never ever normally be okay. Keep reading…
Shoes with no Socks – Maybe it’s not a big deal, but with my busy body boys and their uber active feet, things can get pretty stinky when we’re talking sneakers sans socks! However, I was picking my battles and I wasn’t going to force socks on their feet. What can I say, they preferred to be barefoot on the plane.
Milk Monsters - I’ve written about this before; my boys LOVE their milk… I try to limit their intake because if they drink more milk we’ll have more wet diapers, and both the amount of milk and diapers I had on hand were limited…BUT when we got stuck at the gate for a couple hours, filling their cups up with leche was the ONLY thing that kept them calm.
Candy – They’re toddlers, and they really don’t need candy, but on this day, the Starburst Jelly Beans I had in my purse saved us! Yes, I let them have candy. Heck I even allowed a fellow mom on the flight to give my kids some kind of Ice Breaker Fruit Cool Mints.
Screen Time – On a normal day I’d limit their use of electronic devices and tablet time – we have a Cubby, Nabi Jr. and iPad…but for this day, it was a free for all. I let them use them as long as they would hold their attention. Screens on the seat backs also helped pass the in-flight time.
Lay on the Floor – Never would I ever let them lay on the floor and play in a public place like a (dirty) airport, but I did. During our layover, the gate areas were packed and if sitting and playing on the floor keep them content, who was I to interrupt the “quiet time.” One of mine was even sneaky enough to eat a fallen (aforementioned) jelly bean off the floor, and I didn’t even flinch! Shhhh!
Talk to Strangers – I do let my kids “talk to strangers” when I’m around. They love saying “hi” to anyone they come across, and since I have 2 it’s always a double take. One can’t do something without the other one wanting in on any subsequent attention. There was actually one “stranger” in particular though that I allowed to carry my kids for a few minutes…he was a Dad. We were in the home stretch of our travel, and when we finally got word that we were actually going to board for our final destination, my babes took a liking to the guy standing near us. So much so that one stretched his arms out in the “carry” motion and I let it happen. Of course #2 couldn’t be left out so he got carried for a few seconds too. Hey, I was right there and monitoring all of it and while I would never usually allow that, I was about to be running on fumes and this fellow traveler’s gesture to appease my kids actually helped me out!
Hopefully these tips might help you on your next solo parenting family trip. And to all the single parents out there I salute you! Because when your hands are full and best laid plans fall apart … sometimes you just have to LET IT FLY!