Here we are after landing in Detroit. All smiles! It wasn't until the last 10 minutes of the connecting flight where the little guy kept repeating over and over "All Done, All Done!" until it ended with a pacifier throwing fit that in all reality was pretty tame compared to most young travelers I've seen.
I get excited about taking Little One to new places and how comfortable he will be as an adult when it comes to traveling. At the same time, however, each time I prepare myself to either push the "book now" or start packing for the trip, I also feel a rush of anxiety as I think about how challenging it is to travel with a toddler all by yourself.
In order to make these trips as smooth as possible, I have found a few tips and tricks that have proven successful along the way as well as lessons learned. For instance, I always like to be prepared for almost any situation. I hate the feeling of needing something and not being able to get it, so therefore I decided what were the most critical items that I could not do without while balancing how I would carry all of those things
- Pacifier - for takeoffs and landings to help keep his ears from popping
- Single serve non perishable formula bottles for take offs and landings or for a nutritious beverage
- Overnight diapers - these became obvious for me when we went on our first flight. My son, even though he would have a fresh diaper when we started out on a flight, by the time we landed, often soaked through a regular diaper, so the overnights became necessary to avoid having to change my son's clothes at every stop for pee throughs
- Teddy bear - this keeps him secure and/or is something he can interact with in make believe to keep himself entertained
- Fruit/veggie pouches (3.4 ozs or smaller!) The threshold for testing these food items is 3.4, however both security lines said they would allow the 3.5 to go through without requiring "testing". These pouches are also a quick and non messy way to feed your Little One while on the go.
- SNACKS! Finding the right mix of snacks is helpful too. I discovered in hot summer months, Cheerios tend to get stale very quickly, so I'm still cultivating my snack choices as well as the containers they are kept in. The no spill snack cups are great, however, they are also the ones that tend to let the most air and moisture in over time.
- Carry-ons: I'm trying to limit myself to just one carry on, which will be LO's diaper bag stuffed to the gills with the above items, a change of clothes for LO, Water Sippy cup and my purse.
- Car seat/stroller: For my most recent trip to Michigan, I had purchased and used this. This would have been absolutely perfect for my trip had the isles of the plane been big enough for my car seat to fit through still attached. Even though they were not, this is still the way to go if you plan on your child using their car seat on the plane. This basically takes the place of a stroller if you have connections and must get from one gate to another and don't want to juggle bags as well as herding your children along the way while they walk. At my son's current age (less than 2), I like to keep him contained until I know I can free up my own hands to deal with any rogue running/walking that may take place if he's mobile on his own. This is also ideal if you do not have a need for a stroller where you are going, or have checked it through OR have one available once you get to your final destination.
- Conversely, on this upcoming trip, I opted to bring a stroller, not the car seat in hopes I could borrow/rent one if I needed it. Doesn't look like I'll need it based on the short duration of the trip and the shuttles available between airport and hotel and hotel to wedding etc.
- Checked Baggage: Since I only have two hands and will be getting both my son and I to and from the airports by myself I needed to be mindful of how much I could physically get from point A to B by myself without putting my son in any danger. And for me, that equals 1 checked bag in which both my and my son's clothing and stuff will have to go. Luckily it's summer and only a 3 night stay. My last trip with only one checked back was for a 5 night stay and was certainly full, but was very doable.
- Contents of the checked bag of course included all the necessary clothing, but this time around since I'm staying in a hotel, there are items I can leave at home this time, like crib sheets/mattress pad. The question I'm playing with now is whether or not I pack all the diapers and supplemental food I think I'll need for my toddler or have it shipped to the hotel for my arrival. I think I can pack the diapers, but the food stuff I might ship ahead. I'll have to see what it looks like once I start packing. Also, I need to check out how close the hotel is to a store and perhaps shopping after check in is just as easy.
Lastly, my son is pretty darn long for his age and one of my concerns that I haven't figured out a resolution to is how big the crib/pack and play will be at the hotel. He's been just about too big for ones he's stayed in most recently, so I'm assuming we'll encounter a similar problem this time.
Here he is in the Pack 'N Plan/Bassinet my Dad borrowed for us during our last visit home. He pretty much needed to sleep diagonally and even then it looked a bit restricting for him.
So, if you didn't already know this by now, you've probably come to the conclusion I'm a pretty intense planner who spends a lot of time analyzing scenarios! I'm hoping to have the most successful trip yet, which will only ensure at least one future trip to come.
