother and her young twins.

How does one survive such a trip with sanity intact? A mother who's done it says it takes planning, patience and, most importantly, an ability to roll with the "turbulence".

The first step is getting to the airport, checking baggage and finding the airline gate. Reduce the chaos by recruiting an escort. Whether it's a spouse, friend or family member, have someone accompany you to the airport and entertain the children while you take care of departure logistics.

If you're lucky, your airline maintains special boarding considerations for families with small children, meaning you get to board first. This feature will allow you time and space to navigate the jet way, stow baggage and get the children settled before the other passengers jostle their way through. If you're not so lucky, ask an airline attendant for assistance and hope for tolerant and helpful fellow passengers.

As for seating arrangements, a mother whose twins are under 2 years old has a couple of options. She may hold one child in her lap and purchase a seat for the second. Or she may purchase a seat for each child. Most airlines offer half-price tickets for children.

The Federal Aviation Administration recommends that young children fly in certified child restraint systems, in other words, car seats. Not only are they safer, but they also make containing children easier - a bonus for single adults traveling with two or more children. Children who weigh less than 20 pounds should be placed in a rear-facing infant seat; those 20 to 40 pounds should be placed in a forward-facing safety seat. Most of today`s child safety seats are certified for air travel.

Now comes flight time. How do you keep your twins content for hours in a confined space? Lots of toys, lots of snacks and lots of laughter, says one mother. For example, try attaching keychain-sized toys to the children`s car seats. Give them enough slack to allow free range of motion, but not enough to send a miniature soccer ball into a stranger`s domain. The tiny toys take up little room and prevent you from scrambling under seats to clean up before disembarking.

Stacks of miniature books are another good bet, coupled with free coloring books and crayons provided by some airlines. Consider a child's limited attention span and realize the more activities, the shorter that flight will seem.
Then there's food. Many airlines require children's meals to be ordered 24 hours in advance of take-off. Some even boast of "kid-tested and approved" meal choices. But, if your flight doesn't include a meal, be sure to pack plenty of snacks and drinks. One suggestion is to trade the sippy cups for cups with attached plastic straws and surrounding foam coolers; they will keep milk or juice cool for the duration of the flight.

To keep carry-on baggage to a minimum, strive to get your children's and your own necessities into one bag. Organization within that bag can be helped with such items as an all-in-one diaper changing kit. These kits include a diaper or two and wet naps rolled into a changing mat. Just reach in the bag, pull out the kit and head for the lavatory.

While these ideas seem tidy and do-able, don't become flustered if some of them backfire. For instance, your twins may be more enamored with the shutter on the plane's window than the toys you so painstakingly selected and packed. Roll with it; laugh about it; and you`ll make it through.

When the plane lands, sit tight. Let the other passengers disembark. Enjoy more room (and less restless looks) to gather your kids and your things to go meet grandma and grandpa.

On the way out, don't forget to collect a couple sets of plastic wings for the kids. And, what the heck, see if they can spare a set for you, too; you deserve it.

Kristy Zurbrick is a freelance writer working with Twinshelp and an editor of a weekly newspaper in Columbus, Ohio.