I flew in and out of the state last Sunday to attend my sister’s bris. By myself. Without kids. That’s a vacation in itself, even if I got the middle seat both ways.

3 thoughts on this:

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1. My husband watched the other kids, but I got a babysitter just for the baby. He’s 7 months old, has a schedule and is super easy. Just to physically replace my presence for a few hours to care for one child—after leaving instructions, a packed diaper bag, and labeled bottles and solids—cost over $100.

→ If you had to replace yourself, what would it cost?

Reminder: the stuff you do all day that nobody notices (except when it’s not done) is work. It has value, even if you’re not paid for it.

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2. Between exclusively nursing and not wanting to leave my babies overnight, I've never traveled without kids. My newborns have accompanied me on planes and cars, to weddings and even a funeral. A getaway with my husband included the 10-month old. I skipped a girls’ trip with my sisters-in-law because my baby then was 14 months old and still nursing: too old to shlep around, too young to wean by leaving behind.

These are my choices, but I still feel pretty tied down. This opportunity to leave for just one day (5am-10pm but whatever) at a stage that worked for my baby (nursing less frequently, accepting solids, not yet mobile enough to refuse the stroller) was like a little pocket of time that I grabbed.

→ If you feel stuck in your current stage, know that it won’t last forever.

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3. If you come to the airport half an hour before your flight… you will miss it.

→ PSA: check in—even for domestic, with TSA pre and no luggage—is now 45 minutes before a flight. Who knew? (Not me, clearly)

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ps - if you want the manual your baby should have come with, I have a course geared for ages 0-3 that is packed with everything a mother (first or fifth time) should know. You can check that out here. For one-on-one help, I have limited coaching spots available - hit reply if you're interested.