Penang With A 6 Year Old | 2011

I know that toddlers and kids can be a handful on holiday trips. In fact, they can be a handful on the most normal of days. We knew that before Judy booked our flights and accommodations. We knew that ever since we had our own toddler to be honest. But it didn't stop us from booking a trip anyway. In fact, bringing Jakjak on the trip was a reason in itself to go on this holiday. This is part of his birthday celebration (which he is happy about).

Jakjak has a curiosity in him that is complemented by his wild imagination. The effects of watching Nat Geo and History HD has actually given him a broader perspective of the world around him (I reckon he already knows how small we are in the grand scheme of the world). This reality is augmented in turn by his much loved Dr. Seuss books. So I can only imagine his brain thinking about talking elephants walking down the streets of Penang. Which is highly unlikely, but we tend not to discourage him.

One thing you have to expect when you have Jakjak with you is to expect the unexpected. One moment his spirits are up and high and the next he's down and miserable (taking down everybody with him). The best way to cope with these mood swings is to initially go with the flow and slowly re-direct. It doesn't always work, and it is usually a frustrating few minutes before we get him down to a manageable mood.

Toys and games are another way to reign control back momentarily (at least until you get your bearings back). We only brought 1 of his toys on this trip (he wanted to bring his entire drawer - because he said he would miss them), but ended up getting him bits and pieces along the way. Our iPod batteries were drained every night because it's the only way to get control back sometimes. But again, the only way to enjoy this trip was to get everybody on the same page at the same time. Patience (boatloads of it) is key. Luck comes in second. And third is, well, since there was no plan to begin with, simply enjoy the ride (however rough it may be at times).