Flying with a Toddler at the Holidays
The thought of flying with a toddler at any time of year can induce anxiety and force a family to rethink the entire idea. The long lines, security check, and the constrained seating requires a lot of patience for an adult never mind a small child. So flying with a toddler during the holiday season- well I have no words.
In regards to our upcoming flight, I hope for the best, expect the worst, and would be ecstatic if the situation ended up being somewhere in between.
The last time my husband and I took our toddler on a flight, she sat peacefully next to me dosing off as we prepared for take-off. Just as I exhaled in relief, the ding, ding sound of the bell occurred. The pilot told the flight attendants to take their seats - we were next in line for takeoff. Then, my child woke up. She looked at me with a perplexed face and grunted. She didn't need to tell me what was happening but proudly shouted, "I pooping!" with a glee in her voice.
My internal voice shouted "No, no not now - fall asleep, fall asleep." My external voice said, "Okay, sweetie." She continued to announce the play by play activity to the rest of the silent cabin. And joyfully exclaimed, "I did it!" when she was finished. (A silent, sarcastic "Hooray!" swirled in my head.)
I responded with a "Good job!" She then demanded a diaper change. However, we were ascending. The fasten seat bell sign was illuminated and the flight attendants were still seated. Trying to explain the situation to a two year old was a moo point. However, I thought it would sound better than nothing to my fellow passengers that heard her crying demands, "Diaper Change, Diaper Change!"
As soon as it was safe, I handed her and all of the diaper changing necessities over to my husband who was sitting in the aisle seat with a "Good luck" and a smile. "Phew!" - better him than me I thought.
This time, like the times before I am surely packing my patience and a lot of toddler distractions for the flight (videos and more videos). Again, I will sit in the middle seat and leave my husband in the aisle.
As I keep calm and breathe, I am thankful this holiday season and looking forward to spending the holidays with our family in Idaho.
Happy Holiday's and best wishes for a Happy New Year!
Btw, would love to hear your toddler travel stories...please share!