Traveling with Toddlers

So, I have a confession to make. I don’t have toddlers. I have a toddler, I guess. I mean she’s barely cleared a year, but either way I’m terrified for our upcoming trip to LA. Not just because it will end with me returning to work…… but because the longest trip we’ve taken her on has been a carefully timed 1.5 hour drive to Orlando which coincided with nap time for each leg of the “journey”.

Ah… simpler times.

I could just not go to LA, but screw it. Mama needs a vacation. Here’s to hoping it is more relaxing than I expect, although my hopes are not high (at all).

I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment because I’m like crazy good at finding a silver lining to most situations. I actually feel set up for failure if I expect everything to go awesome, so I’m planning for plenty of speed bumps along the way.

I have already started packing (not just mentally, anymore) and did some research! I’m keeping my ears open for suggestions to make things go a little smoother over our speed bumps. I’ll definitely be updating my millennials with the tricks I hide up my sleeves, so stay posted!

So far I have:

• Purposefully scheduled indirect flights, to lessen the annoyance amongst each group of passengers (sorry in advance)

• Blankets for the plane(s) to make a fort out of our seats

• a charger for our devices from Amazon

• iPad for replaying Moana/Zootopia/Frozen/Trolls as well as some headphones which don’t have to go IN her ears

• Baby Benadryl, which I need to exchange for a bottle >= 3.4 oz… The sell them in 4 oz increments, fyi

• Pacifier. Maybe she’ll finally love it? I heard it was good for popping ears.

• Tylenol. Also for popping ears.

• Yogurt melts!

Note: We did not buy her a ticket, so she will be lap sitting. More on that later.

Have you ever flown with your baby? How did it go? How did you prepare?

Please share!!