Surviving a 14 Hour Flight with Kids (Real Talk)

Laney Did Amazing

Laney was great the entire flight.

I was fully prepared for at least a little complaining about being stuck on a plane that long, but she surprised me. She didn’t complain at all! 

I kept waiting for the moment she would say she was bored or ask how much longer we had, but it never really came. I’m still a little shocked about that.

Collins Had a Harder Time Going There

Collins definitely struggled more on the way to Japan than on the way home.

Toddlers and long flights are just a tough combo. There were moments where she was tired, restless, and over being confined to a seat.

But overall she did better than I expected and the flight home was actually much smoother for her.

One thing that helped us a lot was a travel safety harness.

Pack All the Snacks

And when I say all the snacks… I mean ALL the snacks.

The night before our flight I went to H-E-B and stocked up on things I knew the girls would eat no matter what. Plane food can be really hit or miss, and honestly I don’t even want to eat it half the time myself.

I didn’t want to risk them being hungry for hours if they didn’t like the meals.

I packed a few treats but mostly things like:

• crackers

• meat sticks

• Goldfish

• pouches

• easy snack foods I didn’t feel bad handing out repeatedly

Neither of the girls really ate much of the plane meals. They mostly picked at them and then went straight for dessert of course.

What I Packed in Their Backpacks

I can definitely do a deeper blog post or reel about this later, but here’s what I packed to keep them busy during the flight.

For Collins:

• iPad (yes… we were fully the dreaded iPad kid family on this trip and I have zero shame about it)

• Cozy headphones for little ears

• Cars Mini Racers

• Doodle board

• Coloring book

• Squishy toy

• Play-Doh

• Painter’s tape (seriously… trust me on this one)

For Laney:

• iPad and headphones

• A Labubu coloring book

• Ohuhu Markers

• An embroidery kit (she never touched it)

• A small Rainbow Loom bracelet kit

• A squishy

• A 3D printed fidget

If you’re looking for ideas for your own flight, I linked a bunch of things that work great for long travel days in my Amazon storefront.

Sleep Was… Not Great

I personally got zero sleep on the flight.

Collins slept maybe 3 to 4 hours.

Everyone else managed to get at least a little rest though, which honestly felt like a win.

For our first international flight with the kids, I’m calling it a success.

Would I choose a 14-hour flight again? Maybe not for fun. But it definitely wasn’t nearly as scary as I imagined.

If you’re planning a big trip with kids, just know it’s doable.

And if you have any questions about our Japan trip or want to see more from it, let me know! I’m happy to share anything that might help another family planning their own adventure. ✈️🌏

**Disclaimer:** Please note that the links provided in this blog post are affiliated with my Amazon store. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep the blog running and allows me to continue sharing great content!

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