After boasting about flying alone with 4 kids here and here, I figured it was time I posted abt my travels.
I have done many flights with my kids always ALONE. My first ever was with Ashwina when she was 11 weeks old(1999 OMFG). We did a straight 15 hour flight from Singapore to London. Then I landed up in Boston in the dead of winter and couldnt deal with 3p/m darkness and decided to fly back home. The return flight was when she was 9 months old, Boston to Heathrow to Singapore. I have done shorter Indian flights which doesnt even bear mentioning, because they are less than 5-6 hours long.
My first flight with all 3 was back in 2005, Singapore to Mumbai. I survived that. Then I threw up on myself during the return flight from Mumbai to Singapore.
I flew with all 3 kids(6,3 and 8 months) from Singapore to LA. Our flight from Taipei to LA was delayed by 3-4 hours. I remember b/f Neil , sitting on the floor, realising with a panic that Avasha had disappeared and, running through the lounge with my boob exposed because Avasha got onto the travelator thing.
The latest flight I took was May last year, when we went home to Singapore. I had to either choose between suffering through 26 hours flying and spending 5 extra weeks with my mom or travelling with NK and spending just 3 weeks. I chose the 26 hour flight alone. That flight gets special mention. Flying with 4 got me so many looks and whispers throughout the airport.
At SFO airport, I remember, I had Samar in the sling and the younger threee were walking, the double stroller was loaded with all their hand luggage and I was being paged at the SQ desk.. When I said, yes I am Sraikh. She said are you with all of them by yourself. I said yes and I swear, her eyes bulged out. They didnt have the bassinet for Samar even though I had booked it. Because my flight from Denver was late and I hadnt done some check in thing, they gave it away. I said okay so whats the next best thing you can do for me? They hemmed and hawed. I stood my ground and they finally located an empty seat and gave it to Neil And I. So we had 3 seats to ourselves and the girls were behind us.
When we were walking through the airport, people were literally starring and looking behind me to check whether there was another adult coming to help me. At the security check point, the lady said, God bless your heart. It was really interesting to see everyone’s reaction.
- Understand that thinking about the whats if is much more scarier than the actual flight.
- Order child’s meal for the kids
- Request that your stroller be brought at every transit point
- Pack a change of clothes for yourself
- Let everyone else disembark first. Be the last to get off the plane. It isnt a freaking race. There is no prize.
- Ask the flight people to hold the baby or to sit on your seat when you use the bathroom.
- Wrap some new toys up in pretty wrapping paper and use tons of tape. Throw them out at crucial points( take-off and landing)
- Ignore any and all rules you have about candies and chips and soda. Anything goes to keep the child happy.
- Head to the bathrooms on every transit
- Realise that people can be shitty and learn to ignore it
- Order a drink when the cart comes around.Make it a strong one if possible
- Pack a first aid kit, band aids, Tylenol, Advil(Adult strength as well), Vicks for dry noses and Neosporin.
- Smile and take things calmly. If you are calm, your kids will be calm as well.
- Tell yourself that you can relax as soon as you hit your destination.
My kids are really good about flying. They watched the inflight entertainment. I have given new toys to them. They color, they did playdoh, they cut up inflight magazine and pasted it on scrapbooks I had. Now, my next trip back to Singapore wouldnt be until 2011(unless we strike the lottery) and I am looking forward to that because I would nt have an infant to worry abt and I think I could actually enjoy my meal in peace. With a 12,9,7 and 5 yr old,pfff that is like child’s play
you are a certified PhD.
Me: rofl.
Hi Again S,
Your are for sure a helluva mom! ….also I lost my first 8 pounds after reading ur fitness updates! So ur my Guru (*bows*)
V
Me:Bends and lifts V by the shoulders. Total filmy style.rofl
excuse me i lost eight pounds reading this!
Me:hahaha
there is this mom at school who i remember chatting with her some time back – she’d said her second kid was starting school and now she was done etc. next thing i see she’s is pregnant. with twins.
wow i thought. how will she manage? then i remembered you. you do such an awesome job – it all sounds so easy. folks like me struggle with half the no. of kids and here you are.
this post – it should be published in a parents mag.
Me:Am deeply humbled by all the comments today. Thanks Chox
Loved reading it. Your posts truly inspire me and give me the “I can handle it” confidence with my 2yr old.
Me: I dont know about handling 2 yr olds, they can be tricky. Thats such a difficult age. Samar is 2.5 yrs and wants to do things that his bhaiya can do. He gets frustrated and doesnt want help but yet he cannot do it. He cracks me up.
Hail sraikh!
Me:rofl
wow, that’s awesome and yes the next flight will actually be enjoyable, me thinks
i wish people had more tolerance…
hey know any places in singapore where i can get decent affordable chinese antique stuff? like the chinese cabinets/statuettes?
Me: Hmm.. I dont know but can ask my bhua for you. She collects that stuff. will email you.
thanks, sraikh, highly appreciated
Me: Will email you Suma.
I never flew for that long, but I had long trains rides. the last one we changed like 5 trains, an were on the road for 36 hrs plus another few hours flying. I wonder if that gives me a little superhero status? I’ve travelled on my own with a 2 year old and a 5 month old and then 4 months later travelled back, but my flights didn’t last more than 9-10 hours, I think
Me: You are a rockstar Nat!
And I can so relate to your boob out story. I was breastfeeding dani. We only got 2 seats because Dani was an infant, and I had to hold her. So Vicki fells asleep, and dani fell asleep on the boob, nd I gues I fell asleep too, because when I woke up, I was flashing my boob to everyone on the plane. No one said anythign though, who would mess with the crazy MOm with 2 kids flying alone?
I get quite annoyed that you’re getting these comments about having 4 kids. if anything, when I see a big family, I say, wow, would LOVe to have one too, or always complement them on how well behaved they are, or offer a little help. Weird that people would make shitty remarks, it’s not like you’ll have them look after your children.
Me: Okay that b/f story is funny. The flight stewardress should have covered you with a blanket or something. Funny thing abt the 4 child comment, a friend texted me. She had her 2 girls and her sisters 2 kids with her and she said people gave all sorts of looks and asked all sorts of questions. 3 didnt get looks but 4 yes! I told her welcome to my life.
Great!!!!
I have been traveling alone ever since Diya turned 40 days old. Wish you had posted this back then!
And we are traveling with her to Kolkata for the first time in train (more than 36hrs) and needless to say I am nervous! But after reading this post, I can easily gear up for the long journey ahead…
Me: 36 hours..wow. I’m sure you’ll have fun.
Awesome S!
I am reading this at work and I laughed HARD at this:
“Be the last to get off the plane. It isnt a freaking race. There is no prize.”
Me:S, you have seen how people stand up and start taking their luggage down even before the signal goes off.. Can you imagine if they were stuck behind my gang. They would trample over my babies. So I always sit and smile at people and the babies stand on the chairs and say bye to everyone. Its funny. During our India flight, the stewardress gave us extra juice packets and actually carried my stuff out where my stroller was waiting.
You are so funny….
This post comes at the right time !!!
I am going to travel with my 2 kids next week to India … its going to be a long long flight … the point you mention about “Understand that thinking about the whats if is much more scarier than the actual flight” really gives me hope !
Me: Good luck. You will surprised at how well your kids might be in flight.
Have nothing to say, just a long hard respectful bow for the awesome mom you are.
That’ s all.
Me:
Thanks A.
Whoa you always manage to do things so easily? I think it’s a joy to have many kids and a real blessing to have a mom who can handle all of them..hats off to u!! Btw tomm am flying with a 5 year old son and his father…If I survive that trip without pulling my hair off will you please let me join ur supermom club???
Me: Good luck on the trip
Cool tips! You’re allowed to cut up the inflight magazines?
I’m so going to do that. I don’t have kids, but I’ve always wanted to cut up the inflight magazines.
Me: Yup, thats the copy they give to you, so you can cut it up. BTW, this is international flights not domestic.. Domestic has all sorts of cazy rules.
Please look down – here, near your feet. that’s me prostrating. I love reading your blog. And this post is priceless esp the line – if you are calm so will your children be. So true. And so hard.
Me:hands a marigold flower to you
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