It’s no secret I have had less-than-stellar experiences
flying with Jackson. As a baby, he was a great traveler. Pop a bottle in, and
bam. Good to go.
Once he became mobile, game over. He does not want to sit
happily in my lap for 3+ hours. He doesn’t want to nap in my arms, and he
doesn’t even want to walk up and down the aisles with me – he’d much prefer to
do it himself. Now what?
Last time we took to the friendly skies, I was on my own
with the little guy, and he cried through most of two flights. I thought I had
everything I needed – snacks, toys, his trusty blanket – but nothing did the
trick.
Now, approaching Labor Day weekend, I knew we’d be
travelling to Colorado again, and, if we wanted to save a serious chunk of
change, Tyler would meet us in CO, meaning I’d be travelling there alone, again.
(Please believe I considered spending that chunk of change to avoid a flight
from hell 2.0).
This time I would NOT be unprepared. I packed enough snacks
and toys to be safe, but not so much that I’d be lugging half our home around.
After a few experiences, here’s my travelling-with-a-toddler advice.
1.
Go to the dollar store and load up on
lightweight, small toys. Know what interests your kid – for Jackson, we mostly
skipped the toy aisle and went straight for the age-inappropriate
flashlight/keychain/fan aisle. He loves anything he can turn on and off over
and over, so I got a keychain flashlight, small personal fan (made of foam of
course), a Rubik’s cube (no- he didn’t solve it… yet), and some other odd
things fellow passengers probably judged me for, but in reality, they should be
thanking me. He turned that flashlight on and off for over an hour.
2.
Have plenty of snacks. We had everything from
doughnut holes to fruit snacks. Again, I don’t care who was judging me for feeding
my child doughnut holes for an hour straight. He was QUIET and so, so happy.
3. I packed more no-no’s: A bottle of milk, which
he hasn’t had since shortly after his first birthday, and a pacifier – which
he’s used, never. The bottle was my Hail-Mary. In my head, I’d pop that bad boy
in right as he got tired and fussy, and he’d happily fall asleep in my arms.
Instead, he inspected the bottle carefully, shook it a bit, finally decided it
was safe to drink from, and gulped it down. He didn’t go to sleep, but it gave
me a solid 20 cry-free minutes. I’d call that a win. He had no interest in the
pacifier (which is a good thing), but again, his inspection of the odd
contraption bought me 5 peaceful minutes.
4.
I brought his favorite books, and I whispered
the words to him over and over and over again. I now have them memorized, but I
loved those calm, quiet moments, my whispers so close to his little ear, and
his excitement as he turned each page. Over and over and over.
5.
I brought his blanket, and the verdict is out on
this. It took up so much space in his bag, and he only snuggled up with it once
or twice. Nonetheless, I was grateful to have it because it kept us warm while
he slept on my lap for one glorious hour.
6.
And of course, the obvious things: diapers,
wipes, and a change of clothes.
7.
I packed all of the snacks in a gallon zip lock
bag, and all the toys/books in another. This helped keep everything organized
in his bag, even when I was frantically tossing things around. I could find
exactly what I needed easily, even with the bag half under the seat and him in
my lap.
8.
iPhone apps. Again, judge away all you judgy
people. Jackson could care less about any iPhone apps or movies right now, but
I had them in my arsenal just in case. The one where balloons float on the
screen (A Bee Sees) put him right to sleep #winning.
9.
Ask the flight attendant for an empty cup when
they come by, that entertained Jackson for a solid 8 minutes, and bring a water
bottle for yourself – you’ll want to skip the drink service. I’d love to see
the person who can master having an open drink with a toddler in lap. Ha!
What I learned: trips are long with a small child. There are
no breaks, and every peaceful minute is a successful one. Bring enough to divert
their attention every few minutes, and switching up drinks, snacks, toys, and
books helps keep them entertained. Get up and walk, even if they sit on the
floor and refuse to move. It’s for you, not them.
While it wasn’t a perfect or easy trip by any means, it was
manageable, and somehow Jackson even received compliments for his behavior
(I’ll go ahead and take credit for that, thank you very much).
Maybe this helps someone else travelling with a toddler, and
maybe not – but I’ll be peeking back at this when I tackle this challenge with
future kiddos. (But seriously, how do people do it with two – or more?!)
Forget potty training and growing out of car seats: I won’t
be having any more children until Jackson will sit and watch an entire movie.
Happy travels, my fellow weary parents.
