Flying to Boston with A Toddler in Tow

Traveling with a toddler requires a lot of planning ahead and can be a somewhat difficult task. When our son was about 15-months old we took a family vacation to Boston so that we could attend my husband's cousin's wedding. Since our son was under two years of age we decided to fly as it would be faster than driving and he could travel for free as long as he was on one of our laps. We packed plenty of snacks for him and took the umbrella stroller for the terminal. We also brought his birth certificate as some airlines require it to be presented before boarding a plane.

Getting through security took a bit longer than we expected. Parents with small children are allowed to bring sippy cups or bottles with more than the normal 3 oz limit but they have to be inspected. We were not aware that children have to take their shoes off as their walk through security so unlacing our son's shoes took a bit of extra time. I was upset with this at first but I suppose there are some not so great parents out there who might try to sneak illegal items in their child's shoes. Other than these issues we really had no other problems at the airport.

The flight itself went extremely well. We were worried about the pressure changes causing ear pain for our toddler but had decided not to give him Benedryl as many well meaning friends and family had suggested. I was not comfortable drugging my child for a problem that may or may not occur. I was glad I made this decision as he had no problems with his ears upon take off and landing. We let him look out the window as the plane was taking off and he got very excited. As we sped up the runway and into the air our toddler sat on his daddy's lap yelling "Whee!".

When we got to the hotel room we were pleased to see we had both a refrigerator and a microwave in the room. I made sure to bring Lysol wipes and before I let my toddler touch anything I made sure to wipe down and disinfect every surface. You can never be too certain how clean hotel rooms really are.

The time spent in Boston was fun and busy. We arrived the same day as the wedding so had little time to rest after the flight. I was nearly five months pregnant at the time and was still experiencing morning sickness so my husband had to take over taking care of my son so I could grab a quick nap before getting dressed. We attended the wedding and reception but returned to the hotel early as our son was beginning to get tired. After a bottle and a quick bath my husband, my son, and I crawled into a king size bed and passed out. It had been a long day and we all needed rest.

The next day we went to a family picnic and my husband's aunt's house and he took our son into a swimming pool for the first time. He splashed and kicked and loved the water. He spent a half an hour playing with his daddy and grandma before he came out to have a thick layer of SPF 50 sunscreen applied. Then we lay down on a blanket on the grass and my son, my husband took a nap under a canopy. This nap was a special moment for me. As I smelled the fresh outdoor air, cuddled my sleeping son and began to doze I knew we were making a special memory that would be cherished.

This first vacation was brief but one that filled my heart with joy. My son had so many first in that trip and it was the last trip we would ever take with him as an only child.