Summary:
Dealing specifically with advice for parents who have never taken their children on a flight before, this article gives several dozen insider tips to survive an overseas trip with kids. From insiders who did it for years.

Details or Sample:
Traveling overseas with children may seem something akin to voluntarily entering the funny farm. If your kids don’t drive you nuts with their behavior, someone else’s kids probably will. It is possible to survive a long flight with your children, but it is best to be ready for the inevitable. Even when the trip goes smoothly, you can expect it to be challenging, exhausting, and boring. Your job, as parent or parents, is to work together to help everyone get through it as sanely as possible. With a little bit of insider knowledge and preparation, you can better your odds of a good flight.

Before you book, understand:

1. The plane is a small place, and your seats will be even smaller. When you book, ask for adjacent seats in a row, including aisle seats. You can also let a child stretch out on the floor in front of your seats for a nap. If you have an infant, you can request seats at the head of a section, called bulkhead seats; most planes have drop-down bassinets for newborns through 3-month babies.
2. A flight of more than two hours will seem like forever to a preschooler. Booking a night flight is helpful, since children can normally sleep anywhere, making the time pass faster for them, and for you.
3. Once you are on the plane, if the seating is unsuitable, you can ask an attendant to help you change seats. Sometimes other passengers will willingly switch. Plan ahead; ask to see the seating layout when you book your flight. Consider the location of the restrooms, the kitchen, and space around you. You may like being close to the kitchen, since your children may often ask for an extra juice. Or you may want to be near the restroom, for frequent visits.
4. Connecting flights in foreign countries can be an unnerving experience. Ask your travel agent what you can expect. What currency will you need if you want to buy a meal? Are there areas for children to play? How will you get from the plane to the airport, then to your next flight? Though you can find out all of this information when you arrive, it will help you to prepare if you know ahead of time that your airline provides a resting lounge, or that you will have to walk for about two miles to get to your connecting flight. Above all, be sure you will have enough time between flights to make it to your connection.
5. It is possible to take a stroller on your flight, and is nearly a must if you have a baby or toddler. Most airlines stow it at the front of the plane for you. Umbrella styles are the most widely accepted; check with your travel agent. An alternative is a back carrier.

Dos and Don’ts:

-Do take a bag of inexpensive toys and goodies.
-Don’t pack so much you are unable to carry it, and your sleeping child, off of the plane.
-Do pack medicines for fever, travel sickness, allergies, or for anything else your child might suffer during the flight. Keep them in original packaging, or you might be sitting in customs for a while.
-Do consult a doctor if your child is ill with a virus or other disease prior to your trip. In some cases you can go ahead, but some things, like ear infections, should stay on the ground.
-Do pack plenty of chewing gum for take-off and landing.
-Don’t expect chewing gum to work like a charm. Swallowing and yawning also help.
-Give your infant a bottle during take-offs and landings. If your baby takes a pacifier, pack more than one.
-Do educate your kids in advance about what to expect on the airplane, from popping ears to proper etiquette.
-Don’t worry about what other people are thinking when your child has a meltdown. Anxiety over other passengers won’t help your child. Be assured you are suffering the most. Take a deep breath, and do what you can.
-Do ask about child menus when you book the flight, not on the plane. If you don’t order ahead, they won’t have it.
-Do make sure your family drinks plenty of fluids; plenty of juice and water will best help you overcome jet lag.
-Do pack a few snacks in case your kids hate the airline food.
-Do take advantage of all forms of distraction: in-flight cartoons, kids’ music on the headphones, and kind seatmates who offer to entertain your children for a while.
-Don’t forget to pack security blankets and other small comforts from home.
-Do let your walking children carry a small backpack with their own things.
-Do prepare for accidents, whether for potty-trainers or travelsick prone children. Keep airsick bags even after you disembark, as some kids continue to feel ill after disembarking.

Don’t let the fear of problems keep you from traveling with your children. A whole world awaits your exploration; the flight is only the first adventure.

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