If you follow me on tiktok, you’ll know I have a huge 2 month trip coming up, which entails a very long 16-17 hour flight to India. So naturally, my mom brain is in fight or flight/over drive mode as I’m trying to do everything I possibly can to prepare my almost 3 year old for our long long journey. I also am very aware that she is only a toddler, there will be some big feelings as she processes everything from the travel to the cultural difference. However, all I can do is reinforce the tools as she learns to adapt to her surroundings. So here is all I’m currently doing to prep her for the journey ahead.
Talk to Her-The easiest and the first thing I am still doing is just talking to her about it. I keep telling her we’ll be going in an airplane for a long long journey where she’ll have a nice sleep and eat food and have a lot of fun-basically ensuring positive affirmations and thoughts so we all stay pleasant. I’ve always found that talking her allows her to have an idea of what to expect and not be caught off guard with so many new things happening all at once. We’re even talking about the blankets and toys she wants to take on the plane so she is better prepared.
Ride-On Suitcase-Instead of the stroller, I bought her this ride-on suitcase for the journey. I saw many options, but since we’ll be on an overnight flight, I chose this one, which comes with its own mattress. So here is what she can do with the suitcase: she can ride it, use it as a foot rest, and decorate it with stickers: I sincerely hope that keeps her occupied for a good chunk of the flight.
All the Activities-It’s a long journey so I will be stocking up on all the activities I can: from water books to stickers to busy books to drawing boards to blue tape-basically everything I can get my hands on to occupy her through the journey. Come back to this space to see what actually works!
All the Snacks-So whenever my daughter goes out to a restaurant with my husband and me, she loves to participate in the restaurant activities and eat something off the menu, drink water for the restaurant cup, etc. Following that mindset, we’ve opted for a kids meal for the flight, which hopefully she enjoys. Yet, I will be stocking up on all the possible snacks that I can-sticking to dry, non messy, calorie dense options. As I type this, I haven’t gotten to the snacks phase yet, but I will come back to tell you what works!
Downloading Videos-And finally, no rules for screen time apply here. I intend on downloading all the videos and movies I possibly can on my phone as a last resort to ensure a smooth journey. I even bought this phone stand to keep the phone from falling in the flight while she watches the screen. So fingers crossed, between the sleep, activities, snacks, and videos; we’ll have a smooth travel experience. I’ll do an updated post after the travel is done!
This will be my last regular blog post until I get back to the US in May. I will post sporadically-but until the next post, wish me luck!
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