How to Fly Solo with a Toddler Under Two

Recently, I won the lottery to see the Synchronous Fireflies display in Rocky Fork State Park in Tennesee. I had been applying to this one and the one in Rocky Mountain State Park for years and I finally won! Unfortunately, my husband was out of town in Europe the week the event would occur and no one else in my family was able to go with me. So I decided to venture out on my own with my toddler – a thought that honestly gave me a sick feeling that I tried to quell with preparations. I had recently traveled with our toddler and my husband on an eight-hour flight to Europe, and it was pretty tough, so, while the flight was shorter to Tennesee, it still felt like a daunting task that lay ahead of me all in the name of fireflies. And honestly, it wasn’t really as bad as I thought it would be. But if you’re planning on going through the same scenario with your little one, here are some tips that I used that I felt like made the trip not as terrible as it could’ve been.

• Book a seat in the back of the flight – this works best with point number two because if you get on the flight early before everyone else, even if someone is sitting beside you, they likely won’t be on the flight for a bit as the back of the plane is usually filled up last and thus you and your baby have plenty of time to stretch out and play around on the seats and get situated with room.
• Get on first with special assistance boarding – I thought that we could only go on family boarding, but if you’re traveling solo with a baby, you can get on the flight before everyone else during the special assistance boarding part of the flight. This is helpful because you can take your time and get situated and not have to rush or squeeze past people as much. Also, see point number one. 
• Book a window seat (or aisle seat if longer flight). I, unfortunately, did not think of this. I thought that booking an aisle seat would be good just in case so I wouldn’t have to squeeze past people if needing to change the baby’s diapers multiple times. But I learned that the baby actually really liked looking out the window and was entertained by that for quite a bit. 
• Pack light. Or at least, pack what you can push and drag with two hands. I brought my backpack, the stroller, and a small carry-on. Not having to check luggage was very helpful. Packing light also prevented additional weight to drag with a heavy suitcase. 
• Bring multiple ways to carry baby. I brought my car seat stroller combo and my baby carrier. You might want a carrier in which you can switch up positions as well (i.e. front-facing, on your back, etc.)
• New toys. And multiple toys. Right before the trip, I went to the dollar tree and got him a small new toy, a doctor’s kit. It helped keep him entertained and didn’t cost an arm and a leg.
• Bring snacks. Something your toddler already likes and maybe something new.  
• Try to get the energy out during layovers/before a flight. Lounges, mamava lactation pods, minute stays (available with priority pass cards) also are great options to hide away from the hustle and bustle of the airport.
• Be prepared. Roll through scenarios of what could happen in your mind. Maybe this is just me overthinking things, but I felt like it really helped to not freak out when the unexpected happened because I went through what could happen in my head and how I should handle it. Although we almost hit a bear on the highway – and I didn’t think of what to do in that scenario so good thing I managed to swerve in time.
• Don’t push it. Your baby is going to need to eat and is going to need to take breaks and naps. This was something I had to remind myself because my tolerance for roughing it is of course much higher than my toddler. I had wanted to maybe fit in one more hike before going on our flight the next day, but I realized that letting my toddler sleep more was probably the best scenario for both of us. No one wanted some even more cranky couple of people.
• Know lots of nursery rhymes. On the drive to the airport, which was about an hour and a half, I about lost my voice singing nursery rhymes as that was the only thing that would calm him down until he fell asleep. Also, I used nursery rhymes on a Spotify playlist, but that wasn’t as effective. Still, it was a good option to give my throat a break. 
• Have TSA Precheck or Clear. A lot of credit cards will usually cover the fees, so then it ends up being free. Waiting in a long line with a baby is tough. Make it easier with TSA Precheck or Clear to zoom through the lines the fastest that you can.
• Remember it won’t be as bad as you think it’ll be. People are very willing to help it turns out. I had helping hands wherever I went. The TSA workers helped me through the TSA lines. Lots of people in the lines offered to help me with my luggage. The people sitting next to me sang songs or made silly faces to distract my toddler. People at the event I went to offered me their chairs. And so on and so on. It really reignited my faith in the kindness of others and I was very grateful to have their help when they offered.