TimothyTiah.com

How traveling with two kids is like

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I’m in Sydney this week for our upcoming IPO on the 6th of July. When we thought of bringing the kids for this trip, all our friends told us not to do it. So I decided that maybe it’s best to bring just one. Shorty on the other hand insisted on bringing two so fine we decided to go against all conventional wisdom and give it a shot.

This is how it went.

At the airport

It’s just Shorty and me to carry 3 big suitcases, 1 baby bag, 1 stroller, 1 backpack and two babies. Fighter insists on being carried the entire time so if you do the math we are one hand short of pushing the luggage. Almost as if he’s having fun making it more challenging for us, Fighter refuses to sit on a bag or a troller as we push it.

The result is that our entourage of luggage, kids and two adults moves across the airport at turtle speed.

On the plane

Fighter. You sit with Daddy and Penny sit with Mommy ok. Ok good. No… stop struggling. No you cannot go to Mommy, Mommy is already sitting with Penny! No ! Stop it.

Put on this belt Fighter. No I cannot take off this belt. It’s a safety requirement. Stop it Fighter. Fighter you cannot cry the belt off!

In the middle of the night.

Dammit Fighter stop kicking. I realize this seat is smaller than the bed you’re used to. Ok go to sleep Fighter… ok good.. ok good.

Okay I’m falling asleep… falling asleep… AHH WHO’S CRYING.. AH PENNY!

During meal time on the plane

FIghter eat this. No don’t spit it out! Eat properly.

Fighter if you don’t eat this there’s going to be nothing else for you to eat until we land.  Fine… be that way.

 When we are going outdoor in Sydney for the first time

Fighter it’s cold outside so put this jacket on. Put it on Fighter stop running away. No come here. Put it on. Stop fighting it. Fighter you have to put it on or you’re going to catch a cold!!

It takes two of us to wrestle Fighter down and make him wear his jacket.

At Dinner

Penny is asleep. We put Fighter in his baby chair as usual but this time he struggles and screams. He refuses to go in there. We turn on Peppa Pig on his iPad and put it right in front of the baby chair so he’ll have to get in there to watch. He refuses. He prefers to stand while watching Peppa Pig from below rather than sit in the baby chair that locks him down.

We try to force him in but he screams and cries. Penny gets a shock and wakes up. Now we have to deal with two crying babies.

Walking around the City

This part is fine. Or would be fine if I had the biceps of The Rock. Fighter refuses to walk or put his feet on Australian soil. He insists that I carry him the whole time which is fine for like 2 minutes but gets painful when I’m walking more than 10 minutes.

Penny on the other hand is a charm. She sleeps comfortably with Shorty in her baby carrier.

It’s only been about two days that we’ve been on this trip and already we’re thinking of cutting it short. Abort mission! Abort mission!

So the next time somebody tells you not to bring kids on a long trip. Do what we didn’t do. Listen to them.

On the bright side though. While it’s difficult bringing our two kids on a trip I feel like for the first time we’ve really really bonded with them. Being forced to be with them the entire time from day to night and day again has drawn us all closer together.

So perhaps don’t think of a trip together as a relaxing trip. Think of it as a bonding trip.


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