Traveling with a Toddler is a Mother

Traveling with a toddler is a mother, especially when you’re traveling to stay in someone else's home who may have different cultural norms and parenting styles as you and you’re struggling to find the balance. 

In episode 7 of ___ Is a Mother, we recap the trip that led to tension in our friendship based on our parenting and cultural differences and how the conversations we had to address that tension ultimately led to the creation of this podcast. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• PV’s traumatic experience flying with her toddler who was, unknowingly to them at the time, experiencing a night terror. 
• Finding the balance between setting boundaries for your toddler and giving them the space to make and learn from their mistakes.
• The prep and conversations that need to happen before, during, and after traveling to and staying in someone else's home with a toddler.
• Being aware of and sensitive to cultural norms of raising and parenting children while traveling.
• Lessons we’ve learned from traveling with our toddlers.

Remember to give yourself and your toddler some grace. While your toddler is still learning how to navigate life, you’re learning how to navigate parenting in different environments. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Traveling with a Baby is a Mother
• 11:58 PV’s stressful family trip to visit Jamie with her toddler.
• 18:14 Jamie acknowledges her own cultural biases and judgments, and how they impacted her perception of PV's son's behavior during the visit.
• 20:48 PV mentions how she felt judged by her family and others when her child misbehaves, and recognizes the need to approach parenting with love and empathy.
• 26:23 Leading with emotional support in parenting strategies.
• 29:08 Jamie and PV discuss the challenges of co-parenting and finding a balance between discipline and allowing children to learn from their mistakes.
• 33:59 Taking race and cultural norms into consideration when traveling to visit someone's home.
• 38:55 Jamie discusses the challenges of raising a black son in a society that gives grace to white children but not to black children, and the importance of instilling boundaries and expectations in her child while also nurturing him.
• 41:30 Learning to be fluid and flexible when traveling with a toddler.
• 45:39 The challenges of traveling with young children, particularly the need to make tough decisions and step in when others are not treating their child properly.
• 48:31 The importance of having personal space, especially when visiting family or friends, to avoid imposing on them and maintain a sense of privacy and quiet time.
• 54:16 Recognizing the importance of prioritizing one's own needs and making mutually beneficial decisions for their own families.