Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:38     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Leave the car seat at home, rent one when you get there. Check your bags and have a backpack as your carry-on. With both hands free, one 2.5 YO will seem less daunting.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:37     Subject: Re:S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
My family is in CA and we visited probably twice per year when I only had 1 kid. Once or twice per year now that we have 2. After 2.5 they can pay attention long enough to watch videos on the plane if you allow it, but it's still hard until they are 4 or 5.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:37     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.


PP here. I amp my kids up, we talk about how we're going to behave and then we fly. I have a double stroller and an ergo and they can't leave it until we get to the gate. Security is a bit of a hassle because I can't hold onto everyone at once, but I'm fast. I don't care what others think and my kids know they better behave. I basically have a zillion snacks and 3 ipads. There are many bribes involved. No screams though. The worst part is getting the luggage at the carousel. I had 3 car seats, a double stroller, a checked bag and 3 kids last time. Craziness.

I don't know what I'll do once the baby is 2 and needs his own seat. Most planes we fly (domestic) are 3/3 planes and I'd need 4 seats. I can't imagine a 4 year old by herself.


PP here. The bravest mom I saw was a mom of 5 flying solo from Africa. The oldest kid must have been 8 and the youngest was 3 months. She said she was coming to visit her parents for the summer and her DH was stationed overseas. Her kids were extremely well behaved even in a 2 hour customs line after their 14 hour flight.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:34     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.


PP here. I amp my kids up, we talk about how we're going to behave and then we fly. I have a double stroller and an ergo and they can't leave it until we get to the gate. Security is a bit of a hassle because I can't hold onto everyone at once, but I'm fast. I don't care what others think and my kids know they better behave. I basically have a zillion snacks and 3 ipads. There are many bribes involved. No screams though. The worst part is getting the luggage at the carousel. I had 3 car seats, a double stroller, a checked bag and 3 kids last time. Craziness.

I don't know what I'll do once the baby is 2 and needs his own seat. Most planes we fly (domestic) are 3/3 planes and I'd need 4 seats. I can't imagine a 4 year old by herself.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:31     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.


You need to stop being embarrassed. That's not a reason to not travel. Plenty of people travel with kids. Plenty of kids don't always act perfectly.

~Person with no kids


I’m not sure you know what it’s like until you have kids of your own you need to be with in public. I’m a person who cleans the floor of crumbs when we eat it and we leave the restaurant immediately if my child is loud. I park far away so people don’t have to wait for my prime spot while I take a minute to buckle the car seat. Even with how polite I try to be constantly, I still have strangers being pissed at me. With a cross country flight, I’d be stuck for 5-6 hours unable to take my toddler out or away.


I will say it’s mostly in the DC area that I get this attitude. Whenever I travel anywhere else, people actually seem to like my kid!
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:30     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.


You need to stop being embarrassed. That's not a reason to not travel. Plenty of people travel with kids. Plenty of kids don't always act perfectly.

~Person with no kids


I’m not sure you know what it’s like until you have kids of your own you need to be with in public. I’m a person who cleans the floor of crumbs when we eat it and we leave the restaurant immediately if my child is loud. I park far away so people don’t have to wait for my prime spot while I take a minute to buckle the car seat. Even with how polite I try to be constantly, I still have strangers being pissed at me. With a cross country flight, I’d be stuck for 5-6 hours unable to take my toddler out or away.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:20     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.


You need to stop being embarrassed. That's not a reason to not travel. Plenty of people travel with kids. Plenty of kids don't always act perfectly.

~Person with no kids
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:17     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:I lived in Japan for 2 years and my parents were on the east coast. I did about 2x trips/year, half solo, half with DH, from the ages of 0-3.


Please share all your best tips!
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:16     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Anonymous wrote:I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.


See, I’ve seen you moms wat the airport or on the plane traveling alone with 2 or 3 young kids! I don’t know how you do it. I did a couple short flights with my kid solo, and that was hard enough. And on one of those trips, a random lady and an elderly woman both took pity on me and offered me help at different points. I was grateful and embarrassed.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:15     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
I lived in Japan for 2 years and my parents were on the east coast. I did about 2x trips/year, half solo, half with DH, from the ages of 0-3.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:13     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
My parents live close and I rarely see them.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:11     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
I'd go, but I don't find travel that daunting. During the furlough I packed up my 2.5 year old twins and 6 month old and flew to my parent's house. It wasn't that bad. The 2.5 year olds are easy to travel with now that they enjoy Ipads. 6 month olds are busy and into everything.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:10     Subject: Re:S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
My family is in Alaska and I've taken my 3 year old twice. My parents aren't together and my mom retired to the SW -- I've taken my kid once. We've visited my spouse's family three times, but they're only an hour flight away.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:09     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
Uh, no I would not go without DH, and I like my parents. I mean, if you want to go, great, but don’t feel like you have to just because you SAH.
Anonymous
Post 08/22/2019 15:04     Subject: S/O - if you SAH and grandparents are hours away, how often did you visit?
I SAH with a 2.5 year old and my parents live in Seattle. We’ve visited with DS 2-3 times, always with DH, but DH is now in a different work situation and not able to travel. I dread flying for 5-6 hours alone with DS with car seat, luggage, self consciousness among passengers, so I haven’t gone to visit in quite awhile. I wonder if I am selfish for not going or if it’s understandable at this age of toddler madness. What did you do if you SAH with the grandparents far away?