Last week I had the joy of dealing with our domestic airports with a busy toddler in tow.
I know – lucky I only have one child to deal with! “Easy” you say! And I must admit that the flight to Brisbane was a breeze. It was one of those days that everything just went right. No delay meant no boredom at the terminal, and a window seat with no one in front meant my darling daughter didn’t subject another passenger to an hour and a half of seat kicking and bumping!
I also had plenty of games to fill in the time & it helped that along with the myriad of snacks I packed, Qantas served lunch, so that took up about 15 minutes of time too. All in all, a good result, with no demands of getting up & exploring!
Coming back to Sydney was another story! Brisbane traffic held us up, automated check-in not so easy when trying to manage more luggage and a tired 3-year old, and me stressed from being late. Then we managed to spill banana smoothie all down our fronts as my travelling companion simply HAD to have one before we got on the plane. With no change of clothes, our fellow passengers had the joy of smelling banana & milk all the way to Sydney. Lovely.
Add to all that, it was an afternoon flight so tiredness and irritability set in, and games didn’t cut it. She just wanted to get out of her seat and go talking to other passengers. Oh – did I mention that I am suffering from all day morning sickness so all I wanted to do was sip ginger ale and curl up in a ball to sleep. No chance!
Anyway, as far as flights go with kids, it wasn’t so bad. On flights, I always look at the parents of newborns with pity, especially when the plane descends and the baby wails from the pressure on their little ears. I used to be one of those people who would roll their eyes and sanctimoniously moan to whoever was next to me “great – we get the wailing child!” Well, now I know!
See our recent article on Tips for Flying with Children.
About the Author: Ilka Brookes lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband, daughter Jemima and Labrador-X-Ridgeback, Murphy. Ilka’s travel can be defined in two phases so far – pre-family and post-family. In the “Pre” phase, she lived, worked & travelled extensively through the UK & NZ. “Post” phase travel has largely consisted of anywhere near Sydney that you can get to by car! Ilka is looking forward to whatever the next phase is… hopefully involving a passport!
