A mother in Australia was left perplexed by the "random" nature of her children's choices for toys to bring on the plane for their next trip.
Molly Mackenzie, 34, an aged-care worker in Mount Gambier, South Australia, revealed the items that her kids chose in a viral video shared from her TikTok account, @meet.the.mackenzies. The clip has had over 908,000 views since it was posted Sunday.
She told Newsweek: "The kids wanted to take a large amount of toys with them on our holiday to Queensland [an Australian state], and I told them to dull it down a bit and take one. Then they selected these random toys."
The video shows Mackenzie talking to the camera outside her home, showcasing the toys that her 6-year-old daughter, Elsie, and 3-year-old son, Edward, wanted to bring on the flight.
The mom says in the video: "I can't make this up. My kids, I told them: Choose one toy each to take on the plane. Eddie chose a Christmas mug and a bin," which appears to be a tiny toy garbage bin with a lid.
"And Elsie's is even better," Mackenzie said. "Her umbrella broke, which she's devastated about.... She just wanted to bring that." The footage shows the mom holding the detached handle of the umbrella before the video ends.
The post comes as "international family travel is making a strong comeback" after grinding to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey. It was conducted by the Family Travel Association in partnership with New York University's School of Professional Studies, the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Edinburgh Napier University.
The survey polled over 3,300 parents and grandparents in the U.S. and found that 81 percent said they're likely to travel with their children this year.
The survey also showed that family travel has a positive impact on kids, with 80 percent saying that travel has "helped their children see the world from a broader perspective," while 67 percent said their kids have "become more interested in other cultures" from their travel experiences. More than half (62 percent) said that travel has helped their children to become more confident.
Mackenzie told Newsweek that aside from the random items her kids selected for their recent trip, there are toys her kids can't go without on a plane, such as a toy car for Edward and "a mini-mouse" for Elsie.
"Traveling with kids is a nightmare," the mom said with a laugh, adding that "the constant fighting is mentally draining but the memories we will make will be so worth it."
One of her tips for traveling with kids on a plane is to bring a spare phone if you have one. And before the flight, download educational games that don't require Wi-Fi.
This "keeps them busy and they're learning," she said.
Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured in Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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