One Secret to a Working Mom's Success: Keep Standing

Me, standing in Barbados Those of us who live our lives out loud on the internet subject ourselves to scrutiny. Some comment, "Nobody's life is perfect. These posts must be fake," Those making those comments might even be close to us because they "know our business" and they whisper and gossip and say, "she's so fake".  To those who may read my blog and make such comments, (the trolls) know that I hear you, see you, and completely disagree. 

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: A Toddler, an Airplane and a Dirty Diaper

  
What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all." Benjamin Spock
 
Our trip to Parents Palooza in Atlanta began and ended on a plane. Our toddler is a perfect angel so long as she isn't being told "no" and she's not being confined. So, in some respects, putting her in a confining space like an airplane seat is the equivalent of cruel and unusual punishment.
 
So, we bribed her with snacks, iPad games and toys on the plane. For the most part, the bribery worked. However, on the way to Atlanta she had problems with her ears and she cried on the descent. Those were the only tears on the entire flight though and they were somewhat subdued. I got off of the plane feeling like a rock star mom. And I was confident that the trip back would go just as well.
 
Clearly, I forgot the first lesson of motherhood, "enjoy the good times, but take nothing for granted..."
 
On the way back, we had a similar experience. She was entertained by the same games and toys. We also had reinforcements. Andre bought her pizza in Hartsfield Airport. So, eating pizza took up the initial part of the trip. I think it helped distract her from her ears too. Also, I bought her a stuffed monkey in Atlanta and her daddy "made it talk". The talking monkey made her laugh. It made her laugh so hard that she made a poopy. (The poopy may also have been a result of all of the raisins she ate before we got on the plane too!)
 

Traveling on an Airplane With a Toddler Who Has a Dirty Diaper is Inconvenient! 

 
Babies can poop at inconvient times and being on an airplane with time to go is one of them!
 

 
I had a decision to make. I could ride it out--finish the trip with the toddler in a dirty diaper or change her on the plane. Each option had a down side. Ultimately, I decided to leave her in the diaper until we landed because I couldn’t figure out how to change her diaper safely.
 
Changing her on the plane was problematic because airplane bathrooms are cesspools of nastiness.  According to the Today Show all sorts of germs and bacteria reside in there. They are also small and cramped. With the germs and the bathroom size, I didn’t think that any good could come from trying to change my squirmy toddler—who likes to touch everything and then put her hands in her mouth--in the airplane bathroom.
 
I hoped that I could conceal her dirty diaper from the other passengers, but I was mistaken. While we were on the plane every once in a while she would exclaim, “poopy!” Normally, I would have been happy about this sign of her development. I hear that when a child realizes that they have a dirty diaper they are really close to becoming potty trained.  However, since we were on a plane I cringed.  I knew that her exclamations had notified the other passengers ofthe source of the bad smell that I was beginning to notice. I think that I caught some dirty looks…
 
I think that I made the right decision, but I am curious.  What do you think that parents should do when kids get dirty diapers on planes?  Is there some magic deodorizer that you can keep for situations like this??? This woman actually got kicked off a bus because his diaper smelled so bad. All I know is that it’s a good thing that option doesn’t exist for planes!
 
My sister, me and the toddler at the Hartsfield Airport.


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Comments

I remember the days of flying with a toddler. No matter what you do or don't do...you question yourself.
Just roll with it!
vicky said…
Flying or generally travelling with little kids is always an adventure, isn't it? I'm not sure, but if it would be a long flight I would have probably tried to change her diaper right there at the seat (somehow), otherwise I would have waited landing.
Vicki, I wanted to do that, but Andre objected. He said that would be "wrong". Men...
Bicultural Mama said…
So cute your daughter was advertising to everyone, "Poopy!" Yeah, it's hard to travel on a plane with young kids. Really hard!