2 under Two: Travelin’ with Tots: The Solo Plane Ride
Posted by Catherine on November 17, 20102 under Two: Travelin’ with Tots: The Solo Plane Ride
Many movies over the years have chronicled holiday travel gone wrong: The family of 4 stranded on Christmas Eve in the airport with no place to sleep, nothing to eat and cranky kids running wild amid a sea of angry travelers. It’s movies and realities like these that make me ALWAYS prepare for the worst and plan as best I can. Yet, despite all my best efforts, it sometimes takes experience to figure out what works and doesn’t work. So with the holidays and holiday travel upon us, here is my list of "worked/ didn't work", based on my latest trip - a solo mission with the 7-month old and 25-month old.
What worked?
- An early morning flight (when the kids were at their best and brightest),
- One stop but no plane change (since there is no direct flight)
- Both a drop-off and a pick-up from the airport.
- One checked bag (did laundry during the trip)
- One large, backpack carry-on (backpack works great to free the hands) with mostly kid gear, toys and bribes along with my wallet and phone.
Since BigBoy is over two-years old, I had to buy a seat for him, but I was torn between checking the car seat and bringing it on board. So the ride there I checked it, but brought a double stroller (Phil and Teds) for the airport. Stroller was an excellent idea. The one-hour wait before departure allowed me to let BigBoy run out the wiggles while I pushed BabyBoy and the gear. Then, when it came time to change, not one but two, poopy diapers, I asked myself, “where would I have put one while I changed the other? Where would I put them both while I went to the bathroom? Gate checked the stroller.
But sans car seat meant I had to wrestle BigBoy into his seat at every turn. He figured out the latch on the seatbelt in one second, then wanted the tray table down on take-off and landing – much to the chagrin of the flight attendant who must not have ever seen kids before, much less how they behave in close, confined quarters.
What didn’t work? No car seat. It was a pain to take the car seat out of my car, lug through the airport and onto the plane and then manage to secure it in the seat with a 7 month old in my arms. But if you purchased a seat for your child, I’d say strap him into a car seat. Maybe your child is milder mannered than mine, but can any toddler sit still in a chair for 3 hours unless they’re tied to it??
What else didn’t work? Go-Go Kidz Travelmate. On the return flight, I’d decided to check the stroller and use this contraption since I knew FOR SURE that I wanted the car seat. BigBoy’s car seat secures to this “base-with-wheels-and-long-handle” that you then use to roll the car seat through the airport, with child strapped into the car seat. I put BabyBoy in a BABYBJÖRN. Conclusion: Great in the airport, great in the bathroom – HORRIBLE in the airplane. The plane aisles are too narrow and the car seat, when attached to the Gogo Kidz Travelmate cannot be rolled down the aisles. So, I ended up with my carry-on on my back, my BabyBoy on my chest, the 20lb car seat and Travelmate over my head and BigBoy running ahead of me toward our seats. BTW, no attendance from the flight attendants.
With each trip, I learn more and more about what does and doesn’t work when travelin’ with tots. My conclusion is: embrace the packhorse within you. You bring the stroller, the car seat, the oversized carry-on, the baby carrier and anything else that may ease the trip. Better to have than not.
Happy Trails!
