I have officially conquered one of my parenting fears... traveling alone with children. Recently I traveled out of town by myself with both of my children and our old dog Maggie. As I kissed my husband goodbye I whispered to him that I was feeling a little bit nervous. What if something went wrong? What if the baby cried the whole way? I'm a natural worry wart, so I have a need to go through about two dozen 'what if' scenarios before doing something new. A treat my husband really enjoys.
My biggest obstacle wasn't the driving but the ferry ride over from Vancouver to Victoria. I've done this trip many times alone with Ben and, at the time, even that felt like enough work. Which did not pump up my confidence to go with the baby and the old dog.
This time I packed a few treats in my bag along with my sling and seriously just hoped for the best. It wasn't until we were parked on the ferry when I realized I was desperate for a trip to the ladies room. Looking around the car at my travel companions, I didn't feel much enthusiasm to leave the car deck and head upstairs. I was trying to figure out how to work this one alone.
Leave the dog. Crack the window.
Sling the baby. Leave the stroller.
Bribe older child with treats. Don't feel guilty about bribing.
We were only a small gong show in the ladies bathroom. I even managed to grab a hot coffee and juggle it all while slinging a baby who was over tired and crying and a little boy who kept laying down on the floor out of protest.
After that brief excursion we promptly returned back to the safety of our car and had a car party for the rest of the ferry ride over. I felt quite satisfied knowing I could wrangle this little parenting situation on my own.
8 comments:
Awesome parenting accomplishment.
April 3, 2012 at 10:12 PMI remember the first time I took my kids on a road trip on my own. Sarah was 3 and Jack was 1. I drove to Vernon to my parents house. I was nervous about the drive. I remember that going to the washroom with the two of them was also a challenge.
Now I look at people who fly with 2 kids on their own and I think that is another great accomplishment.
Done and done! There's nothing like success to drive your confidence up, up, up! YAY for you and your wee people (and dog) team! ; )
April 3, 2012 at 10:24 PMHurray! Parenting victories are always a feel good moment, even if bribes are involved. ;o) I could be totally off in Yonkers on the bribe thing but in some sort of wacky way it might teach a bit of give and take. ??? You were probably smart to stick in the car as long as Ben is satisfied with what he had to do while passing the time.
April 4, 2012 at 9:43 AMHope your celebrations in Victoria were lots of fun, it was neat to see a picture of your parents so long ago, they still looks so much the same!
High Five Andrea!!! Well done! It's so nice when you can achieve something you deemed impossible. This is the joy of living!
April 4, 2012 at 10:20 AMI'm due with #2 next month and am already wearing my worry wart pants about these kind of situations! Glad to know it's doable!
April 4, 2012 at 6:14 PMSO true isn't it! The things that make us filled with stress often reap a lot of the rewards.
April 4, 2012 at 7:48 PMYes! Their 40th wedding anniversary was definitely a good reason to attempt this trip. Husband flew over on the float plane the day of the party. I think he got off easy ;)
April 4, 2012 at 7:48 PMJ'ai acheté des sacs à main de négocier riche de ces années, je abrégé que, bien que Accoutrements Bargain n'absorbent pas l'argent si abondante, mais elle offre une meilleure problème, ils sont sur le point maladroite pour faire avancer les trois mois. Enfin, je d'acheter Sac Louis Vuitton à main, mais il est cher, mais de fabrication précises, et l'activité acceptable peut amuser que vous désirez.
August 8, 2012 at 8:22 PMc v
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