Our Mommyhood

Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

By Julia Magnusson, Staff Writer, It’s Not Like a Cat (@notlikeacat)

We aren’t given more than we can handle, or so the saying goes. When Max was 15 months old, we traveled to Spain for a wedding. He’d recently started walking and was eager to explore everything. Though at the time I recall being daunted by the travels—the hours spent traveling by train; the lack of proper baby gear at our destination; the guesthouse chock-full of toddler-height knickknacks at which we stayed; Max’s overwhelming desire to try out his new walking skills on the planes, subways, trains and in the house with its oh-so-hard tile floors—in retrospect, it was pretty easy.

After all, we were only traveling with one child.

Somehow it seemed like it would have been totally unmanageable without both my husband and I to tote the gear, carry the child, tend the child, watch the gear while the other made a bathroom run and so on.

I was wrong. We recently flew with both kids, and though it certainly had its challenges, I don’t think I would have found it impossible to do alone.

It certainly wouldn’t have been easy. This time, we were hauling two car seats with us, plus all our stuff. But maybe because my local mommy list serve seems to be full of women who’ve traveled internationally on their own with children in tow, traveling with kids seems a lot more doable than it used to.

The only time I was actually on my own with the little ones and all the stuff, of course, was when we flew home. It seemed easier for my husband to drop us all off and then go return the rental car than for all of us to lug ourselves and our stuff from the rental car place to the main terminal. And I wanted to prove I could do it—could be on my own with all the gear and the kids and get from Point A to Point B.

We put the big car seat on the umbrella stroller and stacked the duffels on top of that. I wore baby Ben in front in the Ergo and had a backpack on my back. I hung the diaper bag off the stroller handles and carried the other car seat. Max trailed behind me.

This isn’t really much of an accomplishment to feel proud of. All we did was enter the terminal, get right in line for Jet Blue and check in, handing over all our crap except for the backpack, the diaper bag and the stroller. Hurray for me!

My husband dropped off the rental car, found us in the terminal and stayed with Max and our stuff while I wore the baby to the bathroom. I stayed with all the stuff when he took Max to the bathroom. My husband was there for me to hand the sleeping baby to when Max wanted to climb into my lap. My husband was there to continue holding sleeping Ben while Max vomited all over himself and me.

And it was my husband’s carry-on into which I’d stuffed a bag of spare clothes for both boys and myself, clothes that came in quite handy after Max and I found ourselves covered in vomit.

What’s the point here? The point is that I have learned a lot in my few years as a parent. For example, while it’s nice to have little surprises and books and stickers and toys to keep your child occupied on the plane, it won’t kill your child to watch cartoons on the back-of-the-seat screen for a couple of hours. And while you can bring all the snacks you want, nothing you have in your bag can compare to the excitement of the Jet Blue snack basket.

And finally, the key to a successful flight is having the stuff you really need on hand—like spare clothes (including a spare shirt for yourself), a lack of self-consciousness about fouling the air around your row of seats and a positive attitude.

It also helps to be prepared for the unexpected. The bag of spare clothes and the plastic bag? That was actually because I was bracing myself for a long-overdue total poop blowout from the baby.

The vomit? That came out of left field. It was just a fluke that I happened to be prepared to deal with it, thanks to the baby.

Have you learned something about traveling, thanks to either having an additional child or just due to experience?

By Signe, Staff Writer, My Baby Clothes Boutique

Are you planning to travel by air this holiday season?  ‘Tis the season for traveling with toddlers.  Whether your child is a born traveler or just  bored and complaining,  “Are we there yet?” before the journey even begins, here are ten tips for easing airline travel with little ones.

Arrive Early
Airports are crowded, weather delays flights and security lines are extra-long; airports are usually anything but cheery during the holiday season.  Do what you can to avoid the extra stress of missing a flight by allowing yourself plenty of time to arrive, park, check bags and stand in lines.

By Brook, Staff Writer, baby&sofia (@babyandsofia)

My family is spread out across the globe; my parents live in Hawaii, my husband’s family lives in southern Italy. My brother lives in San Diego and my sister-in-law lives in London.  Our 11-month-old baby Paolo has seen a lot of the world for his young age. When he was six weeks old, we took him to Hawaii. A few months later, Paolo took a house-hunting trip with me to the Great Midwest from our home in southern California.  Soon after, when Paolo was five months old, we drove from Orange County, California to our new home in central Iowa.  Once settled there, I took the baby for a month-long vacation at my parents’ home in Hawaii. That was quite the flight, but it went okay considering it was only me and our seven-month-old.  Then, of course we sprinkled in a few road trips around the Midwest this summer upon our return from Hawaii.

I guess you could say that we are seasoned travelers.

Or so I thought.  In September Paolo and I flew to southern Italy for a 30-day vacation.  I was so excited I could barely contain myself. There were so many Italian relatives that had yet to meet our little one, including Nonno (Grandpa Dell’Anna) and Zio Marco (Uncle Marco).   And who am I kidding? I couldn’t wait for some Mediterranean sun on my newly-Midwestern skin!

The morning of our flight, I was ready to go and geared up for travel. I’d purchased the Go-Go Kidz Travelmate, which is an awesome contraption that basically turns a car seat into a stroller. I had packed enough snacks, meals, toys, DVDs, books, clothes, pajamas and diapers for about four days.

International travel, here we come. It’s a good thing that I started the flight feeling calm and collected. Otherwise, I may have given up and gone home.

On our first layover in Minneapolis, the gate attendants were unbelievably incompetent and rude, causing us to board last, yes last, on a full flight.  I learned on our flight to Minneapolis that there was no way to “stroller” my car seat on the airplane, as the aisle is too narrow.  So boarding last was a challenge in and of itself; we were seated in the last row. Picture this: Brook carrying the car seat with Paolo strapped in, along with a diaper bag and canvas tote and trying to pull the “stroller” contraption behind us.  Help from the flight attendants, you ask? Yeah, right. They couldn’t be bothered. And neither could most of the passengers that I kept accidentally bumping as we made our way to the back of the plane.

Next stop: Toronto.  (I know, I know.  How many layovers are necessary when traveling to Italy from Iowa?  Usually only two, but I thought it would be fun to have three. Hah.)  Upon arrival to Canada, I found that I had to re-check our luggage, go through customs, re-check-in, go through security again and then go to our gate. Our three-hour layover was barely enough time.  Note to self: When traveling to Europe, don’t go via Canada.

I could go on and on about how awful my experience was at the Toronto Airport, but I’m not sure that I am ready to re-live that atrocity.

All of my anxiety melted away as I boarded my AirFrance flight to Paris.  We boarded the plane ahead of the other passengers in order to have time to calmly install Paolo’s car seat.  As we approached the aircraft, the flight attendants greeted us warmly and promptly offered their help, carrying my bags and the car seat while I held Paolo in my arms.  While one of the lovely flight attendants played with Paolo, I installed his car seat and prepared his dinner.  (After three hours of running around the airport, he was hungry, tired and fussy.)

Just as I strap him into his seat I notice a woman tearing down the aisle, shouting something at the tops of her lungs. Quickly, I realized she was shouting “this is my seat” and “GET OUT.”  She was coming right for me, so I started stumbling around my diaper bag looking for our boarding passes that show our seating assignment.  Unfortunately, I didn’t locate our boarding passes in time. The next thing I know, she is throwing my bags onto the seats across the aisle and pushing me, yes pushing me, away from my seat and across the aisle.  Seriously.

By now, Paolo is crying his eyes out because he is hungry, tired and fussy, and now there is a woman screaming at us who has actually pushed her way between him and me.  So, now, I’ve about had all that I can handle.  All I can think to say is, “I have to get my baby.” I’m trying to get her to move, but she won’t stop shouting about “HER SEAT” long enough to move so I can get to Paolo. At this point, I don’t even care about our seats; I just want to soothe my baby.  I’m starting to panic and Paolo has started screaming bloody murder. The woman won’t move.

Just before I start crying, the lovely flight attendant materializes like a little French angel. She tells me that, yes, these are my seats. She then takes the crazy lady by the arm and drags her away from my seat so I can reach my baby.  The crazy lady is still shouting, but I ignore her.  As it turns out, “HER SEAT” was on the other side of plane.

Then my phone rings. It’s my husband calling to check on us.  The tears I had previously been able to control decide to make their debut, which was fabulous as I was then both sweaty and crying.  Again, the flight attendant materializes with a bottle of  water and some toys for Paolo.  Our little French life-saver.

The rest of my flight to Paris was calm and uneventful. When we landed all of the attendants passed Paolo around giving him lots of good-bye kisses.  Someone helped me with the car seat and my bags, and I didn’t even have to ask.

The Paris airport was a dream; everyone was so helpful and smiling.  When going through customs (yes, again), we were ushered to a short EU-only line that didn’t seem to mind that we were Americans.  When we went through security (yes, again) one of the female security guards were more than happy to hold Paolo while helping them check all of our baby gear. Once through security I went right up to our gate where I asked about pre-boarding.

The gate attendant took one look at us and ushered us immediately to the plane with a smile.   Now the flight attendants were all Italian men and they were more than willing to help me with our things.  Paolo and I were quickly and calmly buckled into our seats, long before the rest of the passengers boarded.  When we landed in Naples, the attendants helped us out of the plane.  At the baggage claim, an airport employee unlocked the luggage carts and helped me load our suitcases. I didn’t even have to ask him.

As a mother, I much prefer traveling with my baby through Europe as opposed to the U.S. The difference during this last trip was night and day.  Granted, I have had the full spectrum, from absolutely horrifying to delightful, of travel experience in the U.S., but there is something warm and personal about traveling with a small baby in Europe.  American airline companies seem to be thoroughly disinterested in being helpful to parents, especially those traveling alone with a baby.  Most airlines won’t even allow you to pre-board a flight with a baby, even when you have a car seat to install as this “luxury” is saved for their “priority” customers. In Europe, on the other hand, they seem to look at you as individual who may be in need of a little extra assistance, so why not help out?

I’m not normally one to hold grudges, but this seems like one grudge I’ll be happy to keep.  I know that I will only be flying with European carriers on future flights across “the pond”.  And from one traveling mamma to another, I suggest you do the same.

by Brook , Contributor, babyandsofia (@babyandsofia)

Airplane rides with a newborn is quite an experience, and it only seems to become more of a “treat” as the baby grows.

My husband and I took our first airplane ride with our baby, Paolo, when we went on vacation six weeks after he was born.  Yes, when he was six weeks old, we flew to Hawaii to visit my parents for Thanksgiving.  Most people thought we were crazy, but we ignored them.  I mean, hey, we were going to paradise! We could brave a five-hour plane ride, no problem.  And actually, it was no problem.  I brought my sling and my Boppy nursing pillow and we were good to go.  Paolo was so tiny that all he did during the flight was nurse and sleep in my arms.  I think the noise and movement of the plane was relaxing. It was a dream for the hubs and I.

The next time I took the baby on an airplane is a whole different story.  My husband took a position at the University of Iowa, so the baby and I flew to the Great Midwest to find a place to live this past March.  Paolo was then five months old and not as thrilled to be sitting in my lap for the flight, especially when he got sleepy.  So he let me know, loudly.  He, in fact, SCREAMED the entire way from Orange County to Phoenix. On a crowded plane. Wedged between two men.

I’ll just say it was a traumatic event that involved a lot of tears (both his and mine) and, by the grace of God, the help of a kind stranger sitting next to us.  I decided that was the last time I was flying alone with my baby on my lap.

Just last month, Paolo and I went for another Hawaiian vacation at my parents’ home.  (I know, I know. It’s tough having your folks live in paradise.)  This time, I was PREPARED.  I booked seats for both us and brought all kinds of baby gear: car seat, stroller, books, videos, my laptop for playing the glorious Baby Einstein videos, toys, sippy cups, food, and blankets. I booked our route with a few layovers so that we could get off the plane and stretch our legs. During each layover, I found a corner in the airport where I laid down a blanket and “picnicked” so that Paolo could roll around and play.  Then, he would be tired out and took some naps during the flights.  It wasn’t easy pushing the stroller and lugging around the car seat base and extra bag, but boy, was it worth it!  While the trip was long, we survived. And at no point during the trip did I cry.

As I have experienced the full spectrum of traveling with baby, as my experiences do range from heinous to delightful, here is a list of suggestions for airplane travel with the under one year old crowd:

1. If you can, buy a ticket for your baby and bring your car seat.  It will not only preserve your sanity, it is a much safer mode of travel for your baby.  When the ‘fasten seat belt’ light is on for the adults, it should be on for the babies, too.

2. For long trips, schedule a layover. Your baby will thank you for the time to be free and roll around. (Sometimes this cuts back on travel cost, so you can afford that extra ticket for baby!)

3. Bring a few favorite toys and books, and bring along brand new ones, too.  The variation will keep baby entertained a tad bit longer.

4. If there is a video that your baby likes (our favorite is “Lullaby Time” by Baby Einstein), bring it, and your computer. Your neighbors on your flight will thank you.

5. Wear a cardigan or light jacket with pockets.  Having pockets is key when you are trying to juggle baby and all of your gear AND find your boarding passes and IDs.

I hope these tips will ease some of the stress that comes with airplane travel with the little ones.  I wish I had known this on that dreadful trip to Iowa…After that flight, I sure that I would be banned from air travel for the next 18 years!

In MinneSOOOta, we’re stuck inside for 9 months of the year…so when the sun shines (and it’s above freezing) we venture outside. We slather on the sunscreen and the bug spray and we soak it in…’cuz we know all to well that very, very soon we’ll be stuck inside. Dressed in layer upon layer and hoping our noses don’t freeze and fall off the next time we walk outside.

Anywho, back to summer. It’s awesome.

I am a mother who counts down the days of school WITH my children. The mother who gets just as excited for summer as I did when I was in school. I even went so far as to deny my 8 year old gymnastics this summer because, and I quote, “I don’t want to spent my summer in a gym!”

Hmmmm…now that I’ve written that, I wonder…does that make me a bad mom? I felt a little guilty, at first, when I told her that…but I knew that she would insist on me NOT leaving while she was there, and I’ll be damned if I was gonna sit in recycled air conditioning when I could be sitting beside a tennis court or a t-ball field breathing in fresh, clean air and soakin’ up the Vitamin D!

Now that I’ve confessed that, I sort of feel like I’ve just made myself out to be the “Summer Nazi”.

The, “YOU WILL ENJOY SUMMER WITH EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR BEING, SO HELP ME GOD!” crazy mother.

Uh oh. Will this be yet another thing my children blame me for in therapy when they get older?

Great.

Something else to worry about…

*Shrugs*…In the mean time, I’ve got to get my kids to tennis.

And t-ball…not to mention the beach…golf lessons…Little League…oh, and there’s bug spray to apply, sunscreen to slather…

Guess I don’t have time to worry!

I hope you are enjoying your summer!