25 hours door to door
This post is not for the faint of heart. I kid. Ish.
I love to travel, and for so many different reasons, with different people. Solo (now that I know travelling with a kid), I love having a coffee that I can drink hot at an airport gate, peeing with no one in the stall with me, and enjoying the carry-on-only life. With my little fam, I enjoy pre-boarding, and the curation of an experience for Sebi - the awe and wonder of new toys and snacks, meeting pilots, charming flight attendants. With besties, well, it’s the absolute ease.
Cue to my most recent experience - my longest, solo-parent, toddler trip yet - 6,400 miles, 25 hours door to door, 3 flights, 2 long layovers, and miraculously only 1 tantrum. There was a lot of sweetness mixed in with equal parts delirium but it’s given me the confidence for our trip back.
Here are some of my tips for solo toddler travels:
-let go and go with the flow. Not that you have much of a choice anyway. I stopped really looking at corresponding with naps, layover times (if they can’t be helped), and arrival times and trust that we’ll regulate as we need to.
-do what works for you - a stroller for the airport to carry kid(s) OR bags? Do it. A rolling suitcase instead so you can wheel them around? Do it. Check everything except for a tiny bag so you can run after them after? Do it. I’ve changed it up solo depending on his age / the climate / my mood and it always works out exactly as we need.
-bring snacks. New ‘toys’ or ways to distract. iPad chargers. Godsends for them (and you).
-long layover(s)? Bring a whole new change of clothes for both of you and a facecloth/toothbrush/toothpaste. We got a nice refresh after the first 14 hours.
-ditch the rules. no such thing as meal times, sleep times, screen time, all of it is fair game.
-accept help - whether it is pre-boarding, airline staff, redirection to Pre-Check (that and just get Pre-Check if you can) or family lines, it all helps alleviate the stress so take it.
May the travel and sleep gods be with Sebi and I as we head back to LA (by the very time you’re reading this).