My son Shane is going to be 2 years old in September, and my husband and I have yet to take a family trip somewhere just the three of us. (*Gasp!*) My husband works a lot and has limited vacation time, but that’s pretty much an excuse that I feel comfortable using to justify the fact that I’m scared shitless to go traveling with my son.
More:10 tips for traveling with baby from moms who’ve been there
It turns out I’m not the only mom who feels like this. Here are 20 reasons moms are scared to travel with their toddlers.
1. Side-eye
“The comments and side-eyes from other travelers. I try not to let judgments bother me, but being so confined in an airplane only allows me to do so much to help calm my child and the comments and side-eyes always make me feel pretty incompetent as a mother.” — Abby Dobomeier, 29
2. Track star toddler
“I am scared to travel with my toddler because he runs faster than me. I am pretty sure he will be a track star. Also, I am currently pregnant and slow, so there’s that.” — Aimee Lankford, 37
3. Amtrak bathrooms
“My toddler once shoved a tiny little Elsa doll down the arm rest on the plane where the tray comes out just as we were starting to land. ‘Tray tables to the upright position, please!’ Uh, no. The flight attendant ended up sticking her skinny hand down there to get it out. The horror of what was in that crevice makes me never want to travel again, let alone with a toddler. Oh, and Amtrak bathrooms. Enough said.” — Trisha Danze, 44
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4. Diaper blow-outs
“The smell, changing a twisting toddler in a tiny airplane bathroom, realizing you forgot a spare pair of pants…” — Annalisa Lavoie, 32
5. Car sickness
“My daughter gets super-carsick sometimes. I never know when it will be, but when it happens, it will continue happening until I stop driving. So long car rides are really risky and scary for me, especially if I’m by myself and have to pull over suddenly. I’m hoping it will stop once she’s forward-facing.” — Emily Boehmer, 33
6. Double trouble
“I have twins, so the potential that both of them start screaming in a confined space with no way out is something that terrifies me! Also, I’m that mom, so possible delays that would totally screw up any kind of schedule I have for them is a deal-breaker.” — Wendy Pravda Rosen, 39
7. Fussy eaters
“Because how do you tell the hotel room service that you would like to order three bites of mac and cheese (but only the minion-shaped kind), half of a hot dog, only the cheese off a slice of pizza and strawberry milk (but the kind with the red cap)?” — Arlene Murray, 34
8. Constant chasing
“Scared?!! How about that I have no desire? It’s too much work, and vacation is not relaxing in my mind when you have to chase a little one the entire time.” — Renee Carlisle Abbott, 42
9. Screaming all the time
“I am flying alone with my toddler in a few weeks and she just entered a screaming phase. Screaming all the time. When she’s happy, when she’s mad and any other time she decides to test out her vocal chords. I’m terrified she’s going to scream and everyone is going to judge me for not being able to control her.” — Amy Anderson, 30
10. Packing fails
“What if you [don’t] pack the one thing they cannot arbitrarily live without?” — Courtney Ettel, 29
Next Up: More reasons moms are scared to travel with toddlers
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