Charley's Mommy : How To Survive a Long International Trip without the Little Ones

How To Survive a Long International Trip without the Little Ones

Before we had Charleybear, travelling was my and my roommate's (my husband's, btw) life. We made sure we would travel either locally or abroad at least once a year.

Either alone...

Thailand @ 2011

With family or friends

Cebu @ 2010

Singapore @2013

Or together

Anawangin @ 2011

Indonesia @2013

Macau @2013

Davao @2013

Malaysia @2013

Singapore @2013

HK @2014

When I had Charleybear in 2014, we thought my travelling days were over. And I was totally fine with it 'cos I'm sure she would be a travel-baby like her Mommy pretty soon.

In 2015, When Charley was 5 months old, thanks to my company, I went to Bali, Indonesia to observe international schools and have fun in between for 4 days. You can read about my drama here.

Bali, Indonesia

Parasailing Momma!

After that travel, I limited travelling without Charleybear. This year, however, I was very fortunate to have been part of the Pilgrimage Tour to Europe for 2 and a half weeks - that's almost 3 Saturdays with baby Charley's cuteness!

At first, I was very hesitant to join the Pilgrimage. There were so many things to consider including finances and leaving Charleybear for a reaaaaallllllyyyyy long time. My roommate assured me, however, that he and the baby would be fine, and I should take the opportunity to travel to Europe and personally thank St. Marie Eugenie for interceding for us when we were praying for a little girl.

Here are some tips to help you, Mommies, if ever you'll be going on a long international trip without your little ones. These are proven to keep your sanity.

Before Your Flight

For Daddy or the Guardian

Leave the Baby Book and your Pedia's number. I know Daddies can be trusted with the little ones, but to make sure, give your pedia's number to your parents, just in case. Let him know where the Baby Book can be found.
Label Medicines and what they are for. I didn't have a problem with my roommate knowing what medicines were for since he was a BSN graduate, but it still made me feel 'relaxed' to let him know how much mL of medicine he needed to give and which medicine was for fever, cough, colds. And which ones were vitamins that should be taken everyday. Believe me, he found this very helpful, too!
Leave a schedule for the little ones' activities. This included morning bath, naptime, evening bath, and sleep time. If your little ones have playschools, this would help Daddies or guardians keep track of them.
Schedule a Call Time and try to stick to it. We didn't promise that I would call them every day since we would be on the road most of the time, but since there was 10 - 12 hours difference between Europe and Philippines, I tried to call them at 11 midnight when it was around 5 or 6 am here.

For Your Little Ones

Tell her the truth. I told Charley that Mommy would be away for a number of days, and we could only talk to each other sometimes. I don't believe in 'escaping' her so she wouldn't cry cos I think it would make her feel 'abandoned'.
Make a Countdown together. This will help assure your little ones that Mommy would be coming back after ____ days.
Allow her to help you pack your bag. I found this very helpful cos a bonding time before flying was something worth treasuring.

While You Were Away

Try to stick to your Call Time schedule, but avoid the drama when you call. Be happy and enjoy the short opportunity to talk to each other. I missed Charleybear while I was away, but I tried not to sound super sad when I talked to her. I told her of the places we went to and I miss her, and I would be home after __ days. Try not to make call time ~ crying time.

Get support groups from other mommies in the group, too. I found this extremely helpful since we got to share tips on parenting and marriage. It also made me feel better to have someone with me who knew exactly how I felt.