Flying with a Teen and a Toddler: My Survival Story
A couple of weeks ago, I took on the challenge of traveling with both my daughters—13-year-old Kai-le and 2-year-old Kamaya—from Orlando to New York City for one of my best friend’s weddings. We had an early morning flight at 6 a.m. Wednesday , returning on Sunday.
Flying with kids at two completely different stages is no small task. On one side, a teenager who just wants to be left alone (and refuses to take pictures). On the other, a toddler who’s still attached to her bottle and doesn’t understand the word sit.
Here’s how it all went down...
The Early Morning Flight to NYC
We left the house just before 4 a.m. Everyone was asleep on the drive to the airport, which made saying goodbye to Dad a little easier. TSA was surprisingly smooth—no more removing shoes—but my bag still got flagged because I had packed a bottle of milk for Maya. (Don’t judge—we’re still working on moving her off the bottle.)
Maya was eager to help push our two suitcases, which was sweet. But once we boarded row 8, reality set in.
At first, she let me buckle her seatbelt, but as soon as the plane started moving, she wanted out. I had convinced myself she’d sleep the whole ride since she’d napped in the car. Nope—she was wide awake, munching on chips, and making all the toddler noises that drive a 13-year-old crazy.
Kai, of course, was annoyed. She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Why can’t she just sit down and listen, Mom?” I shot her the look only moms know—the one that says, “Not helping.”
Eventually, Maya climbed into my lap, tugging at my shirt. So yes, there I was—breastfeeding at 30,000 feet, sweater draped over us, silently praying no one was staring as the flight attendants came by. Thankfully, after about an hour of fussing, Maya finally fell asleep. Victory.
The Return Flight
By Sunday, I thought I had it figured out. We stopped at Dunkin’ for chocolate muffins, and I decided to change Maya’s pull-up before boarding. Thank God I did, because she had a full-on blowout. With only two wipes left, I had to improvise in the airport bathroom: water, soap, napkins, and mom strength.
We rushed to the gate and boarded row 6. From the start, Maya was not having it. She didn’t want her seatbelt, didn’t want to sit on my lap, didn’t want anything. She tried squatting down in front of me, and when I pulled her back up, she screamed loud enough for the whole row to hear.
Kai sat at the window, arms crossed, shaking her head like, “Mom, make her stop.” The flight attendant reminded me Maya had to either be in her seat or on my lap. After a little wrestling and whispered prayers, I managed to hold her, but she was still restless.
When It All Hit the Fan
Just when I thought we were in the clear, I smelled something sour. Then I felt it—my leg was wet. Maya’s leggings were damp, and my caramel latte had spilled during all the commotion.
For a second, I just froze. No wipes. No spare pants in the bag—only sweaters. Seatbelt sign still on.
I took a deep breath, reminded myself, Moms figure it out. Always.
As soon as I could, I wrapped a sweater around Maya’s waist like a skirt, grabbed a pull-up, and rushed to the tiny airplane bathroom. I pulled down the changing table, whispered “Don’t move, Maya”, and repeated the same survival trick I’d used in the airport: water, soap, napkins. I even cleaned my own leg as best as I could.
Back at our seats, Maya finally dozed off—sweater-skirt and all. I just sat there waiting for the plane to land, knowing Dad would be there to pick us up soon.
Mama to Mama 💛
If you’re reading this and dreading your next trip with kids—just know you’re not alone. Things will go wrong. Kids will cry. Coffee will spill. And you might find yourself cleaning with napkins in an airplane bathroom.
But you’ll also get through it, because that’s what we do. We figure it out in the moment, with whatever we have on hand. It’s not perfect, but it’s powerful.
And in the end? You’ll look back and realize you survived, your kids survived, and you even made a memory or two along the way. That’s motherhood in motion.