I read a story some time ago about a mother who was traveling across the United States with her five month old twins (http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/03/living/feat-twins-fly-parents-care-package/). The mother made small care packages for everyone on the plane; including ear plugs, candy and a sweet note. It’s the kind of story that will make you feel devastatingly inadequate as a parent. Today, I took Anna and Sam across the pacific to attend my sister’s wedding. I almost forgot to pack diaper wipes…DIAPER WIPES, people. Obviously, tiny care packages for over a hundred fellow travellers was out of the question. And, unfortunately, I was going much further than the parents in the article: Bangkok to Hong Kong (4+ hours) then Hong Kong to Newark (15+ hours). Add in ticket counter check-in, security, immigration and layovers and you’ve got yourself a sweet little trip.
Honestly, I have been dreading this trip pretty much since we left the States several months ago. But, miraculously, it wasn’t so bad. We survived the flight. Here’s how:
1. I left Jack, my crazy-stubborn-wild two-year-old, at home. Problem solved. He is an impossibly difficult traveler even on our shortest flights. I was sad about leaving him. Jack loves everything about airports especially the moving walkways. Every time I passed a moving walkway I thought “aww, Jack would have loved that.” Two year olds, they are equal parts easy and impossible to please…so, no two year old on this trip.
2. I brought a swaddle and requested a bassinet seat. Before moving to Asia I had no idea what a bassinet seat was. They are life savers. You have to make sure to reserve your bassinet seat early – spots are very limited. My bassinet seat ensured I did not have to cradle Anna for 20 hours straight. I wrapped her in her swaddle to keep her warm and true to form she took long, deep naps.
3. Sweets, sweets and more sweets. When we are traveling I pretty much let Sam eat whatever he wants – as long as he tries to eat his fruit and vegetables first. Snacks keep him content and prevent unneccessary bickering. You will never win a fight with a tired pissed off 5 year old when you are trapped in close quarters on a plane (even when you win you lose).
4. We watch a lot of TV. Just tons and tons and tons of TV. Sam watched Kung Fu Panda three times. Then promptly fell asleep.
5. Don’t sleep. Never sleep. I don’t sleep much on these trips. I am too busy keeping my children asleep. So, while I may not pack goody bags to distribute to all of my fellow passengers-I promise I will use every ounce of my energy to ensure you aren’t annoyed during the endless flight. Honestly, that should be gift enough.
6. Expect the worst. I always go into the trip expecting the worst case scenario: what if ALL of my children are running up and down the aisles, screaming and crying uncontrollably for hours? If I expect the worst and it doesn’t happen then I am pleasantly surprised. Flights don’t last forever and the bad periods usually pass quickly if you can just hold on to your sanity for one moment longer.
All this being said-traveling around the world with children is always hard. The amount of prep and patience you need varies by the age and amount of the children you are traveling with. I was lucky this time-I was able to choose to bring only my easiest travelers. We will see how the trip back to the States goes with all five of us.
Will Travel with Toddlers 