Turkish, 100%. Turkish not only has better food, but they don't censor movie or TV content. To the point of blurring out Kippahs (but not other Rabbinical accoutrement). At at least on Etihad, you are going to get a ton of old Disney, and nothing that involves anything controversial (mention of Jews, gays, the crusades, etc.)

Especially if you're leaving from Houston, you take TK34/33. If your layover is more than 90 minutes, get access to the lounge at IST. It is mind blowing. Spent more than 12 hours there (on purpose) and was happy for it.

Honestly, being in UAE (next door) during the summer (and having lived in Bahrain), it is not as bad as Houston or Louisiana. Stay out of the sun, problem solved. You're pretty much out of options that close to the equator, you just want to avoid Ramadan, so stuff is open (which is right now.)

Stop at Duty Free on the way in, and buy all the booze and cigs that you are allowed, to use as "gifts."

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you transfer airlines that aren't interlined agreements (ie don't book a flight from IAH to LHR on American to save money, then book a flight on Turkish to IST to the UAE.) You're begging for stuff you do NOT want to do with kids. It must be ONE ticket each direction.

Remind yourself that service in Turkey/Italy/etc. is not the same as dealing with a queue even at LHR. Turks have no such thing as lines. Whoever shoves more family members towards the counter first, wins. This is not an issue in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, but if you have to check bags in IST for any reason, you are screwed. Take the eight hour tour Turkish gives you for free, fine. Do not spend the night, though. I showed up four hours before a flight from IST to Abu Dhabi with no checked bags, and nearly missed it, because I was too nice.

If you want to tour IST during a layover, you can buy $20 visas from your phone while you're still clearing security, no problems.

I can't say enough good stuff about Turkish Airlines. Their planes aren't the newest on the IAH route, but they are better than anything I've been on Air Canada. The food... OMG, the food. Pretend you're in Cancun, you don't, have to tip them, but if you do, they will ignore all sorts of malfeasance and requests for G&T refills.

For all that is holy, if you're on TK, ask for Manti, if they still have it, as your meal. Mini-raviolis, yogurt sauce, yum. Even in Biz, they were out by the time they got to me, but the tip helped them "find" one manti here or there enough to at least to get me an appetizer size portion.