This article is a blast from the past, earlier published in the Illawarra Mercury as I was settling into single parenthood with young kids.

Traveling as a single parent is not for the faint-hearted. However having traveled back and forth the globe a few times with either babies and/or toddlers in tow, I know I can do it. That is, until our most recent trip just a short domestic flight to another state. Within the first few minutes of the trip (- as we are queuing up for our bag drop) I have this strong voice inside telling me; “this is not working”, as I am carrying 5 bags as well as keeping an eye on two moving and talking kids. The problem wasn’t so much the organisation of the bags, these were packed in a way so I could easily find what I was looking for. The problem was that my off-springs don’t travel like luggage themselves anymore. In the end, carrying a sleeping baby in a bag, is easier than keeping an eye on a moving young child.

Travelling with young kids give them ownership of their stuff

This had to change fast! It also required ownership and a sense of responsibility for the children as they now needed to look after their own gear. After some contemplation and research, we ended up with a bag on wheels with as many pockets as we could find. It will suit both check-in as well as hand luggage and can be transported by themselves. To help them take ownership of the bag and the contents, we packed their bags identically and named the pockets. They each have a pocket for; undies and socks, swimmers, toiletries, travel diary/artwork, important paperwork and games. In the big compartment, they have sections, which means that their shoes go on the bottom left, followed by a row of pants and shirts and on the right they place their pyjamas. Inside at the top of the bag, they could place their collection of teddy bears.

The transformation was amazing, the kids turned into responsible, organised and capable travellers in a few hours of this setup and my life was a lot easier from that point onwards.