Thursday, February 10, 2011

flying with kids - pt. 2

Last week I posted about flying with kids.  Thanks for the tips.  I'm proud to report that George passed with flying colors.  I was a little nervous, not so much about George, but my ability to keep him entertained and happy.  There were a few times he asked for "Mama?" in kind of a sad wimper, but overall he was very content and we had a lot of fun.  It was a good bonding experience for me and my son, to spend nearly a full day together going on quite an adventure.  Here are some thoughts about the experience, boiled down into digestible bullets.
  • TSA security is absurd. George had just fallen asleep and they wouldn't let me push him through the metal detector.  I had to get him out, remove his tiny shoes, and in the process wake him up. Infuriating.
  • After getting off the first plane (we had a layover), I had one of George's shoes in the diaper bag and one remained on.  I believe I had up to six people tell me that I was missing a shoe before I made it 100 ft off the plane.  Is there something about a dad with a child that says clueless? Was it the spacey look in my eye? Would people have stopped me if I was a woman? I don't know - but I did think it was interesting.
  • Old ladies are great to sit next to.  Grandmas or grandma wannabes.  They love little boys.  George was so fond of the lady sitting next to us, he began stroking her jacket arm from her shoulder down to her wrist.  It was really sweet.
  • Supplies.  Very important to bring a sippy cup.  I poured George's apple juice into it and let him put the ice cubes in there as well.  He was in hog heaven.  It would've been a disaster to have him try to drink out of their cups.  The can would've been a slight step up in spill security.
  • To the people at United who put me in a middle seat with a child - shame on you!
  • To the 5'2" lady who tried to recline her seat into me - shame on you!  I'm sure it was frustrating that your seat didn't recline (my knees were there).  I'm also sure that you enjoyed George kicking the back of your chair.  I didn't feel the need to stop him.  
  • Had lots of snacks - all the good stuff and felt totally prepared.  Was never hungry.
  • During the layover I let him completely roam wherever he wanted.  I could not have cared less that people had to walk around him.  I think this was good so that he didn't have a surplus of energy getting onto our second flight.
All in all I think the experience was great and I'd do it again for sure.  It was mostly that my wife is doing a great job as the primary raiser of our child, but I'll take a little credit for trying to meet his needs all the while.

Thoughts about flying, people reclining their seat into you, the TSA, dad-inept-stereotypes? Come one come all!

5 comments:

Blythe said...

I'm glad that you had a successful flight. Your note about letting George wander the airport made me flash back to a gleeful 19 month old Finn on a layover in Phoenix, running around the airport shouting "I running! I running!" Yes. Yes he was.

And really? George had to take his shoes off? Like you'd smuggle explosives in your toddler's shoes.

Unknown said...

Rest assured, EVERY time we have the one shoe off, one shoe on scenario (with one in the bag) everyone stops me to tell me. People try to be helpful. Just like when I leave the house and go somewhere public I will hear the words "you have your hands full!" about 50 times an hour. So helpful. :)

David said...

oh, that is a cute image to think about blythe.

taking off kids shoes is totally ludicrous. and why they can't pick up anything dangerous as he was shuttled through the metal detector is so stupid.

that is good to know serena! so they weren't just judging me. i'm going to start telling you all the time, "you have your hands full."

just to remind you.

Blythe said...

Serena, "You've got your hands full!" was my least favorite thing to hear when my kids were little. I felt like I would go in several stores in the mall and hear it in every single store. Which is why I never say it to moms...EVER! I once heard someone else say it to a customer, who replied, "Better full than empty." I was a little envious. I think all I ever managed was a wan smile (while I wondered if they were implying that my children were unruly, which admittedly they sometimes were).

Tio Jefe said...

I got one shoe stopped at the carters outlet last weekend.

"Sorry lady, did you realize you forgot to style the hair on the back of your head?"

Because I see it. Did you see the shoe fall?

No?

"then I think we're done here."