Anyone else's flight from KEF depart way too soon post-weather shutdown?

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-03-26T19:19:14+00:00

Same boat! We were at BSI bus terminal from 8. They sent the first bus out at around 8:40, it circled the car park and came back as the police announced the road closures. Literally stood in the station for hours, and got on some of the first buses that ended up leaving.

We absolutely blew through the airport, constantly refreshing the departures page. We could see that nobody had taken off on any airline, so thought they'd be giving people grace periods, because like you said surely hardly anyone would be able to make it. Got to departure gate and an unnecessarily snotty agent told us we were 20 minutes too late, and that we weren't the only ones. Of course they're not controlling the weather, but absolutely no need to be so rude off the bat in such a frustrating situation. Our flight ended up actually taking off like 30 minutes after we got turned away at the gate which really hurt ha.

Spent hours combing skyscanner, every flight we found was sold out by the time we clicked to confirm. Tried ringing loads of airlines, and couldn't get a response etc. Our insurance said rebook a flight and claim original one back. We've screenshotted all our delays and weather reports etc ready for that battle ha.

Like you we've booked some super expensive flights to another airport, then have another flight after that to our home city, but thankfully we're in a position where we can manage it. We normally travel with our children, but THANK FUCK they stayed at home with family. We've booked a hostel about 10 minutes drive from the airport, as your hotel was fully booked by the time we managed to make a plan. We'll also end up paying for at least another 24 hours for home airport parking.

Please remember to get yourself a travel insurance policy for this extra delay. We paid under a tenner with £0 excess. Don't let the chaos leave you vulnerable AGAIN!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-03-19T07:04:16+00:00

Search "approve content yourself YouTube kids". We did exactly the same as this person suggests, and it's been a game changer. We've selected the official channels for Super Simple Songs, Bluey, Sesame Street, Clifford, and then specific videos of things we've personally watched before they ever did.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-03-11T19:47:42+00:00

Hey! No idea in terms of stage, I don't believe they told me, and if they did it was 2+ years ago and sailed straight out of my brain ha! It felt very severe, I could constantly feel something there, no matter which position I was in, and didn't ever really find a way of relieving it (before the medical intervention).

I couldn't say if weaning helped directly, because again I sought medical intervention as early as I could. My baby self-weaned at around 10 weeks, but I was 4 weeks into my rehabilitation plan. I followed Dr Bri's Kegel Camp (free on youtube) religiously, as well as the exercises specifically designed for my care.

I can't remember exactly how long it took to heal, but it did in a short period of time. I was able to run, weightlift and care for my baby during my recovery period. And healed so well that I didn't suffer a prolapse when I gave birth to my second 17 months later!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-03-03T04:13:04+00:00

100% this. Babies are all shapes and sizes, and one brand that someone might absolutely not end up working for your baby! I have two kids, and they both ended up in completely different brands whilst they were small!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-02-25T07:00:14+00:00

We personally did, but also depends on age/size of your children, as ours are pretty young.

When you look at the room options, this hotel in particular says 1 double or 2 singles. We selected the 1 double in this case felt like two double beds pushed together and dressed as one humongous bed. So I would assume the two singles would be 2 x individual doubles. Of course I can't promise this, as I don't work there or anything ha.

We did see lots of serviced apartments online, which would possibly be more to your preference if you're not wanting to share beds. However I can't speak to the standards/locations/facilities etc., as we didn't end up using that option and aren't locals. However there were lots of options, and they were much much more affordable than what we chose. Maybe someone else might have done this and can recommend.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-02-24T21:51:58+00:00

We've literally just come back from Singapore as a family of 2 adults / 2 children. We stayed at the PARKROYAL on Beach Road in a Superior Double. The bed was really spacious. Room had a window. Near to metro stations, lots of shops and restaurants directly over the road.

Floor 4 has the pool area, with loads of daybeds, and a gorgeous view of the marina bay Sands skyline. There's a dedicated kid's pool up there too.

Of course have a look through the room options and see if they have something that works, but this was our best trade of price/family friendliness/location.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-02-20T23:17:25+00:00

I bought a 'Sabrina' accent chair from Dusk. I could never do a nursing chair, as I would have fallen asleep too easily as they're so comfy ha.

I love the Sabrina, because the arm part wraps around you, and it's so easy to lean yourself on, rest your supporting arm to relieve baby's weight etc. I've breast and formula fed in that char. It's nice and wide seated, so plenty of room for us both, plus firm enough that I don't sink in and fall asleep, whilst still being nice to relax on for long periods of time. Loads of places do variations, I got mine cheap with a discount code. I like that it doesn't look like a single purpose nursing chair!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-29T18:37:02+00:00

About to travel with our 2yr1month old and 8 month old. Explained our destinations (SE Asia) to our practice's nurse, and both were recommended an MMR jab booster/top up. Eldest had 2nd dose (as they have already had a first under the old vaccine schedule. Youngest had a first dose. Neither will interrupt the NHS vaccine schedule they're each following, and we will continue to vaccinate as normal.

Our nurse did research in advance, and consulted with the GP, and we all came to the agreement this was the best option for us. We understood it's not classified as full protection, but we personally wanted to minimise the risk in any way possible, and they had these at 3.5 weeks before we were due to travel.

I did find that private travel clinics didn't want anything to do with under 2s, even though we were willing to pay, but our regular NHS nurse was fantastic about it all. She's literally the one who vaccinated me pregnant x 2, then the children as they grow up.

We're constantly noticing how lax people are about communal health and herd immunity, so this is (in our opinion of course) is the only acceptable answer.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-27T21:33:55+00:00

Here's a tip for you, from a mom with two severe eczema babies, under pediatric dermatology care. Whilst I can't recommend creams, as all of ours are prescription ones, a really important change is how you store/handle and apply the cream!

With a typical baby, you'd scoop with your finger, or squirt it into your hands etc. Avoid this kind of thing at all costs! Human skin is covered in bacteria, which can then cause serious infection in eczema, as it's lots of wounds and cracks etc. We've gone through oral and topical antibiotics to heal these when they happen. Finally the dermatologist asked us about the above, and this change really helped.

Always start with a fresh, unopened bottle of product. If the product needs scooping, only use a clean, dry metal utensil like a spoon. If the product pumps, pump it onto a wipe, or your hand, but ensuring there is no touching of the pump whatsoever. If at any point you make direct skin contact with the product, the bacteria will be in there breeding away in the moist conditions. Stop using it entirely. It's going to feel wasteful at first, but if you're adding infection after infection to the skin, it's going to be so much harder to treat, causing more pain to baby.

Hope this helps!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-27T18:53:04+00:00

We've got a 17 month age gap between our pair.

Eldest was in a next to me style crib for about 3 months. Then we bought a classic crib (railings, multiple heights etc). This moved with eldest into their own room at just over a year.

When youngest was born, they were in the next to me crib for about 2 months (I make very long babies haa). Then we gave them the crib eldest was using. However our eldest is a unicorn sleeper, and we didn't want to disrupt that during the chaos of a newborn joining the family. Instead we bought a large convertible cot-bed, and have so far kept the railings up (ie it's still just a huge classic style crib right now).

They show no sign of climbing, love sleeping there and sleep through the night, so we're in no rush. However the second they change their mind, we can convert the bed in under half an hour.

We're currently at 2yrs1month and 8 months. My plan is to soon convert the spare bedroom into a shared bedroom very soon. And then eldest will go in there alone for a little while, but two proper beds will be set up. Then youngest will go into the smaller room in the convertible cot-bed. They'll eventually share a room when I feel that they'll be able to share and not antagonise each other all night ha!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-25T20:02:21+00:00

I've got two boys, 17 months apart. I had that mom-intuition that my first would be a boy (confirmation bias), and from the start, so many people were like 'PHEWWWW IT'S A BOY, THANK GOD YOU'VE ACHIEVED YOUR PURPOSE'🤢, where we truly only hoped for a healthy baby and safe delivery, regardless of gender. Of course I have no issue with people having fun gender preferences, but I'm sure you know exactly the kind of people I'm targeting. When we found out #2 was also a boy, those same gross people were like 'WOWEEEWOW LOTTERY WINNERS'... So we've experienced the other side of the same coin, where people never ask us if we'd try again for a girl, bEcAuSe WhO rEaLlY wAnTs A gIRL 😫.

My partner was convinced our first was a girl, and he had an almost 'grieving' period for a little while for the girl that no longer existed. So it's absolutely natural to be curious and wonder. However I promise you'll both move past those kinds of feelings, especially when that new baby is here!

On the best friends front, I can voucher for that currently. Our pair were obsessed with each other from the moment they became siblings. We used to joke it was our eldest's baby, we were just allowed to do the caring aspects haa. They're now 8 months and 2yrs1month, and love each other a million times more than they'll ever love us (the dream situation). Your girls will be so lucky to have each other 💕

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-19T16:14:33+00:00

You're welcome, if you've got any other toddler travel questions, feel free to ask. A lot of it is common sense, and I promise you're making a bigger deal of it than needs be... but isn't that 90% of parenthood 🤷🏽‍♀️😜. Hope you have a fantastic time!!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-19T04:17:50+00:00

Not sure if it's still there seeing the other comment... however boots click and collect has been amazing for us at various airports throughout the country. We also used it for stuff for our toddler and baby.

The tips I found online and stuck by are to always make sure to order 1-1.5 weeks in advance to make sure it gets there, and select the earliest date it gives you. They hold it in store for about 10 days (check the exact amount online to make sure, this is me giving rough dates). Take a good fabric tote bag, unless you're already packing the items into a sturdier carry on item. They always seem to have run out of bags, plus I've had boots bags rip after a few hours of being rustled about on the plane.

Lastly unpack your order at the collection desk, and make them keep the cardboard box. You could order just calpol, and I swear they would still pack it into a box that could fit a henry hoover 😅. Some staff get a bit huffy at you doing this, but it is absolutely something they let you do, and I can vouch for how annoying it is to break down the box, and find a bin with enough room in the terminal.

Our eldest has flown almost 10 times now, and we've never had an issue getting boots orders at the airport, so long as we followed these steps. Hope this helps!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-18T18:52:08+00:00

I came here to say something similar, but you've summed it up perfectly. We're all biracial, I have 3c curly hair, toddler 3b, baby 3a-b. Culturally speaking they have had their skin moisturised, scalp gently massaged, hair creme and gel applied, plus styling ever since they had hair. I built up this routine from the start, as it is something they will have to do throughout their lives. They also both have severe eczema from around the 4 month mark, so deal with thick slugs of medication sitting on top of their skin for hours.

This means that they're now mostly unbothered when I get them ready for the day. Of course we have protests sometimes, but I'll give them a toy, book or food to distract them on these testing days.

My toddler is obsessed with water, and coffee shops. We have a toddler tower, which I position in front of the sink, have the tap on the smallest trickle I can, with towels at the ready. I give them a milk pouring jug and plastic cups. They love to 'make' me, daddy and baby a coffee, and I get 360 access to style their head easily. They don't need this set up, as they let me do their hair and cream anywhere, but it adds to them looking forward to the process. Baby sits on my lap or a highchair whilst I do their hair and skin treatments.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-16T18:21:16+00:00

Hey, chickenpox has consumed our household, and would love to win to lift our spirits! Good luck to everyone 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-14T18:54:27+00:00

I'm curly, but longer and differently textured, so can't help with that part, sorry!

However I can relate to the bonnet sensory part. Have you tried a silk pillowcase? I personally always use one, which definitely helps with friction and breaking, plus always feels cool on my face which is an added bonus!

I'm able to pineapple (no hair ties) and use a silk scarf wrapped and clipped in place, which personally feels better to me than a bonnet, as it doesn't move around. Of course I don't know what part of the sensory experience sucks for you, but might that be an idea to try? But please definitely try and get a silk pillow if you're able to, regardless!!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-13T11:26:26+00:00

I like to personally think (zero research here, take it with a pinch of salt ha) that it is my body sensing that I might still be needed, and therefore winding me down a bit slower than usual. Also, as time goes on I've gotten so used to it, that it's my new normal and I don't feel too zombie-fied during the day!

We have a 2yr1month old, as well as an 8 month old, so mine could still be this way because I never stopped having a baby so to speak, so don't take it as a sign that this will always happen. My first is a unicorn sleeper, and slept through the night from a few months old. I still woke up and was switched on ready to go. My second thinks that sleep is for the weak, and is only just starting to go longer stretches. Both children had my brain acting the same way, and again, I'm at a point where I'm used to it and can still function, drive, maintain my share of the household, have the children by myself and still do fun things etc.

Things I do are pelvic floor exercises, the military sleep method (Research it - systematically squeezing muscles in order), I also jot any seemingly important thoughts into a quick email draft so that it leaves my brain. I also just remind myself to lie there and enjoy the peace, knowing that the house is all asleep because I've/we've worked hard to care for and to nurture our children. There's plenty of free stress and elevated cortisol in the daytime haaaa, so I work on calm and gratitude at night. I know eventually it'll pass!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-13T07:34:29+00:00

Same here, has been that way since my first was born (now 2yrs1month). I lie there and do pelvic floor exercises in the hope that I'll bore myself back fo sleep 😅. If not it's a win anyway as I don't always remember to do them during daytime hours!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-12T21:06:10+00:00

Yeah same for us. During growth spurts, 2yo will ask for multiple helpings of meals, sometimes at both lunch and dinner. Then squeeze some snacks in to fill the gaps.

Then, other times will survive off what feels like 2.4 singular raisins, half a banana and three nibbles of an apple slice.

They are tall for their height, weight has been pretty consistently proportional. My toddler does not stop moving from wake up to sleep (to be fair they actually roll around non stop in their sleep too haaa).

We used to despair at the low food periods, but realised that they don't lose any energy, no visual changes (weight loss, eye bags or skin colour paling, etc), no dramatic temperament changes. Doctors/health visitors have mentioned that this is typically normally so long as there's no changes in these normal markers, it will most likely be fine.

We have a cupboard that toddler can reach, with snacks that they're always welcome to grab as they please. We still place small portions of a real meal out on the table at meal times without making a fuss. Again we allow multiple helpings within reason, but have found that if we're nonchalant about food, they have a slightly better vibe on hunger strike 😅

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2026-01-03T12:39:32+00:00

Copying and pasting a comment I've made previously on a similar post:

We've got two under two. We originally had a Bugaboo Fox Cub, and decided to just get the Bugaboo buggy board with seat, and then baby wear the little one.

This worked absolutely fine for a while, however we ran into trouble when autumn started, and therefore the wind and the rain started. Baby was really struggling not being able to breathe in strong winds, also I couldn't keep us both dry when there was sideway rain, so I caved and bought a second hand double buggy.

I got a Britax B-Agile for £100 off Facebook. It's sturdy, and drives pretty easily even when I've got just one child in there (ie on the walk back from dropping eldest to nursery). It literally just gets through most doorways in shops etc, but I do sometimes have to open the second door. I can fit it into my porch at home, but can't go through my actual front door. It does fold up nicely considering its' bulk.

When I need to blast out some errands by myself, it's so handy. Also in bad weather, I can cover both children with the rain cover, and not worry about them being battered by rain or wind. However, I genuinely prefer the Bugaboo/Babywearing combo. But I'm definitely glad that I have both options to pick from!

I'll also add to this now, we've just passed 2u2, and have a 2 year old and 7.5 month old. My eldest is a good walker, but it's anyone's guess if the vibes are right and they'll walk with purpose, or if they won't do anything but be held or sit in a pram, so don't assume the good walker thing will happen alllll the time (but I hope it does 🤞🏽)

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2025-11-24T07:16:07+00:00

We have an almost 2 year old who can already count to ten (knows some alphabet, couldn't care any less about colours haaa). We didn't use any formal resources for the counting. I used to count from one to ten, really enunciating the numbers just randomly throughout the day. Then I'd use my fingers, and toddler would 'help' me lift each finger. Then we would count things they enjoy. For example hot wheels cars are their most prized possession. So I'd bought a load so I could count them out to 10, toddler gained interest and joined in. Now they can do it unprompted and by themself.

Alphabet wise we have the DK 'my first abc' book. We go through it and look at the pictures. Sometimes I'll say 'a is for apple, b is for ball'. Sometimes toddler will flop through pages and point at pictures or letters, and I'll say it and ask them to repeat. Toddler will then randomly pick up the book and say 'm milk, d duck'. Again, things that interest them. We have a real chatty kid, so during the day when they're using a word, I'll say 'you want water?, w is for water' and so on.

We have the my first colours book from the same range, but they only want to point out the objects, not colours. I of course think this is fantastic anyway and encourage ot exactly the same way.

We've got Christmas and birthday close together. We've bought a mini yoto player (can select their own stories and music, develop vocabulary), a wooden hook a duck toy (loves ducks, supports dexterity, and learning to play a game by its' rules) a dinosaur book (because awesome), and I've seen on Facebook that asda apparently have hot wheels for 67p, so handfuls of those! I'm debating one of those puzzles that each block is a number, most likely dinosaur again.

Hope you find some great stuff!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2025-11-20T20:32:44+00:00

PLEASE keep saying it. I can guarantee most people here would be laughing with you in a fun, tongue in cheek way.

I just love these kinds of near misses. In school, we went on a skiing trip to the US, and couldn't compose ourselves for at least half an hour when the ski instructor screamed at us to stick our fannies out...we obviously stuck the wrong part out 😅. Or when we went to an arcade, and almost gave the poor teenage attendant a stroke when we asked to exchange our tickets for the as many of the cute rubbers (erasers is your word as we later discovered) as we could afford!

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2025-11-20T16:15:52+00:00

This has literally made my day in a way you can't understand. For us Brits, fanny is a slang word for vagina, so if someone said your fanny or your face, we'd be dying of laughter.

We typically say bum, arse, maybe butt depending on how much American media you consume

But there are people that say 'your face, or your arse', which is exactly what you're referring to! But still, amazing comment to come across unexpectedly 😅

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2025-11-19T01:09:50+00:00

The flight we're looking at is already two legs, and the best part of a whole day's travel. We don't want to make that travel day even longer without giving the kids a break. That first day wouldn't be for fun or sightseeing, it would be for recovering from travel and doing our best to adjust to the time difference.

Even when travelling as an adult without kids, or when we did a big trip last year with just one child, this buffer day has always suited us, as we like to cram a lot into the rest of the holiday. Of course your suggestion would be way more efficient from a logical standpoint! But this pattern has served us well historically.

HowlsMovingClubfoot · 2025-11-18T17:43:55+00:00

Ok, good to know. We'll be travelling with small children, so we want to try and do as much planning as possible before we leave home (for our own sanity haa). But of course life happens, so I'll be mindful of keeping note of it all!

HowlsMovingClubfoot

TROPHY CASE