A 5 hour airport delay, missed flight, 4 days of below freezing temperatures and having changing living quarters has taught me a few lessons about entertaining an 11 month old and 3.5 year old.
Lucky for you, I'm passing on my new knowledge to you. Tuck this away for your next travel time.
1. Movies are your preschoolers best friend. Better yet, short cartoons like Bob the Builder or Little Einsteins will keep her attention longer. Bring a few favorites or check out a new DVD from your library. Let her watch them over and over while sitting in the airport along with munching on the innumerable bags of fruit snacks you packed.
2. Wheelchairs aren't just for the handicapped. They are tucked away for terminal walkway races to entertain children during delays. This is what the Daddy in our family thinks, anyway.
3. Comfortable and easily removed/placed clothing is so important! This includes socks and shoes since your child will shed these items several times in the airport, airplane and car at 2 a.m. No article of clothing should rub, tickle or leave any indentations...following these rules will alleviate the possibility of the preschooler airplane meltdown because her clothes are bothering her.
4. Lucky Charms is the perfect way for your child to begin every day of vacation. Especially when grandparents have sent the parents back to bed. Even your 11 month old who has never had sugar will think this plan is super duper.
5. All rules about running and safety do not apply when your family has 12 minutes to de-plane and catch a different flight in a different wing of the airport. Explain to your child later that running on an escalator while riding on Daddy's shoulder is efficient. Find the guy in the Armed Services who is also running to the plane to carry half your baggage.
6. Save some tricks and surprises for when you are actually visiting or vacationing. A good time to bring these things out are when your child has learned to unlock and open the sliding patio door (including removing the safety bar), has quietly found Grandma's makeup stash or when her fear of the house cat has been erased and she thinks carrying him around like a baby is the best activity of choice.
7. Don't forget about the baby! Well, mine only crawls if there is a tower of toys to be knocked down so he isn't creating mini disasters quite yet. Bring your own baby toys for sure. Magazines and plastic kitchen items work well for impromptu toys.
8. Accept all requests for spoiling. Sure, Santa can come in mid-January. Sure, 4 wheel rides would rock. Sure, ice cream at 11 a.m. is okay.
Many, many other lessons are stored in my mind for the next impossible-to-entertain time! I'm so glad that no airplace rides are in my near future.
We had such fun just hanging out with lots of our family...wish it could have been all of them!
afton & grandpa on the 4-wheeler
afton's new best friend, chuck the cat
abel and haven
1 comment:
I've missed you!
That sounds CRAZY!!!! Traveling with children is one of those things that I only want (and I use the term loosely) to do if I absolutely have to.
Missed flight? Nightmare.
Abel is getting so big. I can totally see you in him now. He's adorable. And of course, so is Afton.
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