Thursday, December 4, 2008
Travelling with the child
| Travelling with an infant is not easy but they say its easier than a toddler and I absolutely agree.I have travelled with my son when he was just few weeks old and I used to think it was tough till this journey happened. I was travelling alone with my one year old and he kept me completely on tenterhooks all the time. As you all know,we were relocating from our place ,so my hubby went earlier than me to the new location to look for a home to move in.Although it was a terrifying idea yet I decided to join him later when the house is finalised.I spent all the time literally counting each and every minute. As soon as he said yes,I heaved a sigh of relief,immediately called the packers and got the entire house packed and moved.It was such a cumbersome job(and they say packers move not only house but also tension). Actually the problem was that my son suddenly turned so clingy,he was practically inseparable from me. May be,he was not happy with the idea of his house being ransacked by some strangers.There was no choice but to carry him all day long and do all the chores along with keeping an eye on the people working in my house.The day finally ended with all the stuff packed and me exhausted to my last breath.Next morning the whole stuff was loaded and moved and I was happy that I will be soon on my way to be with my husband. It was now time for both of us to leave, both me and my son had a long journey ahead of us. I planned each and every aspect of journey so that there are no last minute jitters but I guess nothing goes as planned with a kid around. I found myself altering plans,panicking,rather having all the last minute thoughts,jumbling around and what not.I had to go by train for some distance and then take a flight.When about an hour of train's journey was left,my son suddenly turned erratic.Nothing was working on him,he didn't wanted milk,no music, no toy,nothing.These things worked earlier through the journey but now he was not falling for any of these baits.He was continously crying,trying to get away and making me feel miserable. Then i realised that he wanted what we always crave for so much.... independence,independence from my arms ,from all the inhibtions he was having,he wanted to be free. But I couldn't do that ,how could i just leave him all by himself?? Just then(to my rescue),seat next to mine got vacant,I made him sit there and gave him his much needed freedom. And there he was,with his charming smile as if nothing has happened. Flight I thought would be easier.Firstly,because the run was of only 2 hours and secondly,the airport staff is always very supportive.I checked in ,went through security check, a staff member was with me throughout taking my luggage and helping me around so that I face no problem. I boarded the flight and my son was happy.I think the idea of traveling in the plane got to him :)(though he was travelling for the second time,first when he was just 40 days old :)) but you know kids are kids. Just an hour passed and he was again looking for a breather. The same idea of putting him in vacant seat couldn't work here because no seat was vacant and it won't be as well. I had to look for some new ideas before his controlled cries turned in to screaming. I made him even look out of the window but to no avail. His sleep time was just close by so I thought to myself," I just have to distract him with something, make milk, give it to him and make him sleep. Not a big deal,Is it"! Ohh,Believe me,I was struggling. The lady sitting next to me was reading a book. Hey! he is fond of books, eureka,i got the idea.. I turned his face towards the lady so that he can catch a glance of book .As soon as my son saw the book in her hand,he stopped crying, leaped forward and started playing with the pages. The lady was sweet enough to let him touch the book, meanwhile I took the bottle out,made milk for him and there it goes in his mouth and thanks god,he started drinking it while still playing with pages of book.I slowly distracted him to one of his toys and mission accomplished. I later apologized to the sweet lady for using her as a ploy but she was really kind. Thanks to her, finally I got all the things under control and I or rather we managed to reach safely and happily to my husband after travelling almost 2000 kms. This journey was a real first hand insight into how to handle things when travelling alone with a child. Here are some tips: 1) Don't feel frustrated if nothing goes as planned because rest assured, nothing will go as planned :) 2) Always be ready with the baby's food, milk, diapers, a set of clean clothes, hand towel etc. rather pack a small bag with these things and keep it handy. 3)You cannot keep the kids tied to one place so carry some nice distractions with you,like his favourite toys or anything that keeps him busy. Music was a big helping hand for me. 4) While travelling in plane, take care of feeding the baby while landing and take off to prevent his ears from clogging,otherwise it will be really painful. 5) Keep a check on the baby and your belongings all the time. 6) Keep the luggage as minimal as possible. 7) It will be great if you have a sling to carry the baby. It allows you to have your hands free and things will be lot more easily. 8) Last but not the least, don't mind to ask for help if you are unable to handle. I can't imagine, how will I manage if I have to travel with my son being 2 or 3 years old as he is a very naughty child. I can just hope to have things under control as always. :) Labels: infant, kids, tips, toddlers, travelling |
