Take-off

Today is another travel day. After 8 days away and (not) sleeping on floors, air mattresses, and hotel beds, we are finally heading home! I've learned a lot of good tricks for staying away from home with a 7 month old which I'll share in another post but for right now, all I'm thinking about is surviving the flight. Everyone talks about this part of travel for some reason. There is a lot of fuss made over the actual getting to the destination part but very little talk about what happens once you're there. Is mine the only baby that completely falls apart when taken away from his familiar surroundings and routine?

At any rate, I have two tips for airplane travel that no one told me and I am happy to share with the interwebs. I don't claim to be an expert traveler by any means and I have no idea what to do with any child older than my own. We have back to back trips planned basically for the rest of our lives so please share tricks!!

Ok, now for my wisdom to pass on.

1. No matter what time your flight is, dress your baby in pajamas. It is just more practical. His/her feet will be covered and warm but there will be no contortionist acts on your part to retrieve socks every time they are pulled off and thrown under the seat during the flight. Also- should there be a diaper explosion, they zip off and you don't have to worry about slowly sawing baby's onesie off with a plastic knife or pulling poop over baby's head on the plane where there is no bath.

More importantly, everyone will assume that you've had a looooong day of travel that began way before the sun came up. It was such an early start, in fact, that you woke baby from a peaceful slumber, and ran right out the door without time for even an outfit change! Fellow travelers will assume that any misbehavior is simply due to your poor child being tired. Plus, babies are cuter in jammies so they will like your baby more automatically. I have zero evidence that this runs through other traveler's minds but it's what I think when I see a baby in pjs so I go with it.

(B is still sleeping right now in red pjs. There is a good chance he will wake up covered in pee or puke or milk dribble but I have prepared for this eventuality. I already set aside a pair of blue pjs to change him into for the flight. Blue is really more his color, as it brings out his eyes, so I'm thinking it will help with my passenger sympathy plan.)

2. Gate check something. Airlines will allow a car seat and/or stroller to be gate checked. Everyone knows this and it's great and convenient etc. Do it! The most important part is remembering to get your little gate check tag. Go to the counter well before your flight and politely ask for a tag for your stroller. Also, try to speak with a woman. They are far more likely to have been in your shoes and sympathize. Anyways, your presence will make them say, "Oh! You're traveling with a baby! Let me see what seats we have open." Often times, if they can, they will try to move you next to an empty seat. It's partially kind but also a nice way to reduce the complaints from other passengers when your kid screams and/or you whip out a boob mid-flight, etc.


Off to change B into fresh jammies and head to the airport to receive my punishment for acting like I know what I'm doing!