Even though Simon is only 3-years-old, there are already a lot of things that we as parents would have done differently if we knew better. For example, we would have let him flail more when it comes to getting undressed. Mostly we would just have let him struggle more in terms of developmental tasks. But there is one thing that we decided before he was even born that has really paid off.
We decided that we were not going to stop traveling or make concessions around travel just because we had a child. We noticed that a lot of other parents were doing exactly the opposite, to the extent that they never went anywhere. That wasn't going to be us. In fact, my favorite thing about Simon is that he loves to do stuff, and for the most part, he's an exceptionally awesome traveler. He's patient in the car, and is content to just watch the scenery go by. We usually have an iPad on standby to watch a Sesame Street video, but it's a last resort that we mostly have only used after dark, or on a long flight. That boy is surprisingly able to adjust and roll with the changes.
Simon went out to eat for the first time when he was 9-days-old (Red Robin in downtown Bellevue, Washington, in case you were wondering). Before he was 3, he had been on 31 different airplanes, though admittedly, one has to fly a lot to go anywhere when living in Seattle. He was three months when we did our first family road trip.
Today, airports are fun for him, and he's mostly OK on planes. He can do a 9-hour drive like it's his business. He's getting more flexible about restaurant eating. Simon will even sleep in a hotel room while we remain awake in the other bed. We're down to a small bag with snacks and sunscreen now at amusement parks, no stroller. He can do an 8-hour sprint at Cedar Point, no problem.
I'm really happy that we made the decision so early to not be encumbered by Simon, because whether it be a day trip somewhere or a cruise, we definitely make our best memories when we get away from home. He's a little spoiled in that sense, but I'm going to take that as him being "worldly!"
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