All of the sudden, heading to the airport sounds so massive. Like it’s the greatest test we parents can face in a given day. I think it has something to do with the sheer volume of luggage we’re forced to bring and the potential unraveling a family may experience. We’ve heard the horror stories of flying with kids and while we’ve done two trips via plane to visit family with our two kids (ages 2 and the other coming up on 5 months) we know, full well, that no successful travel day is to be taken for granted.
Hopefully, We Look Driven and Confident … Not Sweaty
Two car seats, a stroller, a pack-n-play, two (decently big) suitcases, a backpack, a fully loaded diaper bag, two kids and the collective mental and emotional weight of all our upcoming duties and responsibilities. That’s what we bring. I often wonder how we look lugging everything through the terminal. Car seats on our backs, pushing the stroller with toddler, baby in carrier, suitcases in hands. Hopefully, we look driven and confident — not sweaty. This is wishful thinking, however, as I know myself and understand that I look very, very sweaty.
The idea of flying in and of itself blows my mind, but the premise of flying with an unpredictable toddler and months-old baby in tow is even more mind-boggling. And yet here we are. In our travels, we’ve experienced a 14-year-old who pulled his hoodie tightly around his head in disgust and rocked back and forth with his hands slammed over his ears to block out our baby’s cry. We’ve had kind strangers offer little toys to help soothe our toddler. We’ve struggled and watched other parents crush it with their kids. We’ve gotten lucky and also had other parents fooled into thinking we know what we’re doing.
Once, in a moment of poor judgment, I watched in horror as my toddler dumped an entire cup of complimentary ice water onto herself before waddling in the puddle of it beneath her pants. Oof. I know the fear of — oh gosh, what if they have yet another blowout and we’re out of clothes and diapers? I am thankful for the priceless value of the behind-the-seat barf bag for puppetry. And the timeless entertainment the safety and drink brochures offer the toddler.
We’re learning to let go of managing the feelings of those around us. Yes, my baby is crying — no, I don’t want him to cry. Yes, my toddler just threw the pen cap at your head. Yes, I’m sorry about that. Please, please don’t call security.
When Your Toddler Squirts Her Smoothie Pouch All Over Herself …
Having little ones and traveling takes some serious guts. Being prepared with snacks is absolutely something I have found to be helpful. However, when your toddler squirts her smoothie pouch all over herself and then proceeds to eat the who-knows-how-old leftover granola bar she found in the back of the seat before us, you’re on your own. That’s 100% normal and maybe even expected.
I think it would be so amazing to one day arrive at our destination after a day of travel with all the bags neatly placed in the trunk and the kids singing in unison while enjoying a calm afternoon. I also understand that if our kids make it safely with (most of) their clothes on, that’s good enough.
Most importantly, I love sharing the inexpressibly deep sense of relief with my wife knowing that we made it safely and without too many tears. That after all the schlepping and even if we’re a mess, we’re together and the kids are OK. I think the kids love watching us work together, too.
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