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Mar
31
Let’s take a break from the school-musings to talk about a different subject, because once again I could use some advice. A PR company has invited both Riley and I on a complimentary trip to DC in order to participate in a corporate-sponsored event promoting the “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” movie. The event includes flying out to DC, touring the Smithsonian Air and Space museum at night, and probably some other festivities along the way. The tour lasts about an hour and the event ends at 12:30 AM.
So here’s my question: would you go for it? I mean, there’s the whole flying-across-the-country-with-a-preschooler thing, the late night aspect of the event, and the fact that while he’s not nearly as uncontrollable as SOME of my children (I AM LOOKING AT YOU DYLAN) he has definitely mastered the art of triggering Spontaneous Parental Brainstem Combustion via Turbo-Whine (see also: the “Why” Factor).
He might think flying in a plane is awesome, he might lose his shit. He might love the museum beyond all reason, he might lose his shit. He might really enjoy staying in a hotel and hanging out with just Mom for a while, he might . . . you get the idea.
Book it and hope for the best, or hope we get another invite a few years down the road?
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I say go for it because it could turn out awesome. And if he DOES lose his shit then go back to the hotel and chill. That in and of itself might blow his mind. Plus it’s not for a week or anything so you’re not stuck there if he freaks.
Sounds like a really cool opportunity!
Go for it. My wife would avoid everything for the fear of our daughter being uncontrollable. Funny thing is it rarely happens. I think it’s worth the risk. Memories last forever.
Do it! He might lose his shit, but probably not for the whole time (?) and it could be a good chance for you two to spend some time doing “older kid” stuff together. Also, like another commenter said, it’s not like it’s for a week or anything, so the suckage factor is at least kept to a minimum. Also – it could totally be a great experience for both of you!
I have no children, so probably take the advice of Samantha and Justin.
I will say my first thought was–”Isn’t he a little young?”
i say go for it. it sounds like an awesome opportunity for the both of you. you just need to work it up a little bit. do a countdown chain, pretend youre flying in the plane together. buy a special outfit, snacks and toys for the plane and the museum. hes at the perfect age where he likes to play and has an incredible immagination so run with it. also, consider the time difference. 12:30am doesnt seem quite so scary if you keep him on west coast time. and if he does flip his shit, you go back to the hotel and call it a day.
i say go for it!
Do it! Do it! Do it! Odds are that you will both have a GREAT time!
Do it! A free trip, a fun experience, time alone with mom and a slight chance of losing his shit? Worth the risk, I say.
Do it!
Even if he is passed out in a stroller at 12:30 am and even if he loses his sh1t before he passes out and there is momentary parental humiliation, my bet is that the great majority of the trip will be awesome and he’ll be talking excitedly in only the way a 3-yr-old can for AGES after you get back. Go for it!
I took a five year old to the Air and Space Museum about twenty years ago and she doesn’t remember it. I went again a couple of years ago and it takes at least a day to see the whole thing so I don’t know what you can see in an hour. There are enough ’shiny’ things to keep him entertained for an hour. Good luck with the plane thing! I’m not sure if I would go or not. Very compressed time frame to enjoy what the city has to offer.
Go for it!
i would totally do it. i mean, yes, on the one hand he may lose his shit. but on the otherhand, if he DOESN’T lose his shit, what an awesome experience for you both!! (also, if he does lose his shit, you’ll know for any future “adventures” to Just Say No.)
DOOOOO EEEET!
I say go for it, too! Deannagabriel has a good point about the time difference.
Forgot to mention that it takes a three year old about a half and hour to figure out he owns you on a plane. ;-)
I am childless, so my advice may not be worth as much, but I say go for it. Chances are it will be a great experience…and I also selfishly suspect that if Riley loses his shit there will be something entertaining here for me to read about after : )
I say book it. You’ll most likely remember it fondly regardless. And he will too.
You’re going to have a great time, and you’ll both always remember a special trip with just the two of you. (Even if he has to do it with the help of pictures.) My husband took our oldest on a flight to KC from Denver when he was 2-1/2, they picked up a vehicle from work and road-tripped back…pull-ups and all. The kid still remembers room service and the hotel pool and my husband says it was one of the best trips of his life. GO! GO! GO!
Do it! What a cool opportinity that might not come again? Plus some nice just the two of you time doesn’t hurt – plus FREE!!
As a man who used to be a smaller man, or a boy as some people like to call them, I say you can not pass up a chance to go to the Air and Space museum. Both planes and space ships are the coolest fucking things to ever exist, and I have been to the museum as a teen and absolutely loved it. I say do it. Worst case scenario, you have a free trip to DC that isn’t the coolest trip you’ve ever been on. Even if Riley acts up it will still be cool. But best case scenario, Riley has his mind absolutely blown by the whole thing, falls in love (in an appropriate way) with his darling mother and takes care of her for the rest of her life, and is inspired to become a space explorer and pilot at the same time, building an aerospace empire and revolutionizing human transportation as we know it. They could name a holiday after him one day. Hell, you might even have the next Jean Luc Picard on your hands. And all thanks to the Smithsonian. Do you really want to give all that up just because you’re apprehensive about a trip with a young’in? Would you leave the final frontier unexplored? Would you deny mankind the chance to seek out new worlds and new civilizations? I don’t think so. Put on your big girl panties and go book a child’s dream trip. Worrying is for bitch ass bitches, and you my friend are not a bitch ass bitch.
I say do it! It’ll be a special memory either way!
I guess I am the lone voice of dissent. I cannot imagine my 4.5 year handling it, and she’s pretty mature. My 6 year old would love it. And my 2.5 year old? Let’s not even go there. It would be a nightmare.
I say skip it.
This is an absolute no-brainer. Go, GO, GOOOO! Even if he doesn’t remember a thing 20 years from now, you will always cherish this as a special adventure you shared with your eldest son, including all of the mom-son bonding time and the stories it will generate. You will regret passing up an opportunity like this. You will never regret going, even if parts of it will inevitably be somewhat difficult.
Do it! Just have things with which to bribe him.
Just think of the amount of blog fodder this will provide… :-) This is a one-time thing, and a great time for you and Riley to spend some alone time.
If you think he’ll remember it in the future, and tell all his high school friends about this awesome trip you took when he was little, then I say go for it.
Otherwise… air travel really is a pain, isn’t it??
I would totally go for it. It’ll be just the two of you so you’ll be able to give him your undivided attention and watch for any warning signals that he’s about to totally lose his shit. He might surprise you. I think my son was about 4 when we took our first plane trip. He thought it was magical.
I would totally do it. That being said, I don’t have any kids so I’m really just saying you should do it on the basis that it sounds like a dope time to somebody who isn’t responsible for a small boy and his potential shit-losing.
Still . . . it DOES sound ridiculously awesome.
How well does Riley handle disruptions in routine? Because I’m thinking that cross-country air travel + time change + late-night activity could equal several days of him feeling/behaving out of the ordinary.
It’s too bad Hershey’s isn’t doing a museum-type trip on the West Coast. It seems like a shorter plane ride + same time zone might be better “training wheels” for the one-on-one parent/child trip. But I am conservative when it comes to stuff like this.
Book it, it will be an awesome memory he will always have with you! So what if he loses his shit, you know, that’s what learning to travel is all about!
I’d do it, you can always do other fun shit if the museum doesn’t work out.
Do it.
AND REMEMBER: 12:30am in DC is only 9:30 in Seattle. Just stay on Seattle time while you’re there, give yourself lots of buffer time to get from Point A to Point B so you’re not both worried and stressed, and do it.
Oh wow! What a great opportunity. I wont tell you what to do b/c I’d be too scared but Im kinda chicken-shit like that when it comes to Big New City with my preshus baybee! But you are way braver than I and hey, if he doesnt deal well there’s always Benedryl, for whichever of you needs it most. :)
I can pretty much guarantee that he would not be the only one losing his shit. That’s one thing about groups of kids. If one loses his shit, they all lose their shit. And that means there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, just something to bond with the other parents over.
Go for it. You could wait for another invite, but what if one doesn’t come? You’d kick yourself for not taking the opportunity.
I too have a pre-schooler and would have all the same concerns you do. But I would also see it as an amassing opportunity. Also the late night thing will really not be that late because he is on west coast time so it won’t be that late for him. If you decide to go, good luck!
If he’s like my boys, he’ll be thriled with just the airplane ride. That + HOTEL ROOM will be a thrilling time. So even if he can’t handle the museum part, he’d still think it’s cool. But how well does he handle lack of sleep. My older one (now 5), I’d do in a instant. My younger one (3) is such a bear if he’s up too late, I’d be more hesitant.
Oh, man. You have to go for it. The offspring can melt down anywhere, but a trip on an actual airplane to the Smithsonian to see even _cooler_ airplanes? AND actual Spaceships? From Space? Seriously. That’s something you can’t miss. And besides, the Air and Space museum isn’t exactly the National Portrait Gallery – it’s the one museum most likely to be inhabited by small boys. Shit-losing has to be a fairly routine activity around those parts. And if he get’s totally out of hand, there’s always a handy passing Secret Service Agent…
I’d do it.
As Nike says: Just do it.
DO IT!
Oh, why not.
It sounds awesome, and like everyone said if he loses his shit you can always just bail early and go back to the hotel. i went through the air museum a few years ago and it is very cool.
If you do end up flying then the thing we do to keep our 3 year old occupied on the airplane it to pack his own little rolly backpack (we have this one http://tinyurl.com/deeywk) is to fill the feet and bill (yummier the better) snacks and the rest fill it with individually wrapped new little prizes that he’s never seen. It keeps him totally busy cause what 3 year old can resist opening tiny new presents?
Anyhow, that’s what we do and maybe it’d work for you and Riley. What an exciting adventure you two could have. And possibly a headache or two, but mostly awesome adventure!
Can he sit in his car seat happily for three hours, with only a couple of potty/stretch legs/get rid of the wiggles breaks? Will he walk with you or ride in a stroller in airports? Can he sleep in strange beds? Can he handle crowds? If so, I’d say go for it. If not, he’s not going to remember enough of the cool stuff to make up for the misery of travel.
Could you not just pretend that *I* am Riley? I mean, have they ever seen any photos of him, or would they think it a little suspicious if you turned up with a 29-year-old woman in tow, instead of a 3-year-old boy? I’d love to go to DC, and I promise I don’t lose my shit on airplanes.
I say do it!
Go for it! Better to regret what you did than what you didn’t do with him, especially at this age! Let us know what you decide and of course how it goes.
Oh please! Free trip? You’re going!
I took my son cross country just before he turned 3. Maybe it was because he was my son, but he was great on the plane rides. Snacks, drinks, toys/games, window seat (or aisle for walks) and he’ll be fine!
Go.
I’ll be a voice of dissent here, because it sounds like my idea of hell. A solo cross-country plane trip with a three and a half year old who’s never been on a plane before (including having to get you both through airport security twice); a solo trip to a major city with a three and a half year old; a solo stay in a hotel with a three and a half year old; keeping a three and a half year old up past 12:30 AM at a museum he will not remember when he is older. Plus the possibility of other festivities. At which you will, I expect, be expected to actually be able to speak to other people, possibly grownups.
If he were 5, I’d say go for it, but 3 1/2? Man, that’s risky. It might go well. Probably not. There are a lot of variables there.
If you DO go, don’t forget you’re going to need his car seat/booster seat for the car ride to and from the airport (unless you want to take a 3 1/2 year old and all your luggage on the Metro, which sounds like MAJOR fun).
I’d do it. In fact, tell the people in charge that for me. :)
Book it and hope for the best. Riley will probably act like a lamb the whole way.
My personal experience with two periodically difficult-as-hell daughters (now 7 and almost 5) is that neither one ever really played up after about the age of 3 when they were without the other. Lydie, the younger, can be hell-child (but also the most adorable little bunny in the world), but is NEVER difficult when she’s with me on her own or with Papa on her own. And that’s been true for about 2 years now, possibly more.
So, I’d say GO without hesitating one instant. I would love to have the chance to go somewhere cool with just one of my daughters some time…
I’m sure you’ll have a great time – even if it doesn’t all go well!
ummm, yeah GO!
DO IT! This is the best time of year to visit DC (I’m assuming the trip is scheduled before July). National Air and Space Museum is really kid-friendly. It will be a wonderful experience, and hello, FREE!
The Metro is actually not that bad with kids, as long as you’re not riding during rush hour. And even then, people aren’t rude to your face, they just sigh and roll their eyes and think really evil thoughts. There are always tons of elevator outages, though, so it’s not terribly stroller-friendly.
DO IT!
I guess I’m another voice of dissent, but that’s because my son would have been a total mess if I tried to keep him up late at 3.5. He is an early riser and even 9:30 west coast time would be late enough to make him hyper and cranky as hell. That in combination with being without spousal support for when his crankiness officially went through the roof would be enough to make me turn it down. However, if Riley isn’t an early riser and can handle being up past his usual bedtime, I’d say go for it. The plane ride might be a bit awful, but the rest would probably be fine.
Find an older, more emotionally-stable kid to take and go. :)
My 3.5 year old absolutely thrives with one on one time with a parent. We went cross county to see the gparents, just the two of us and it was awesome — just know there is a limit to how many days he is willing to be from home. We learned on day 5 that 4 days away is our limit…
Do it. If he loses his shit, at least you won’t have paid for the trip. Some kids can fly great – my 3 are excellent flyers and have been flying since they were 6 weeks old (by product of living halfway across the country from my family). Some kids will lose it no matter when they start – my nephew is terrified to fly (has flown many times before) and will cause a HUGE scene on any plane.
If he can handle it, you will be ready for that trip to Hawaii. ;)
I don’t know. This sounds like too much possible risk and not enough reward to me. He’s so young he probably won’t remember it. It sounds kind of nightmarish, to be honest. I just took a plane from California to Washington D.C. and *I* almost lost my shit.
No kids here, so I can only give advice from the sidelines.
Regardless of the destination, I think it’s a neat opportunity for you to spend one-on-one time with Riley. Since Dylan’s birth, he’s been sharing the spotlight and this would allow him to have you all to himself. On the flip side, JB will have Dylan solo and that’s good too.
If you think Riley would handle the plane ride okay, he doesn’t stress out over schedule changes, and if he’d find the museum fascinating, I’d go for it. Watching him wide-eyed and excited will be a pretty special moment for you too. Like a previous commenter mentioned, bat-shit crazy kids will be a dime-a-dozen around there, so I’d hardly worry about a minor meltdown. As for what he will or won’t remember, you may be surprised at what he’ll recall from the trip. He’ll certainly know it was special and probably pop-off with all sorts of random memories in the years to come. Good Luck.
Do it, definitely. My parents took me to Disney World when I was 2 1/2, and I still remember a lot about the trip. He may not understand the significance of seeing the Wright Brothers’ plane or anything, but there’s a lot of stuff that any little kid would enjoy.
Good luck!
I wouldn’t think twice about taking him. We’ve traveled with our 4.5 year old since he was 4 months old (first plane ride was actually to Seattle from Chicago) and have even taken him out of the country multiple times. Even at a young age we talked about it a lot before leaving so he’d know what to expect, like he needed to nap on the airplane, brought plenty of snacks and books and just went with the flow from there. It’s great to spend so much time with him and look at things through his eyes. I say go and have a great time just the two of you!
I haven’t read all of the responses yet, so I apologize if this is a repeat, but GO FOR IT!!! I have a 3 1/2 year old son and worry about that same thing, but I’m always surprised at how well he’s behaved when we’re doing new things. What a cool opportunity for you guys! Bring a lot of things on the plane – a portable DVD player or an iPod that he can use will take up a lot of his time. And remember, if he screams the whole time, the flight will eventually land and you’ll probably never see those people again :)
As the parent of a child exactly Riley’s age plus a younger one (mine just turned 2), I would definitely say go for it. My son gets so little one-on-one time with my husband or me and he’s always much better behaved when it’s just the two of us. I think he would think it was really cool getting to go on a sweet outing all by himself with you!
Do it! A free trip (yeah!) and the memories he will have will make you the AWESOMEST mom in the world. Really, it will!
They’re paying for it, then? Book it! If he’s going to lose it, it might as well be on their dime – that way, at least you’ll know if he’s ready to travel or not! =P
Book it. Worth the risk and what a cool thing for you guys to do together!
GO FOR IT!!!!
I’d do it in a minute. It’s a great opportunity and will probably be a big adventure for him.
Go!
One other thought, for the love of GOD don’t let them book you on motherf*cking American Airlines. Otherwise, YOU may be the one we need to worry about, not Riley!
Dude! Do it! Are you kidding? If it sucks, it sucks, but its still a day or so alone with your baby, right?
I’d do it, too. Even if Riley complains about a few things, he’ll be awestruck and filled with excited chatter when he gets back. Stories to tell Dad. He’ll also feel extra special.
I say book it with absolutely no expectations. Meaning, don’t have high hopes of it being the best trip ever. If everything goes well, you’ll have a great memory. If not, you at least had some alone time with Riley which you probably don’t get much of. He might surprise you with your undivided attention. Even if he’s a good walker, I’d bring an umbrella stroller just in case. Unless you’re ok with the piggyback thing.
DO IT!!!
And I live in the DC area if you need help/tips/advice/etc.
DO IT!
Go, go, go. But have a plan.
We always jump at an opportunity but have the plan that we will bail out on part if necessary. There is no reason to stress over it–just stay calm and have a plan!
Pick one thing you want to see at Air and Space–make that your goal and then head home if you feel he will lose it. If you see more than one thing call the trip a success! If you don’t want to do the late night trip you can always try to head over to the museum earlier in the day–although it is always crowded with highschool kids on some kind of trip this time of the year. They are usually really “polite and helpful.”
I live in DC and would be happy to meet up with you at the airport and provide you with a car seat. We have many extras for some odd reason (hand-me downs, friends, etc.). No strings attached–and I’m not a creepy stalker I promise!
Go! It’ll be an adventure!
no he is not a little young. Go for it. He will look back and LOVE it even if he hates it at the time! lol. You’ll be happy you did it too, even if all hell breaks loose.
Do it. And here’s how. Book Riley a window seat. Book yourself the aisle. If you are lucky, no one will book the middle seat and you will have the row to yourself. If they do, you can either swap with the stranger or say, “hey man, it’s your problem” and read People magazine. Bring a DVD player and enough goldfish crackers to feed the plane. A couple crayons or one of those magna-doodle boards will suffice. The flight will be over before you know it. I’ve done it with Charlie several times – once in first class! The other people in the privileged section were shooting me death stares when we boarded, but by the time they left, they were singing my praises as a parent and commenting on how cute he was. It’s all because I had the Cars DVD, but whatever. The hotel will be so cool for him, as long as he’s sleeping with his momma, and the event may work out – it may not. But it will be over before you know it so it’s not that big of a deal.
You’ll have fun. He’s right at the age where traveling can be more of an adventure than a pain.
Do it! The more they travel when they’re young, the easier it is when they’re older because it’s totally old hat for him. And he will totally love it. And it’s free! Do it!
I vote do it, but I’ve been just about climbing the walls so that might be influencing my decision.
Dude, also, get one of those Fisher-Price Kid Tough portable DVD players. They are awesome.
Whoof. I’ve flown from VA to CA with a pre-schooler, and also from VA to the UK with a pre-schooler. It’s do-able, but it’s a challenge.
If you’re going to be there, like, overnight, I’d say it isn’t worth the trouble. If it’s a couple of days, it might be fun. The Air and Space Museum is very cool.
A couple of tips for flying: Request the bulkhead seats (which offer more legroom), and watch his fluid intake. For some reason mine wanted loads of juice both times we flew, and he wound up not processing it and becoming a vomit fountain shortly before landing. Oh–and pack clean clothes for you and him in your carryon luggage.
Oh, but the charge on those things only lasts, like, 2 hours. And we’re talking about cross-country. Never mind.
Also, skimming all the “DO IT” comments makes me feel like saying, “OMG are you serious?? Don’t do it!”
Do it! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity of FUN! Sure, he might lose his shit, but he’ll also have a great time. And it could turn out to be a really special time for the two of you.
BOOK IT!!
Whatever pain in the ass opportunities arise the awesomeness of the event memories will far outlast the “others”
If you don’t do it, some day Riley is going to read this post, turn to you from the computer (or whatever new gadget everyone is using instead…) and say “MOM! I cannot believe you didn’t take me on that free trip to DC when I was a kid! How uncool!”
So I say, GO! Carpe Diem!
Go for it!!!!!!!
I totally say GO! And I say this as the parent of three kids, one of whom is prone to extreme shit-losing at age 3. The way I see it is this: it’s you and Riley…all you have to do is manage the two of you. If I had the chance to take a trip (for FREE) with my 3yo, I’d do it. I can totally handle her if she is all I am handling. Add in her 16mo old brother and 10yo sister and well…I might lose *my* shit.
The memories alone are worth the chance that there may be some negative behavior, in my opinion. And besides, like others have said, if it’s too much, you bail and go back to the hotel and order room service. :)
GO GO GO.
Totally book it. I thought they same about our 4 year old when I booked our Disney Vacation.
My son is the type to lose it over something like wearing a striped shirt.
Turns out, he did great on the entire trip.
Does Riley have a Leapster? If not get him one, and few games, and a cool piece of luggage for his very own. You will be golden.
My reaction is to tell you to do it! While knowing full-well that I would not. . . but I’m a big chicken when it comes to traveling with the kids (although it’s a different beast for us because of food allergy issues).
Do it!!! We can’t even begin to think about coulda, woulda, shoulda. What an awesome thing, special for the two of you…and paid no less
I’m another vote for “do it”. I don’t see why it matters if he doesn’t remember the trip-isn’t the point the experience itself? Hopefully having fun in the moment? If we waited to do anything fun till our kids remember the event-they would lead boring lives until about 7.
Like many wise people above said-if it starts to go to hell-bail and go back to the hotel. There are portable DVD players with 12 hour batteries, you could load him up with fun movies and TV series he likes.
Good luck!
I just got home from DC yesterday- it’s beautiful there this time of year. I’d go in a heartbeat, but my BFF lives there.
I’m sure there will be other offers, so go with you gut!
I think you ought to do it. First, DC is awesome. 2nd, Riley will rise to the occasion. 3rd, years from now you will be glad you did it. 4th, it is special one on one time with Riley on a big trip so he will be in awe. 5th, can I go???
I think it’s kind of ridiculous to say “he won’t remember it anyway”– couldn’t you say that about, oh, everything he’s done since he was born? Gee, why bother taking him to story time at the library? It’s not like he’ll remember it when he’s 20.
Go. Have fun. Take pictures. Let him take pictures of his favorite things and share them with his class when he gets back. (I’m a preschool teacher, and we encourage all the kids who go on vacation to share stories and pictures about their trips when they get back, and it is always amazing to see what the kids remember, and the questions their friends ask, and how excited they are to talk about what they did.)
Also, what Riley will “remember” when he looks at the pictures is that his mom is awesome (and brave!) and took him on a once-in-a-lifetime mommy-son adventure when he was 3 and a half years old.
And if he’s a pill the entire time, you take pictures of THAT and you have a photographic guilt trip for when he refuses to take out the garbage in ten years.
You. MUST. Go.
I think the potential for shit-loss is low, compared to the awesome trip with your eldest son potential.
Have a great time, take pictures and tell us all about it so we can live vicariously through you.
Go for it!
DEFINITELY do it!! Mine tend to do better when they’re alone with me- it’s a special occasion and they really enjoy that one on one time. As for DC itself, there’s a lot to do there with a four year old. We moved from Austin to DC last year when our youngest was four, and we spent a lot of time out and about. If he needs a break and you’ve got a car, drive up into Rock Creek Park and let him throw rocks in the creek and run around on the trails.
I think it would make him feel very special if he got to go on a trip with you and got to have all the attention focused on him for a little while. I vote yes.
“book it, book it, book it”
you don’t know me, but picture me chanting this and banging my fists on the computer desk.
Another vote for NO here. My now 4.5 year old has traveled to Ireland (3 times) and Florida (3) times (Florida with just me) and it’s really a lot of work when you are by yourself. Small children just don’t understand that when they decide they are bored there is still 3 more hours left of the flight! No amount of explaining will sink into their little brains. My son spent the entire flight KICKING the seat in front of him. I spent the flight leaning over him and desperately trying to hold his legs. Also keep in mind he has traveled a lot for his young age. He’s just now getting to the age where air travel isn’t the soul-sucking hell it used to be. Riley is just a little too young to remember it and personally I don’t think it’s worth it.
This could potentially be one of his earliest children memories….I would totally go!
Why don’t you ask him if he wants to go? I know he won’t get the whole magnitude of the trip, but I firmly believe that kids understand more than they can express. So, ask him. If he seems excited, go for it. If he is reluctant or afraid, don’t do it. If he’s non-committal, then it’s up to you!!
Another vote for skipping it. My 3-year-olds would totally lose their shit, thus causing me to lose my shit, and we’d all have a horrible time. Not to mention that 12:30 am is WAY late for a little one.
If you don’t go, I’ll go with MY three-year-old who will LOVE it! =)
Go baby, go. It will either be a great experience or a great blog post. Either way, win.
Book it.
My sister is a single mom. My nephew’s first trip was a roadtrip to Naples, FL from Atlanta when he was 3 weeks old. We laugh about that now–admitting we were just clueless–but my point is that she has never hesitated to take my nephew with her somewhere. Since Naples, he’s flown to Orlando, Las Vegas, NYC, LA (twice), Seattle and Jacksonville.
The potential for total meltdown is definitely there, but the potential reward far outweighs the draw backs!
Dude–Air and Space after dark? You HAVE to accept that!
I would not pass up the opportunity! But I don’t even have one kid, so what do I know?
I have three little kids, and have flown on several occasions with all of them (the oldest is now 8) at once and individually. The hardest age in my opinion was about 18 months. I’d say Riley would be fascinated with the whole thing and might surprise you with angelic behavior given that he won’t have to compete for your attention. GO!
Go. Go. Go. I travel frequently with my 3.5yr old twin boys by myself. Security is a nightmare with all the stuff and a child with a pacemaker, but people have always been more than helpful and understanding. My advice for the plane is to bring his carseat for him to sit in and he will not realize it is an option to get down and go nuts. Also, download a movie or two into your ipod for him to watch and then bring a few new toys and he will be fine. Give him the chance to surprise you and as for the “he won’t remember” stuff, YOU will remember and either it will be one of your best memories or it (if it goes badly) will be a funny story in 20 years.
As a DC resident and frequenter of museums, I do wonder how much tolerance any kid under the age of 10 would have … late night? More than say 60 minutes of required attention span? I doubt it. (Of course, you know your kid far better than I do.)
However, I think the experience would be pretty cool, and if you don’t mind cutting it short (at like 8 pm when someone’s having a meltdown), then go for it.
you should definitely go. bring a stash of new toys/treats on the plane that he wouldn’t normally get and dole them out throughout the flight. bring a dvd player, only way to survive a trip with small kids.
have fun and enjoy your alone time with him.
I am another of the minority voices here. I have to say skip it this time. That is a HUGE trip for a 3.5 year old and one parent to take on. And if it’s only for one night? Even if he is as good as a child his age can be, you’ll not relax the entire time and by the time you get home, your nerves will be shot. You can count on a major melt-down from him at some point simply from sensory over-load and exhaustion.
You know your child best, of course. How does he normally react to upsets in his schedule/routine? In general, can he handle staying up later than his normal bedtime without a melt down? How does he handle big crowds? Does he seem prone to sensory overload?
It would be an awesome trip for an adult or even a child as young as 5 years old. But he’s soooo young. You have to ask yourself if the trip will be worth it in the end if he ends up losing it on the plane, at the museum, at the hotel and on the plane ride back home?
Book it! And bring some Benadryl in case he’s a little shit. ;-)
Um…I see room service ice cream sundaes in your future. Do It!
get some balls and go on the trip!
Personally, I would probably not do it, but my wife would. That’s where things fall in my family. I can positively guarantee that Sofia would lose her shit on a schedule like that, so I would have to decide if it was worth it, and I’d probably decide it wasn’t.
If you do go, I would look at it as a chance for you and Riley to have a fun time together, and treat the planned agenda as optional. Do whatever you can to have a fun time and avoid a meltdown. If you get there and he starts getting fidgety in the movie, just leave and do something he wants to do. Go take pictures, or eat ice cream, or whatever would make him happy. Make it Riley-and-Linda time.
And if you decide that it’s too much work to do the DC trip, why not have Riley-and-Linda time at home? Tell JB to take Dylan for the weekend (BWA HA HA), take Riley to Yakima or wherever and stay in a hotel, go to the park, go to a monster truck rally, whatever. You can have a memorable time with him anywhere; he’s going to be the same hilarious kid wherever you are.
I say go for it, and take a stroller. When my oldest was three we flew to the North of Sweden, and he was just fine – he rose to the occasion. My experience is that kids in general are more co-operative in new exciting circumstances.
Your mother and your aunt have conferred, and our assessment: ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY? NO WAY! SAVE YOURSELF! RUN FOR THE RIVER! Much love, Mom and AL
To be honest….
Riley won’t remember it. Unless he has super-human memory powers, anyway. But you will, and you will take (completely awesome) photos, and it will certainly be a super-cool thing to show him when he’s older, if nothing else.
Me, I would take the opportunity and go for it, but your mom & aunt (who know Riley in person and not on the internets, heh) seem to think otherwise. ;)
Loved your mom and aunt’s comment!
I’d say the biggest risk to going would be if Riley might get really scared of the plane (remember how he got all scared of planes after the Blue Angels a couple years back…) If he were to get scared during takeoff, or scared of the noise or the rumbling of the plane… he might seriously be crying and hysterical-frightened and he’d be stuck on the plane for several hours and I don’t know if he’s old enough for rational discussion and calming. Of course the Blue Angels thing was, what, a couple years ago and he’s a bigger kid now so maybe that’s not a risk – you can do that assessment!
If the only fear is that he’ll lose his sh*t in terms of tantrums etc, I say that’s worth the risk. He’ll come out of a tantrum fine (not sure you will, but you’re strong!)
Git. What a great opportunity.
GO!
Do they have wagons? (”to carry your bags”) so he can fall asleep and you can put him in it and continue with the event. Maybe bring a blanket to drape over it.
Go for it!! Sounds like an awesome opportunity. If he likes it and does well, you’ll know you’re in the clear for future events. However, if he doesn’t, well then you know that too!
Go for it. Preschoolers tend to surprise you when something super cool that you expect them to lose their shit over is going on.
I would go for it! It could be spectacular and you could have tons of fun and make wonderful memories… it also could be a giant disaster, but you won’t know unless you try it out! :)
You always said you write this so your kids can read it when they grow up, well WHEN you do this with him you can write about it and with the pictures he can remember the experience. And of course we get a fun entry to.
Do it! It’ll be fun!
Book it! It will be a special time for you guys! I think that is awesome!
I admit, I cringed when I heard about the late night and attempting a child to endure the time change.
But, you know, it’s free. And I’m willing to tolerate a lot more crap for free. So, even if it all does go down the crapper–it was on someone else’s dime.
Even if it’s horrible for you, and crappy for him, he will always remember this trip and remember how cool his mom is.
GO!
GO! GO! GO!
Sure you might regret it, but you probably won’t regret the ENTIRE experience. There will be moments you’d rather be home, but that’s what next week is for.
Oh my god you have 132 comments on this post. I guess signs point to yes.
Yes it’s a late night…but GO FOR IT!
I’d go for it! Odds are it will be blast.
Plus, just think, even if it’s awful, you’d get a mighty fine blog post out of it!
That’s a tough one. My oldest is the same age as Riley and I’m still debating on the wisdom of getting on the metro and taking him to the Smithsonian. However, this sounds like a great opportunity, and I think you should do it. Even if he’s not as cooperative as you would like, but the opportunity is definitely worth it.
Book it. I think it will be an experience you will always cherish. :)
I was totally in the “go for it” camp until I saw that the event ends at 12:30am. That seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I can’t imagine bringing my daughter anywhere after 9pm, never mind after flying across the country. But perhaps you are braver than me!
I say go for it. The one-on-one time will be good for you both, and I’m willing to bet that he’ll be less likely to lose his shit if he has your undivided attention. Sounds like fun!!
I think he is too young to appreciate a trip like that. We all know how much he liked the air show. This may not be as loud, but it’s just different.
Here’s another for the do it camp. He’s probably just getting old enough to remember this. It will be a great bonding time for you both. Has he been on an airplane before? We took my son from Virginia to San Francisco last summer, the only thing he didn’t like was the airplane seatbelt. He got over that. He was really a champ and a wonderful traveling partner. He loved the cable cars … imagine how much Riley will love the Metro!
My belief is that he’ll surprise you. And you may surprise yourself. Even if he loses his shit, he’ll calm down if you feed him some M&Ms or something.
Go for it!!!! It’s free, you can’t loose! Plus, you can always leave if the little one starts to get cranky…
Go for it! You BOTH will have a fabulous time!
Wow! I was NOT expecting to be in the minority here. But I guess I am. I would not do it. I’m another child-free reader so feel free to disregard… But I’m thinking about my 3 nephews who are 11, 7 and 4.5. I don’t even think the 11-year old would be bearable at 1am — he’d be so cranky and tired. The 4.5 year old would just fall asleep and need to be carried from 10pm on. The 7-year old would be overstimulated and exhausted an would probably act out like crazy. Ugh. Sounds like a nightmare.
DO IT! Just think of the memories that you might make. I think it’s awesome that you have the chance to expose Riley at such a young age to an experience such as this.
Is it just for a day? Or can you stay longer? I fly with mine from DC to CA to visit, but I’m not sure I’d do it for just a weekend – they need a couple days to recover from the plane trip, I think. But if you can stay, I’d totally do it. Plus, there are a ton of awesome things to do here.
My advice is try to fly the red-eyes. They are sleepy and less active, and if you are lucky he’ll sleep. Good luck, and have fun!
I’d say go, especially if you can rope someone into accompanying you on the trip or even just meeting you there in DC. Should the Suspicious One have a meltdown, I have the distinct feeling he wouldn’t be the only one, especially at that hour.
I’m in the glaring minority “DON’T GO” camp. It is a huge, short, trip for a 3.5 year old. And though he might enjoy it (fingers crossed) will he remember it in 5 years? Doubtful. So will it really create ‘memories you both will cherish for years to come’ – again, doubtful. Though I can be certain it will create memories for YOU, one’s that you will cherish I’m not so sure about.
Book it! Either way your going to get a great story out of it.
Go. And I say that as someone that just returned from a road trip with my friend and our 4 kids. In a car. For multiple hours. We all lived another day. You will too. Also? How freaking AWESOME is this opportunity? Take it.
Go for it!
Do it! Do it! Take a boatload of DVDs and CRAZY-cool snacks on the plane. If he loses his shit at the tour, just go back to the hotel. I honestly think he might just enjoy having you all to himself for a couple of days.
Do it. Here’s why: best case scenario = he loves it, you love it, you get to spend lots of Mommy and Me quality 100% focus time together. worst case = he totally loses his shit and you get to remind him when he’s 18 “Remember when you lost your shit at the SMITHSONIAN?” in front of his beloved new heart-throb. AND you still get to spend logs of 100% focus time.
This will also be a great chance for your other two men to kindof lock crosshairs on eachother and get some together time too.
Even if it’s a disaster, it’s a memorable disaster and you’ll ALL FOUR grow from the experience.
After that horrible flight you had a few weeks ago you’ve surely used up all the bad karma in the universe and this will go splendidly! I vote: DO IT.
if you do decide to come, want to meet for a drink afterward? :)
Yeah, I’d say go, too. My brother, sister, and I all luh-huh-huvved the Air & Space museum when we were little. It’s cool.
on a more serious note, after just having taken my 2.5 y.o. niece to that museum last weekend, there’s not much there to entertain the young ‘uns. There is one room set aside with hands-on learning type things, and perhaps there will be other special programs set up, but … that might be a long way to go for not much to do at his age. (But I’d still buy you a drink. :)
Every time I think my daughter wont be able to handle something…a week in Myrtle, multi connection flights, 9 hour drives for extended getaway weekends, inoculations, blood work, etc…she totally surprises me. Kids are resilient. I bet he will enjoy his 1 on 1 time with you, and you will cherish the memory.
Go for it!! Sounds like an awesome opportunity!
Some stranger in Texas mailed you your wallet? Oh, Linda, that’s wonderful! Not because it spared you any inconvenience (it didn’t) but because it restores my faith in human goodness. Was your cash still inside? (I needed to have my faith in humanity colstered. My car was just broken into and some jackass stole my iPhone, costing me $600 to replace the phone & repair the window.)
Go for it!!!
Take your chances and go, it is worth it if it ends up being a good decision, and if not, then at least you tried.
The tour is too late for my daughter ( who is 3). She’s a night owl and sometimes has to be forced back to bed until 10 pm. BUT the time change thing would work in your favour. I dunno. Is it a direct flight?
No one knows Riley like you and JB, of course, and how well he’ll handle it, but if it were me and my little guy, I’d go for it. Regardless of whether or not he remembers it or has mind-melting tantrums, the chance to have his mommy all to himself for a change is something that I’m sure Riley would love. And for what it’s worth, my family did a cross-country trip when I was two and while parts of it are a big blank (we went to see Niagara Falls? Really?), I can still remember Mount Rushmore & the Laura Ingalls “Little House in the Big Woods” birthplace museum in Wisconsin. So the chances are good that he’ll remember at least parts of the trip — and that he got to be with you.
I think he’s too young.I have travelled with my two cross country many times (family lives on the other coast) and no matter how well the plane ride goes, it still is no fun. Only in the last year (they are 4 & 6) now has it been manageable. Also, the up till 12:30 would absolutley not work with my 6 year old, even now. All kids are different but if Riley needs a lot of sleep, he is most likely not going to get it with the excitement of the plane, the new city etc and that just increases the lose his shit factor.
For the record, I would probably do this right now with my 6 year old just to take advantage of the opportunity but I’d leave the 4 year old at home.
Wait a while and do it again with both boys when they are older. That’s my bet.
I’m with the majority here – take him. He’s old enough to remember it (he’s smart…not all boys his age would, but he will). It’s an adventure for both of you. I can’t imagine turning it down. I would think JB would be all over this too. Grab life as it happens – this is a great opportunity!
kim
You only live once. Go for it.
I say go for it! Who knows if you’ll get another chance to do something like that! I bet Riley will love being with just you for a little while. You can always hang at the hotel the whole time if he freaks out.
Perhaps he will prove to be a world class flyer… If not, Benadryl.
Perhaps he’ll become a world-class engineer because of the inspiring trip through the museum…if not, you’ll have funny ass stories to tell about how much he hated it.
Lastly…If you don’t go, I would happily pretend to be you for the event. You know, to alleviate the to go, or not to go presssure you must be feeling. My 10 year old would be in heaven.
Go for it! And, if you don’t, hook up me and my own 3.5 year old. ;) You’ll have an awesome time and shouldn’t pass it up based on things that might happen.
Oh i live but fifteen minutes from that museum. and i kind of feel like a rockstar is coming to town and am a little giddy. you know, i really never envisioned myself growing up to be a mommyblogger, well freakshow if we’re being perfectly honest, but alas, i didn’t envision a lot of things that have come to pass. blah, i have two toddlers, the oldest is about riley’s age. we live on a vineyard with a puppy. if things get too crazy… i’m just sayin..