Last week Mary Virginia and I flew to Salt Lake City, UT to visit my best friend and her family. I couldn’t wait. It had been months since I had seen her and almost a year since I had seen her little girls.
I was focused on preparing perfectly for the trip. I made a packing list, laid out everything 3 days before we left, and reviewed that list at least 3 times as I placed everything in our suitcase. My diaper bag was full of toys, wipes, 2 outfits, and of course plenty of diapers.
I strolled through the airport with Mary Virginia strapped to me like mom of the year. We eased onto the plane and settled in for the flight. Mary Virginia was content and happy. My plan was to nurse her to sleep as the plane took off so I would have at least an hour of quiet then entertain her with the toys I brought. I had it all together.
I bet you can guess what happened next.
Delay. Not just a minor delay, but a huge hour and a half delay sitting on the plane not moving. At first it was minor technical issues that turned into a major miscommunication fiasco. My perfect plan went out the window and smashed onto the runway (since we were obviously not close to being in the air at that point). Needless to say, Mary Virginia napped for about 20 minutes and was ready to play, yet we hadn’t left the airport and still had a 4 hour flight ahead of us. I was sweating bullets.
During our extended 5 1/2 hour flight, I pulled out every toy I brought. I gave her cups, straws, magazines. I walked up and down the aisle with her. We talked with other mothers, stewardesses, and anyone who remotely looked our way. I gave her baby puffs to eat so she could entertain herself by picking up one at a time. I even tried watching cartoons (something I haven't done up to this point), but she had no interest in the TV (I know its coming though!). You name it, I tried it.
With an hour left to go, I pulled out some celery and carrot sticks I packed for myself in a to go cup from the Delta Sky Club. I thought, “maybe she can gnaw on these to pass a little time.” Bingo! This was my answer. She was thoroughly entertained and content eating away at these green and orange sticks of healthful food for the rest of the flight. I was kicking myself to not have thought of it earlier, especially since I am always recommending to clients to travel with healthy snacks, especially if there are delays. My daughter is no different than my adult clients, we all need nourishing foods to help us have sustained energy during long travel days.
My new tip for moms who are traveling with their babies is an old tip I share with clients who are busy travelers: pack at least 2 healthful snacks that will satisfy your hunger and supply you with sustaining energy. Here is a list of a few ideas:
*Tip: I saw plenty of these to go options in food stands throughout the airport if you want to just pick it up while heading to the gate.
What are your go to travel snacks? Would love to hear so I can be even better prepared for my next long trip with the family!
- A protein bar (RX bar is an awesome option as it has a good amount of protein from natural, whole food ingredients)
- A Ziplock bag of trail mix -raisins, peanuts, almonds, and a few chocolate chips does the trick! (this is more for adults and children who are able to chew nuts, though Mary Virginia has enjoyed a few raisins lately)
- Jerky -any type - Epic is a great brand (again, more of an adult snack, but could be great for toddlers when given to in small pieces)