I have the blessing and curse of family who live on the other side of the continent. This means flying is unavoidable. However, what is avoidable is googling "flying with baby." But, like many others before me, when faced with taking our little one on her first trans-continental flight, I did just that. I read horror story after horror story about fanged flight attendants and breastfeeding fearing passengers. I ate up any advice I could find about timing naps and what I needed to bring along. And I did all of this with some desperate hope that I would be able to avoid tears, screaming, and, heaven forbid, being thrown off the plane!
Guess what? It was fine. I flew solo with my 10-month-old across the continent. Yes, I took way too much carry-on baby paraphernalia to be practical. Yes, the baby cried at times. Yes, the baby was awake most of the day. Yes, it was an incredibly exhausting day of constant baby entertainment. No, I would rather not do it again.
But, what I want to make sure I say on the internet is: PEOPLE LIKE BABIES! This should not be a shock, but it was delightfully surprising to me to find everyone I met on my travels to be more than helpful. The temporary community that pops up around a baby on a plane is an immeasurable blessing to a parent. And, I would suggest, to everyone involved as well: individuals who might not even look at each other, let alone speak to each other, were playing peek-a-boo and grown men were outright giggling at my ten-month-old’s antics.
That wasn't so bad, was it?
Guess what? It was fine. I flew solo with my 10-month-old across the continent. Yes, I took way too much carry-on baby paraphernalia to be practical. Yes, the baby cried at times. Yes, the baby was awake most of the day. Yes, it was an incredibly exhausting day of constant baby entertainment. No, I would rather not do it again.
But, what I want to make sure I say on the internet is: PEOPLE LIKE BABIES! This should not be a shock, but it was delightfully surprising to me to find everyone I met on my travels to be more than helpful. The temporary community that pops up around a baby on a plane is an immeasurable blessing to a parent. And, I would suggest, to everyone involved as well: individuals who might not even look at each other, let alone speak to each other, were playing peek-a-boo and grown men were outright giggling at my ten-month-old’s antics.
That wasn't so bad, was it?
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