I believe that traveling with a child unlocks a new level of parenting. There are so many moving parts and preparing that comes with packing for two. Day one travel almost took us out completely and I was ready to wave the white flag, but I really wanted London to have this experience. We successfully landed in MV this afternoon! It was a 40 minute flight which was perfect for her first time flying. Although the flight was short I learned some serious lessons traveling with a plus one.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM FIRST TIME TRAVELING:
#1: MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS A BOARDING PASS NO MATTER WHAT THE AGE.
I wasn't aware that my little one would need a boarding pass. It is free, but it is still needed to get on the plane. I had a newbie at the front desk so she wouldn't let me on the flight at all (queue her canceling the flight, no rebooking, and overall just leaving me there stuck) with London. Save yourself the hassle of that happening and make sure your child has a boarding pass.
#2: GO HANDS-FREE.
I had a large carry-on tote but realized a backpack should have been the way to go. I will 100% have a backpack the next time we travel. London walks but for a child that doesn't a carrier would be the perfect solution as well. There was another one-year-old on the flight and was in a carrier the whole time.
#3: HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM TO DRINK/ EART & PLAY WITH.
I have a busy bee on my hands, so she was into a little bit of everything. She was tired but by the time she was ready to sleep, we were getting off the plane. I made sure I was prepared with toys, tablets (pre-downloaded the apps she likes), and her favorite snacks. I was wondering about her ear-popping so I had a zillion things for her to chew on in the event that her ears started to bother her.
Here are my travel recommends for keeping a kid occupied: Busy Board,Spinning Top Toy, & Fire HD Kids Tablet.
#4: HAVE WIPES AND HAND SANIZTER READY.
Children are curious. They are going to want to touch everything - so just have wipes out or hand sanitzer clipped to your bag. I whipped down everything before putting her in the seat, and constantly was whipping her hands. She is teething so there is a lot of hand in mouth action happening. COVID is still very present, so go overboard on all the extraness of making sure you and baby are trying to minimize germs. Extra points for you if you have travel size Lysol spray!
#5: GET TSA PRECHECK.
As a parent you want to worry about the least amount of things possible. Anything that can help mimize a stress is a win. The lines are shorter, you dont have to take off your shoes, and the process is overally a little smoother. Take some time to get precheck.
#6: BREATHE.
One flight down and one more to go. Let's see if going back home is smoother! London did phenomenal on her first flight and handled all the mishaps of the first travel day with ease. I am proud of my little munchkin and I cant wait to see her enjoy her first vacation. We will be back with all the MV content.
*pours a full bottle of wine into glass and cheers to me for surviving this travel day*
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