Babys First Year Blog
Good Things Can Happen to Those Who Fly (with babies).
Today will contain Miss Vivi’s fifth and sixth flights in her 13 short weeks of life. I wish I had advice for moms flying with kids and/or babies but I pretty much subscribe to the “make sure they have something to suck/chew on during takeoff and landing and pray for kind seatmates and random acts of kindness” way of thinking. But now that I think of it, my way of thinking isn’t so bad at all, in fact, I may be onto something!
People seem to be much more kind and patient to a person who seems to have thier wits about them. Let’s face it, there are some parents who when faced with airline travel they demand to be accommodated to simply because they are traveling with children. No one wants to sit next to that person, they will probably guilt you into giving your peanuts to their kid because they’re a kid and you’re not and how rude of you to consider not sharing all that you have with a kid.
Back in April of ’07 I traveled with a then two year old from Indiana to Utah. We became trapped in the Chicago airport due to an unexpected storm and I had NO IDEA how we were going to make it out of there. I took my place in line and began to sob. Next thing I know a man named Bob held out his hand and said “Let’s take you to the Red Carpet Club as my guest and we’ll get your flight sorted out there.” Bob? I have never forgotten your kindness and I have payed it forward to traveling moms whenever I get the chance. (Also? There just happen to be unlimited Kit Kats in the Red Carpet Club.)
Last month I took a two month old Vivi on her first flight. Upon arriving at the airport the security line was the longest I’ve ever seen a security line. Again, I took my place in line with Vivi only this time there was less sobbing and far more sweating (I didn’t have a stroller with me, just a mei tai.) A TSA agent pulled me out of line almost immediately and ushered me to the front of a super secret line where I was able to get through security in under five minutes. Bless him. If that weren’t fantastic enough there were two friends who realized their tickets were no where near each other, one was in first class and the other in coach. On the way down the ramp the guy in first class asked if I’d like to trade him seats so he could be in coach with his buddy.
This is where I take a break from this heartwarming story to tell you that I am too short for the seats in first class and that my feet don’t even touch the floor. Not to mention I kept sliding off the supple leather leaving Vivi in all sorts of funny sleeping positions. Wah, first class seats are too fancy for my coach rear.
On my most recent flight from Indy to California I found out last minute that one of my all time favorite friends was on the SAME FLIGHT. Nothing cures flying with a baby anxiety like being next to a real friend the whole way. Vivi of course was an absolute peach on all of the flights whether we were in first class, coach or near the potty.
How will today go? No idea. But I’m going to keep subscribing to my “pray for kindness” mantra and see where it takes me. (Which should at least be back to Indianapolis.)
Do you have any travel angel stories to share?
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5 Comments
http://unindoctrinatedonewomansstruggle.blogspot.com/ commented on Aug 11 11 at 1:05 amYes I have had to sit in the bathroom with screaming twins from Chicago to San Francisco ! A kind woman from Delaware got up and offered to help me as she was a grandmother of 15 ! I will never forget her and YES that was time I let a stranger touch my two year old baby !
Whitney commented on Aug 11 11 at 10:53 amI’m taking this as a positive sign for when I fly with my 3 month old twins on Saturday! I will be praying for kindness…
Kersten commented on Aug 12 11 at 1:29 amI just flew with my 5.5m old for the first time from Houston TX to Philadelphia. I was soo nervous before hand but I followed the tip I learned–feed the baby at take off and landing. I was supposed to have her in my lap, but there were extra seats so they let me bring the seat on. She spent from getting on till we took off and evened out in teh seat, then I brought her out. She played, coo’d got EVERYONES attention in a good way and I even changed her and put her pjs on and then she went to sleep in her seat…easy peasy..I was SOO happy. I hope it’s as easy going back.
OH and our airline (southwest) gave her a 1st flight certificate.
Elle commented on Aug 12 11 at 10:15 amBob just made me teary. <3
Kaycee commented on Aug 13 11 at 5:22 pmOh BLESS you Bob! What a kind person.
I have had some extremely interesting looks and glares from people before I boarded airplanes with my daughter. The irony is she is REALLY good and we rarely have problems on planes because we are ridiculously prepared and super calm and we are blessed that she’s just good. We had her on a 9 hour flight at 16 months old and were lucky enough to have such a good flight that the people behind us said they would not have known she was there except that she played peek-a-boo with them toward the end of the flight. I don’t mean that as a brag at all. I mean it to say we have been blessed and I will always extend any help or understanding I can to those traveling with kids because I know how nerve-racking it can be.
We were stuck (before I had kids) for 8 hours with my nieces and nephews snowed-in at an airport once. The two littles were almost 2 and the oldest was 4 – that was so tough and by the time we got on the plane the kids were DONE and we were nearly out of diapers, definitely out of treats and distractions, and they were just TIRED. My whole family did everything we could to help the kiddos and I will never forget those who smiled with kindness and understanding and how much that helped us deflect the glares from people who thought you could turn off crying and we just weren’t doing it.
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