7 Tips For Traveling With A Toddler (Or Two) To Hawaii
26 November 2019
PC: Seeing Double
Traveling with toddlers is like being on a party bus and you’re the only one who isn’t hammered.
PC: Seeing Double
I’m going to make this list simple to remember. Just remember the word COCONUT. That’s the acronym (or is it called an acrostic? ) we are using here. And, side note, the coconut bra is not an authentic Hawaiian item. Aloha!
Car seats. Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seats that is. Get those. All of our parent friends had these and raved about them. We took their advice and were very happy we did. They are super lightweight and perfect for travel. And the twins slept better in those on the plane, as well. Also, we used the J.L. Childress Travel Bag for Car Seats. The straps made it a breeze to carry, plus there was lots of extra storage space.
Over pack (for the kids). Bring double the necessities. Tons of snacks. Extra clothes for flight. And lots of distractions. We were lucky, because the boys’ auntie is selfless. Like enlisting to go to the front to fight a senseless war, she opted to fly with the four of us. Instead of having to play man-to-man for five and a half straight hours each way, we were able to run zone. Auntie brought one entire carry on full of stuff just for the kids, and then surprised them with toys and activities throughout the trip. (That’s her pictured above. She’s bad a—. The boys won the auntie lotto.) And yes, we also brought electronics. When your toddler is screaming at 35,000 feet, more screen time starts to make a lot of sense. Here are just a few of the cool things the auntie surprised the boys with on the plane and at the hotel.
Original Gertie Ball , Beach Sticker Activity Book , Colorforms Take Along Paw Patrol , Colorforms Picture Panels Play Set- Vehicles, BETTERLINE 20-Piece Story Time Finger Puppets Set - Cloth Velvet Puppets , Caydo 500 Pieces Chenille Stems Pipe Cleaners 6 mm x 12 Inch for DIY Art Craft, Colorforms - House Picture Panels Play Set, Spin Master AquaDoodle Travel Doodle Mat , Colorforms Classics Lucy’s Winter Carnival , Small World Toys Gertie Ball - Magic Color-Changing, Munchkin Caterpillar Spillers Stacking and Straining Cups Bath Toy, Melissa & Doug Vehicles Reusable Sticker Pad
Can you imagine having anything 30 lbs-ish -- a toddler or a puppy or 100 baseballs or a half a bale of hay or 45 sandwiches — on your lap for the entire flight? I can’t either. Buy your kids their own seats. Trust me. Don’t try to be a hero.
One, two, three, check check… a few tips for checking in for your flight. Keep one large gallon-size Ziploc with all of your baby’s food and liquids at the top of the bag so it can easily be handed to TSA. Pre-boarding is a smart move. As a matter of fact, get to the gate early, have a glass of wine, and watch your kids run around burning off energy before it’s time to board. Yes, pre-boarding means more time on the aircraft, but it takes some time to get situated and to figure out best seating arrangements. Take that extra time to set up your defense against the coming toddler resistance forces. Oh, and gate check the stroller. Put a diaper, a sippy, and a toy or two in the seat back pouch so you are ready to rock-n-roll. And have a bottle or sippy or pacifier or EarPlanes or crackers to chew on in case your baby has ear pain from pressure change during take off and landing. Oh, and breathe. Godspeed!
Ninini (“pour” in Hawaiian) yourself a drink, you made it to the island. This isn’t going to be like any pre-kids vacation you’ve been on, so set expectations accordingly. For example, I recall fondly a Cabo trip where much of my exercise regime was walking through the pool giving Jenn a piggyback ride to the swim-up bar to order lemon drop shots. This isn’t that trip. This is really important, especially for the men, because they (me) tend to b—— and complain a lot more about how it “should” be. Men will get all nostalgic and start sh——— all over the vacation. The first step is acceptance. I actually created a vision for the trip before we left. Not typically how I roll, but I really created it in my mind -- how the flight would go, how the time on the island would be, etc. Creating a clear vision allowed me to step into it and realize it. You can have a peaceful and relaxing and love-filled trip, but you will still be tired. One of our boys can’t sit still so typically by 10am most island mornings my Fitbit showed that I’d already walked 5 miles.
Understandably, everyone will be tired day one. Suck it up. No naps. We kept our boys up that first day until their normal bedtime. They were exhausted a—holes from late afternoon on and completely ruined our first Hawaiian sunset, but they were on Hawaii time the next day. I’ll trade that crappy sunset for not having to get up at 3am any day of the week. Also, what we’d do for their daily nap times is drive to a store like Target (with kids, you always need more supplies) and while their Mom shopped the boys would sleep in the car and I’d knock out a bit of work (watched YouTube videos of dogs imitating sirens ) on my phone.
Try to relax. You are on vacation. Really watch as your kids splash in the pool and laugh at the beach. Our kids were in awe of everything, from the mongoose running across the lawn to the hula dancers and the shave ice. See it through their eyes. It’s magical. Well, except when their dad (me) tried to save a centipede that was on the sidewalk. Apparently, as a local told me just as I was about to pick it up, it is poisonous. I wouldn’t have died, but pain, redness, and swelling would have been immediate and could have lasted for days. Anyway, back to the magic. It was after the kids were asleep one night when I saw on Facebook that my close friend was staying with his family at the Aulani Disney Resort just a short distance from our hotel. Thirty minutes later, two beat-down tired dads were toasting a couple of vodka sodas and trying to stay awake in a hot tub at the Aulani. The randomness of it all was brilliant.
Enjoy the adventure and pat yourself on the back for giving your kids these experiences. Because as we all know now, it ain’t about us no more. Aloha!
PC: hmmunoz512
