A couple of weeks ago, my daughter took her 8th plane ride as part of our trek home after an extended holiday vacation! I can’t believe that she has now been on more flights in her first year of life than I had been on in the 30 years before she was born!
Given that we have done a significant amount of travelling over the course of the last year, particularly on airplanes (and in many cases without my husband), I thought I would write another blog about our experiences for others that might be travelling for the first time with an infant or toddler. (See my June 23, 2010 post for more about travelling with an infant.)
As you can imagine, packing has become significantly easier because I now know what I really need and don't need to bring, particularly in my...our...I mean, Lilah's carry-on (let's be honest, I carry very little for myself these days...lip chap, a few tissues and identification is about all I can lay claim to in the carry-on bag.)
In the early days, packing the carry-on bag was a challenge, or so I thought. That was before Lilah started eating solid food when in actuality it was SO much easier. It just seemed harder because at that time I was still figuring out what I needed. All I really needed in those days was enough diapers to make it through the trip, wipes, one or two favorite (small and quiet) toys, a book or two, Lilah's blanket and my breastfeeding beads and shawl. I should mention that although you might think you can predict the number of diapers you might need on your trip, packing as many as you can fit is always a good idea for a couple of reasons. You really never can tell what might come up (or should say out) AND I just found out today from a friend that diapers in the airport are ridiculously expensive! If you happen to be stranded in the airport for any reason you don't want to have to pay close to $10.00 for 2 diapers...definitely worth squeezing in as many as you can fit.
These days, I pack many of the same things AND all of the food Lilah may or may not want to eat while we are travelling. The food and everything that is needed to feed a toddler (spoons, washcloths, bibs) now takes up the majority of space in the bag. Luckily, carry-on restrictions for liquids don't apply to baby food. I have carried water in her sippy cup, jarred food, fruits and snacks through without a problem (I do always keep everything food related together in a zip lock and take it out of the carry-on bag when we go through security to avoid any problems.) Every toddler is different, but my advice is to pack small amounts of a variety of things so that if they happen to decide that day they don't want to eat something, you have other options. Eating is also a good distraction while you are waiting in lines, at your terminal or in the plane so taking more snacks than you would typically feed your little one doesn't hurt.)
Speaking of security...this can be a challenge when you are travelling alone with your child. This may sound odd (keep in mind I am an organizational freak), but I make it a habit to find a bathroom before I go through security and take off my belt, watch and coat/sweater and undo my shoes to make the process easier. I also take off Lilah's coat/sweater and shoes ahead of time as well (yes, you do have to remove their shoes and any coat/sweater/sweatshirt they might be wearing!) If everything that is excess has been removed and is packed neatly away before you go through, it is less stuff you have to worry about removing while holding your child and about grabbing on the other side.
Once you are on the other side, passing the time until you board your plane can be a challenge. On our most recent trip, we found a place in the terminal where we could clearly see the planes landing and taking off. Lilah was obsessed with watching them and we passed almost 2 hours with that little activity. Walking up and down the terminal has also proved to be a fun time waster (although holding on to mommy's hand and keeping hands off of the floor were key to making this work). Finding a book store in the terminal is great because they often have a kids section where you can quickly read through a couple of board books to pass some time. Lastly, eating is always a classic way to pass time.
I have really enjoyed the travelling we have done over the last year even though I started out thinking it was going to be stressful and challenging. Lilah is a great little traveller which helps immensely and I would have no hesitations about taking her on another trip. If you are going to be travelling with your little one, my advice is to pack carefully and just relax and enjoy the trip! Remember, our kids feed off of us and if we are stressed out and anxious, they are going to be too!
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