Greyson and I jetted out to Seattle for a quick getaway this winter. One of my college girlfriends was having a baby and my other college bestie called and said we needed to plan a trip out to meet the new little bundle. It was a heck yes right away and then I thought, I might as well bring Greyson being it was going to probably be a little more chill trip visiting a newborn.
Boy, I am so thankful that I brought him along. I felt like this trip took our relationship to the next level, which I would have never expected. Vacationing through a child’s eyes, I tell you. We explored WAY more than I ever would have without him. Everything we saw, was like a whole new world for him. It made the trip so much more exciting!
We packed our bags and off we went together to Seattle for both of our first times. This was my first time flying solo with just Greyson. Previously, we’ve had daddy’s help. I was a little nervous, thinking about not having two sets of eyes on this wild toddler, but it was a breeze. I packed just the right things I guess.
Today I wanted to share the 5 things I did and tips I have for you first-time momma travelers with a toddler in hand.
Do a layer and don’t do laces
Shoes that slipped on and off were key. Getting through those lines and out the door when traveling, no-ones got time for laces. To keep it light, I only brought one pair of shoes and one pair of rain boots. Though these shoes look like they have laces they don’t actually lace. They have velcro at the top so it was easy to undo and slip off. He was also so proud of these dog socks he bought that look just like his cousin’s, Bolty. He thought they fit him perfectly! It melted my heart.
Layering his clothes was also a win! Greyson is three years old and potty trained but I was still a little nervous about an accident. Luckily, that didn’t happen. My mother-in-law recommended putting two pairs of underwear on him. That way if an accident happened on the flight, I could just take the pair off, throw them away, and he had another pair on, ready to roll.
Pack for pressure
Gum and water all the way. If Greyson was still on pacifiers I would have packed that too. Use whatever you can to keep their jaws moving. Greyson hasn’t seemed to have any trouble flying but when Jamie (the hubs) was young he had a lot of issues flying with the pressure and his ears. So I take all precautions because I don’t want my babies to go through any pain if we can avoid it. So whatever you can do to make sure they are constantly swallowing and keeping that jaw moving, do it.
Bring headphones
We got these for his first flight and I can’t imagine if we hadn’t. They cost less than $10, and he thought he was a pretty cool dude. We also packed the iPad. Luckily, we had a TV on the flight with a lot more movie options. At one point, I had the TV, his iPad, and my phone going for him. Don’t judge. I do what it takes sometimes, haha!
Keep it simple
When flying, I always try to keep it simple. When it comes to flying with kids, I try even harder. I pack light and keep my carry-on as simple as can be- 1 bag. Because your hands are going to be full enough just holding onto your toddler and purse. I take my purse as my carry-on when flying with the boys and that is it. I make sure all I have in that purse is my phone, wallet, chapstick, gum, water, headphones and the iPad. Any additional clutter will just stress you out and you’ll probably be leaving and losing things somewhere.
Set YOUR expectations
As Jamie reminded me as I was headed out the door to the airport reading to fly out solo with just Greyson, “Remember to take breaths, Mom, and keep your cool!” Ha! He knows me too well, but it’s a good reminder. Set your expectations that meltdowns absolutely will happen and then when they do, you’ll just be able to take a deep breath and stay in check. Greyson melted twice at the airport once we got off the plane and I just kept walking and they didn’t even phase me.
After this trip we just took, I am definitely taking more with just me and my boys, one on one, each of them. We usually always do things as a family but I can’t tell you how awesome this trip was for Greyson and me to have that one on one time. I told Jamie when I got home, he’s next. Whether it’s a flight or just an afternoon out. It’s so refreshing and made me love this little dude ten times harder.
