Traveling with Kids
Tips, Trips, and fun little clips exploring the world with kidsTo Fly – Alone with the Kids (Watch Video)
After much back and forth I decided to strap up my boys and meet my husband in San Diego while on a 2-week training trip. Through a stroke of luck, I managed to purchase very affordable plane tickets for us. The first phase of my adventure was to figure out how to pack light for myself and two children.
(Note: I’m whispering my tips to you because the kids were asleep and I was determined not to wake them.) Packing for you and your family tends to be more manageable at night when all’s quiet in the house – list or no list.
The summertime is one of the best times to travel because you can pack light and limit yourself to one bag if you pack strategically. Remember, if you’re traveling stateside, you usually can find a washer and dryer to take care of your laundry, thus limiting excessive clothing. However if you decide to take a trip from laundry as well and can’t fit everything in one bag, this may be one of those times that you’ll have to pay for convenience and piece of mind. Lugging your bags on the plane while your hands and arms are occupied with little people is no bowl of cherries. I recognize my limitations and I knew that being frugal on this trip was not an option.
Here are a list of things that helped me survive my single parent flying adventure:
- Got a ride from a friend who was kind enough to drop me off in my vehicle and park it back at my house.
- Dressed myself and the boys in flip flops so I wouldn’t have to worry about tying laces once we made it through security
- Loaded a movie on my IPOD for my oldest son to watch.
- Pre-made my toddler’s bottles. I honestly don’t appreciate the fact that TSA agents want to actually handle the child’s bottle so that they can get a drop of milk to test it. They should let the moms handle the bottle and shake a drop of milk for them. If my son didn’t drink organic milk, I’d forego packing filled bottles and just purchase milk for him in the airport.
- Checked in my luggage which is usually a carry-on and stuck with a baby bag and my purse.
- Left the car seats at home and instructed my husband to rent a couple from the car rental agency. Interestingly enough, a lot of people travel with their children’s car seats so many of the rental car companies have new car seats. So you don’t have to be compulsive (like me) and get the heeby jeebies thinking about your child sitting in someone else’s seat.
- Strapped myself with the baby carrier. My toddler, although long, was at the weight limit. However, there are other carriers for bigger children. Having one definitely helps to free your hands if you have one child strapped to you.
By the time you survive the security check point and are sitting at the gate, you have accomplished arguably the largest feat of your trip. I knew I had well over 6 hours of travel time ahead of me but I felt more than relaxed (although I didn’t look it).
I happily requested to sit in the rear of the plane so that I could be closer to both the stewardesses and the bathroom. I flew on Delta and the stewardesses on my flight from San Diego to Atlanta were the absolute best. They saw me holding it down with the kids and provided me with extra cookies, a free pair of headsets for myself and my 5 year old, a complimentary glass of wine, help maneuvering my toddler into the hobbit-sized bathroom, and a big dose of that southern charm. Their hospitality made a huge difference in my plane ride. However, having pleasant flight staff these days is the luck of the draw. The staff on my connection from Atlanta to San Diego weren’t quite as hospitable but at least they were the first part of the trip and not the last. They set the bar low enough to where I didn’t have any expectations for my next round of stewardesses. Had events been flipped and I’d gotten my second round of stewardesses first, the bar would have been set pretty high and I would’ve been greatly disappointed on my return flight. Thankfully that was not the case.
By the time I got back home after having to fly back with the kids alone, I felt like I had conquered the traveling alone with kids world. All in all, I’d rather not do it but at least I know now that I can do it.
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luvinthyself wrote @
Oh, yeah I recently went to Maui! Check out my photos at http://luvinthyself.wordpress.com/just-for-maui/
Hope all is well!
Theresa
Pretty awesome feat. I’m a single mom, and still haven’t flown alone with my kid. And you managed to put together the videos. You rocked it.
I have to admit Carolina, it was scary at first and I was definitely anxious. But once I saw it as an adventure, I got over any fear I was harboring. I knew it would be a good learning experience for me – and my kids. My desire to get to the destination outweighed my fear in the end.