Like a lot of other moms and wives out there, I have a husband who travels quite frequently for work. Every once in a while, the kids and I will join him. The one negative in these tag-along-with-dad trips is that I am, for all intents and purposes, a single parent.
Being the lone parent on a trip typically doesn’t bother me, but when I took my two boys on their first trip to New York City, I learned a lot more about traveling with kids than I ever expected.
Things I should have known before leaving home:
1. One small piece of rolling luggage and a child-sized backpack is physically impossible for a seven-year-old to handle from the train station to the hotel without endless whining and complaining. Without Dad there to treat as a pack-mule, hauling all of our luggage around was a struggle. Packing one backpack each would have kept me from feeling like a side-show as we schlepped down the city streets.
2. Knowing which direction avenues and streets run will come in very handy. This will save a lot time, and keep the kids from screaming, “We’ve already seen THIS side!” as you circle Saint Patricks Cathedral for the third time while trying to figure out which street leads to Central Park. Keeping track of the kids while trying to read a map or phone isn’t easy; acquaint yourself with the street layout before leaving home.
3. Kids do not actually walk when the crosswalk signals that it is safe to do so. A child’s eyes will be on the surrounding buildings, or the man next you wearing headphones and singing a Rihanna song, they will NOT be on the crosswalk sign. Without that second set of eyes to keep track of everyone, you will eventually find yourself on the other side of the street from your child. The same child you JUST told to, “Stay close—and PAY ATTENTION.”
4. No matter how badly you want to warn your kids of the dangers lurking in a large city, do not overdo it. This will lead to a fear-induced state whenever they come across anyone who tries to interact with them. This includes waiters, coffee baristas, and even family members you’re having dinner with. A few safety tips will do, anything beyond that will lead to an embarrassing level of social awkwardness.
5. If you value personal hygiene – take a break. A mid-day break will keep the kids (and you) fresh and excited. (Sugar will also provide a short-term boost, but beware of the crash that follows.) New York requires a lot of walking, and as soon as I would stop to check a map or my phone, the kids immediately leaned on a public trash can or sat down on the sidewalk. Hand sanitizer was our friend—I think we went through three bottles.
6. No matter how horrible you think Times Square is, the kids will LOVE it, and want to stay there ALL NIGHT LONG. Having a plan of escape is crucial—I bribed my children with dessert.
7. Expect to gain a whole new appreciation for the city. Seeing New York through a child’s eyes is fascinating. My boys were enraptured with sights and sounds that I hadn’t noticed—while I was interested in vintage shops and patisseries, my boys were watching a young man play the drums on a five-gallon pail and counting the number of foreign languages they overheard.
I’m hopeful that remembering these tips the next time we head to NYC will make the trip a tad easier, but maybe we’ll just invite Dad to skip work and tag along with us instead.
