Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.

“I thought for sure that was going to be a nightmare,” I told my wife as we exited the plane in Minneapolis with a peaceful, sleeping baby. Over the weekend we took our first big trip as a family of three, flying with our 4-month-old daughter to Michigan to celebrate my sister-in-law’s graduation from seminary. It was a riveting trip filled with many opportunities for disaster, which we narrowly avoid each and every time.

I’ve heard it said that the person who feels the worst about a screaming baby is the parent. Sure, the screaming little girl in the back of the plane is bothering the first class patrons 30 rows ahead, but that helpless parent is likely feeling pretty crummy about the whole situation. Baby Gracelyn fell asleep on our takeoff to Michigan, meaning our first flight was easy. Sleeping babies (at least mine) don’t cry. Our return flight was much more precarious, as Gracelyn was waking up from her nap as we boarded. As we arrived at our seats in the very back of the plane, our precious daughter let out the loudest, highest pitch scream I have ever heard her utter. We were about to become “those parents” who can’t control their child. The ones who awkwardly look at everyone else while the screaming echoes through the aircraft because there’s nothing they can do to stop it. Except, just as sudden as the scream surfaced, it disappeared. Simply lifting our daughter high enough to see the incoming passengers stow their carry-on bags in the overhead bins and take their seats was enough to appease her. A cheeky grin even appeared once or twice as she people-watched.

With our Michigan trip in the books as a success, I thought you may benefit from some travel tips we learned both in preparation for our trip and as we experienced it first hand. Hopefully you have a summer trip just around the corner.

 

Have snacks available

Eating is pretty important, and nobody (me) likes stopping once you’ve begun traveling. Pack something that’ll keep you nourished when you just don’t want to stop or something to distract you when you’ve been forced to stop. Both scenarios have happened to us over the weekend. Did we want to stop the car if our daughter is finally asleep? Nope. Grab a snack. Is it taking forever for us to board this plane? Yep. Grab a snack. No one ever regrets a snack.

 

Plan for a worst-case
scenario

What is the one thing you really want to make sure doesn’t happen? What can you do to prevent that? Plane-screaming was toward the top of our list, so we booked our tickets on a plane that typically matched up with Gracelyn’s sleep schedule. If you prepare for your worst-case scenario, the other things that inevitably go wrong on a vacation won’t seem so bad.

 

Consult travel gurus

Sera and I have both flown multiple times, but never with an infant. We both spent a good chunk of time researching what would make our trip smooth. Did you know it’s easier to go through airport security if you’re wearing the baby? It is. Were you aware that you can bring medical devices on the plane, and it probably won’t count as your carry-on bag? What a great surprise. There are conveniences available if you seek them out. Use the Internet to your advantage as you plan.

 

Be nice to other travelers

Is anyone a better version of themselves when they’re stressed? Probably not. When people travel, they naturally become overwhelmed. We’re walking at a fast pace (often for no reason), carrying heavy bags and prioritizing our needs above everyone else’s. That’s no way to live. Extend kindness to strangers who might be struggling. As we waited for our plane to finish boarding, Sera caught some strange man snapping a photo of Gracelyn. I’m sure he was posting something on Facebook about being stuck next to a baby on the plane, and that’s a pretty jerkface thing to do. Don’t be that guy.

On our trips to escape our everyday lives this summer, I’m going to try to embrace the journey more instead of solely the destination. There’s a lot of work that goes into a seamless travel scenario, and I think we should all take a few moments to celebrate when travel plans don’t go awry. Travel doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you’re well prepared (and your baby decides to cooperate).