I took two young children on one of the world’s longest flights.

• My family was traveling to Cambodia and I chose a flight from Los Angeles to Singapore.
• The flight time was over 17 hours, making it the third longest flight.
• My kids are 3 and 1 and I bought a basket for my youngest.

“You’re a masochist!” another father exclaimed when I mentioned my flight itinerary during my daughters’ playdate.

I know this sounds weird, but the first leg of our family trip to Cambodia was a nearly 18-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore. It was once the third longest flight in the world, so I was flying with my 3-year-old and 1-year-old with a round trip ticket.

It was scary. But to get us through, uh, there were some tricks to what we brought with us? absolutely.

Here’s how we survived the flight and nearly 14 hours home.

We chose the best airlines

It may sound crazy, but I actually chose The LA-Singapore route is better than other routes with a shorter first connecting flight.

That’s because Singapore Airlines is consistently ranked as one of the best airlines in the world. I thought an on-time departure, good customer service, and endless snacks would have made for a more pleasant experience.

I booked my bassinet early.

Like many long-haul flights, our flight provided a basket for children under 2 years old. I wasn’t sure if I would actually be able to sleep in it, but I still made sure to book it well in advance.

That’s because the row where you can hang your bassinet happens to be the best seat in economy class. I’m usually in the first row (which means you get off the plane early and there’s no recliner next to the front) and you have nearly twice as much legroom as him. At 5’10”, I could stretch my legs up to the wall in front of me.

Plus, that extra space was handy for toys, snacks, and diaper bags.

I packed a tablet and headphones, giving me unlimited screen time.

If you have unlimited time, space, and screen time, long-haul flights are the way to go.for me largely I packed a tablet and Bluetooth headphones for my 4-year-old daughter and let her play freely.

In-flight entertainment for kids can be hit or miss, so I wanted to stock up on some of her favorites. She actually liked the Singapore Airlines product, but I’m glad she brought headphones. She used them to secure the adult-sized earpods provided by the airline, but otherwise she would slip out.

Snacks, Snacks, All Snacks

I generally believe that you can’t overpack snacks for toddlers. Dried fruit, cheerios, puffs, cheddar bunnies, celery bars — we were ready.

Many long-haul flights offer snack carts, and Singapore Airlines was especially well-stocked. Her daughter loved instant noodles and fluffy pastries, but her son wanted to stick to the tried and true. I’m glad I have both.

I packed a 7-day pill container with snacks.

Just before I left on a trip, an Australian mom friend who knows long-haul flights shared this simple hack with me. Opening and closing the compartments allowed me to concentrate even more and spend more time eating. Plus, it was a great exercise for my motor skills. It took a few minutes to load up the snacks, but it was worth it.

I stuffed it with painter’s tape

I initially packed the blue painter’s tape based on an Instagram video I saw. I tore off small pieces and stuck them around windows and seat backs at different levels as a way to keep my young toddler from getting confused.

I also ended up using tape to set up a makeshift blackout curtain over the bassinet to help my son fall asleep while the cabin lights were on. And after we landed, we used tape to cover the electrical outlets and securely shut the minibar in our hotel room.

melatonin

Melatonin is the epitome of parenting. So many people are doing it and no one is talking about it. Some people take it every night, but others are concerned about unstudied long-term effects and the recent rise in overdoses.

Although we don’t use popular sleep aids at home, we’ve found it to be a gentle extra nudge to the sleep our kids need during the distractions and unfamiliarity of being on a plane. It also really helped me get through the first few days of jet lag. Of course, I consulted my pediatrician first and got permission for short-term administration.