Plane Travel: Toddler/Preschool Triplets

About to fly away with your triplets? Here’s some advice based on what has worked for us when traveling with our toddler/preschool triplets on planes:

I let them pick out one toy at the airport within reason (I know kinda pricey) but on a 5.5-6 hr flight, the boys played the whole time with their little airplane and my daughter played with her Spiderman coloring book. To me it was $ well spent and now I have made it a ritual.

Pack a bag of food and snacks.

I bring lots of snacks food and even those special snacks like chocolate chip cookies. I give those mostly at landings and take-off. Landings are a bit rougher on one of my boys than on my other two kids so I like to have special snacks for that.

I pack sippy cups and have the flight attendants fill the cups up with milk/juice. So much easier than handling a little plastic cup on a bumpy ride. One spill and they are stuck with the wetness (whether on them, in their seat, or on the floor) for the whole flight.

DVD! To us that is a must. Mine don’t wear headsets because you can’t hear the show past our seats because of the plane noise. If your kids don’t normally watch DVDs, don’t have the fear of them wanting to watch when you are “home”—you can say this is special just for airplane flights. Mine watch DVDs in the car but ONLY on the 5-6hr drive to AZ, not around town or on short trips. I suggest keeping the DVD player and DVDs under the seat vs. in the overhead because shortly after take-off, the captain gives the approval for electronic devices but the fasten seat belt sign is still illuminated . . . sometimes for a while. Remember to bring an extra battery, the power supply, and an extension cord. In case you are delayed, they can watch the DVD player while waiting at the gate. There are usually outlets all around, but you may need an extension cord. Also, it saves and charges your battery for the flight.

We actually have 1 DVD player, 1 laptop, and an ipod. Yes, they have all been in use at the same time! It is good to have more than 1 player, because you may be split up on the plane based upon seating arrangements. I don't know of a plane that has 5 seats in a row, without a break for the aisle. Also, I’ve heard reports that you can download books onto your ipods from itunes, so that’s another option. I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know what books are available for which ages. Worth looking into.

In the beginning I was a stickler on keeping to our schedule and making sure they ate right. But then I thought what is more important:

1. Kids cranky but eating right or
2. Kids happy

I have slightly different rules for the plane and mine don’t take advantage of it. I make it more of a reward. If you remain quiet and don’t wake up your brother then you can get another cookie. Or if they say can I have another cookie and your limit is 1 or 2 a day, you could say since you are staying in your seat and are quiet, you can have another cookie. We change our rules when we are on vacation (sure I’ll have another dessert), so I just use that logic with them.

Travel with Tylenol, motrin, bandaids, a change of shirt for you (you never know who may get motion sickness), change of clothes for them, and Benadryl. Benadryl is not just for aiding them to sleep, it helps their sinuses, so the pressure doesn’t build up and cause them discomfort on take-off or landing. One piece of advice I remember is if they are crying during take-off or landing that’s okay, it is helping them relieve the pressure in their ears. The first time we flew I said that over and over in my head so I wouldn’t stress too much. But that is when I want them to drink and eat to pop their ears. Having a sippy cup allows them to drink because otherwise they would not be allowed to have a drink.

Don’t hesitate to walk around the plane with them. By the 4.5 hour mark I am anxious to get off the plane, & they aren’t any different. So we parade around the plane for a bit. In the back we even play Simon Says to help them stretch and play a game.

Bring books that are light to carry, we’ve even played bingo. Let them pack a small bag of toys they want to bring on the plane (those backpacks are great for that) – you’d be surprised how long that the toys they pick out will keep them occupied. I used to pack one new toy per hour and that was a bust. I was stuck with the stress of finding new inexpensive toys and most of the time they just wanted to see the next one. This way they choose the toys and it takes the guess work out of it for you and they are happy. Plus I overemphasize sharing on the airplane. Now they help each other pick out toys.

If they have a favorite animal or blanket they sleep with, bring that on the plane to help them sleep. My daughter travels with her sponge-bob towel, which we use as a blanket.

Regarding car seats: You check them in with your luggage, unless you are going to use them on the plane. If you use them on the plane they have to be FAA certified. It will indicate that in your manual and on the seat itself. Print the page off from your owner’s manual if you cannot find it on your car seat. When we used the car seat on the plane we were stopped by the flight attendants asking for us to show them that the seat was FAA certified.

If you are checking them with your luggage, I don’t know the requirements for packing the car seats. Our seats have a case so we just use that. Call your airline if you are unsure.

Last hot tip: Pack for the worse case scenario, which means pack more food than you need in case you are delayed, or any flight cancellations. Gotta be ready for anything!

Phew! Okay, off you go. My big advice is to make it special, modify the rules to fit the situation. Good Luck!

-Jeanmarie
Mom to 4-year-old BBG triplets

Disciplining 16-month-old triplets

Recently, the mom of sixteen-month-old triplets asked for suggestions for disciplining her trio. I thought my advice might be helpful to other moms, hence this blog post. Please add any tips you have, too!

First off, this is a hard age. The children are mobile, but not too stable and do not understand any safety issues yet. Everything is new and they are eager to explore. This is when we need to set the rules, because they don’t know any rules. So this is where we set the foundation.

I used a bumbo at first as the “no-no chair.” They sat in it in the corner, turned away from everyone else, for one minute. Then when they were done I had them try to say sorry or sign sorry. I would help them sign sorry and also verbally say it for them, setting the rule that after they are punished they need to say “sorry” to me or whomever they were naughty to.

As they got a bit older and too big for the bumbo, I put them in the laundry room and put a gate in front, for one minute. (One minute per year of their age.) If they were in their high-chair or booster at the table, I would turn them around so they were facing away from the table and everyone else.

One thing that worked really well for me was I would demonstrate the bad behavior and say, “aaah aaah ahhh” then demonstrate the good behavior and say, “yeah”. I would repeat this 3-9x. Someone once told me repeating it 9x that made them understand. And they did. To this day I’ll still say “ahh ahh ahh” and they stop dead in their tracks, one even says “Sorry” right away.

One memory I have is a day when they were jumping on the couch and I would say, “No jumping on the couch, aaah aaah aaaah.” Then put them in the no-no area. This went on for at least 1 hour, rotating all them numerous times into the no-no area. It eventually stuck and the next day, I said, “No jumping on the couch, aaah aaah aaaah” before they got onto the couch and, viola!, no more jumping. I tasted a bit of victory, and that sticking to it paid off. I remember this every time I need to set a new rule: I just need to stick to it and be consistent.

Good luck!

-Jeanmarie
Mom to 3.5-year-old BBG triplets

For Pregnant Triplet Moms: Answers to Some FAQs

I just found this old e-mail with my answers to some "questions" from other pregnant triplet moms. Hope some of the info is helpful! :)
–Cheryl, mom of 5-year-old GGB triplets

1. What did you find that you really used three of?
3 bouncys, 3 boppys, 3 bumbos, 3 high chairs, 2 swings, 1 "tummy time mat," and 2 exersaucers. I just rotated the babies between the "stations" I had set up. It worked great.

2. Did you have just one crib? If you did have just one, how long were you able to keep them all in it?
I had a "mini crib" that was in our room that all 3 slept together in for the first month. I then transferred them into a full-size crib (still in our room) that all 3 shared until 4 months. By 4 months...they were sleeping through the night but also rolling all over each other and waking each other up...so we separated them and put them in their own cribs in their own room. My triplets shared a bedroom (all 3 cribs in 1 room) until they were 3 years old.

3. I know I need 3 carseats and will need 3 high chairs and bouncy seats, but what about swings?
Yes, obviously 3 carseats & high chairs (I didn't have room for 3 full-size high chairs and that's why I opted for the kind that attach to a "normal" chair). The swing thing, well, all babies are different. Some love swings and others hate 'em....so it could be a wasted investment. Test one before buying any. I ended up buying one and borrowing one.

4. And what kind of car do you have?
A mini van! :) The newer Toyota Sienna's have room for 8. You need a spacious mini-van. Most triplet moms with SUV's say it's a HUGE pain and most all have given into the mini-van lifesyle! :) (Ya gotta get the "Got Triplets?" bumper stickers! :)

5. Speaking of, what kind of strollers did you get?
I had the triplet Peg Perego. I bought it new (plus the carseats) and spent around $1000. SUCKS! I would TOTALLY get one used if possible. (Check craigslist.com?) I'd send an e-mail out to our moms in San Diego to see if anyone is selling one. I also got a double and single umbrella stroller for when I was out and about with my husband or parents. Plus I bought a triplet jogger for the park. Plus I got a giant wagon with a shade and trailer on it. Yikes. I went a little overboard. :) What I liked about the Peg Perego triplet is I could go anywhere by myself easily. The 3 carseats just clicked in and off I went. It was easy and convenient. Once they outgrew their carseats...it was a little more work assembling the Peg...but I still liked the look of it and the ability to be out and about by myself. The kids got too heavy to push in it by around 2 yrs.- 2 1/2 yrs. old. I have friends that LOVE the runabout -- but it's not the most attractive stroller :(

6. My other questions (for now) are body-related. When did you begin to show? Was it way earlier than people with just one baby?
I was in full-blown maternity clothes by 12 weeks. I grew pretty fast....and I was quite excited to show off my belly since I was "FINALLY" pregnant after 5 years of trying and treatments. :) You will show early and get used to people asking really personal and annoying questions.... "are they natural/real?" "will you breastfeed" "do triplets run in your family?" "I'm glad I'm not you." "You poor thing, you have your hands full."

UGH! That’s a quick rundown, but hopefully it’s a starting point for you. One last thing:

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Triplets! :)

Froggie Smoothies and Other Yummy (Healthy) Snacks

I get so bored with our standard snacks. So I recently emailed Jessica to ask what she gives her three-year-old trio for snacks. Her instant answer: “Froggie Smoothies!”

You won’t believe this, but the secret ingredient that earns these fruit smoothies their “froggie” moniker is . . . raw spinach. Yep, raw spinach. Seriously. You can put in an entire bag of it without tasting it at all. Talk about getting your greens for the day! I have to admit that I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but now I and the boys LOVE them and I’m ready to shout from the highest mountains “Froggie Smoothies! Feed your kids Froggie Smoothies!!”

Froggie Smoothies*:

• Frozen fruit (blueberries, peaches, and/or strawberries are our favorite)
• Banana (sometimes we put in two; sometimes none)
• Spinach (raw; packaged spinach for salads is easiest, but unwashed bunches from Henrys are cheaper)
• Pineapple or Orange Juice
• Ice
• Plain yogurt (optional)
• Flax seeds (optional; Jessica swears by them, but I haven’t gotten around to buying them to try it)

Adjust the amounts to your thickness liking. Blend in blender until smooth. Note: Not much ice is needed since you are using frozen fruit

Like I said, I was a Doubter, so I started out light, throwing in just a handful of spinach leaves. Thumbs up! The next day, two handfuls. Double thumbs up!! Now we throw in a whole bag, with each boy putting in the biggest handful he can. Yes, the boys know about the spinach. I believe in teaching them how to eat well even as I’m hiding the veggies in their meals. They think it’s a hoot to jam those leaves into the blender. I think it’s a hoot that they get their fill of green leafies for the day. Hurray for Froggie Smoothies!

Now the boys want to make Beetle Smoothies. Huh. I haven’t figured out a recipe for that, but I did come up with the next best thing: Frog Smoothie with a Beetle on Top. Hey, whatever works.

Here are some other snacks we serve. What are YOUR favorite kid-friendly snacks?

Goldfish crackers
Cheese sticks
Dry cereal (Life, Oatmeal Squares, Cheerios, Gorilla Munch)
Rice crackers
Toast with peanut butter and “no sugar added” fruit spread
Hummus with pita bread, crackers, or carrot
Fruit—especially grapes
Dried fruit—especially mangoes, blueberries, craisins, and raisins
Oatmeal cookies with raisins and walnuts
Pumpkin bread with raisins and walnuts
Yogurt or Yogurt Parfaits (with thawed frozen fruit and granola)
Whole Wheat Fig Newtons
Bagels
Energy Bars from Vons
Cottage Cheese
Garbanzo beans
Quesadillas
Nachos (toasted corn tortillas with refried beans, cheese, olives

*To be truthful, Froggie Smoothies not actually green. But they do have green specks in them. You can call that the crushed up froggie guts if that works for your kids.

-Debbie
Mom to 3-year-old BBB boys