6 Ways To Travel With A 2-Year-Old In Tokyo
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE GETTING ANYWHERE WITH A 2-YEAR-OLD IN TOKYO.
Disclaimer: I love Chase. He is my heart. He is my world.
Now, let’s get real. Chase is the kind of child that makes me think that I might not have had a second if he was my first. He lives life to the FULLEST. In the three weeks that we have lived in this temporary apartment he has:
- Colored on the walls with crayon.
- Hidden in the dark to eat a bottle of gummy vitamins.
- Rubbed a bowl of oatmeal all over the coffee table.
- Dumped an entire bottle of laundry detergent on the floor.
- Broken several dishes.
- Spun in circles til he fell and busted his chin open.
- And took the elevator to the lobby alone….just to name a few.
I mean, yes, I could have been a more “on it” parent - but I choose to roll my eyes at him more than myself, because I am over here just doing my best.
But still, every day after we drop Anders off at school we have an adventure. Would it be easier to go to the same park and get lunch at the same place I know we love? Yes! But we are here to live our best life - so each day we set out to do something new.
And DAMN - it can be exhausting.
Because here is the thing, when you are having new adventures, you have to get there. And single me, with Google maps in my hand couldn’t be more cool, calm and collected. But when it is Chase & I, with Google maps in my hand - it is HARD. We currently have 6 modes of transportation to choose from that I rate as follows on a scale of ! to !!!!!:
Scooter - Nope. Not ready yet.
Walking ! - This is nearly impossible as he stops to pick up every “rocker”, run into the street and beg for soda at every vending machine. And let’s be honest, it usually ends up with me carrying a screaming 30lb maniac.
Trains !! - The train system here is awesome, but you have to find the train station and then get down to the train platform and then switch trains and then find where you are going once you are off the train - all with a stroller, a bag, snacks, toys, etc. And then there are stations like Shibuya which is kinda like Grand Central and I can’t begin to explain to you what it is like when your two-year-old insists on getting out of the stroller and doing the escalator himself during rush hour and you are holding up literally hundreds of people behind you. I literally think I deserve a g.d. medal every time we switch trains in one of the big stations. It’s unreal. Oh, and then you also have to keep a two-year-old quiet on a train without giving him snacks. Miss “my kids only use iPads on the weekends” has turned into Miss “here is the iPad, now shhhh…”
Stroller !!! - We bought a new “city” stroller, which is much more compact and great, except he wants to get in and out and in and out and lay flat then up then flat then up and get buckled and unbuckled and buckled and unbuckled and then once a day he leaps out unexpectedly and skins a knee. But it is nice for naps on the go, I will give it that.
Taxi !!!! - Heaven, but $$$$$$.
Bike !!!!! - I am so unbelievably grateful for my bike. It has become my "car-like-object" here and if something is 3 miles away or less, we are going to bike there. Chase is strapped down and we get from point A to point B with no interruption. It is a life saver. Plus, he zonks out in it every single time! Oh, and I have only tipped it with the kids in it twice ;)
So, let me tell you. Tokyo is SO kid friendly. I love Chasey and I love this city. But getting used to life without a car - with a two-year-old - is hard. I know we will be pros in no time, but for the moment, the struggle is real.
As for tomorrow, we are meeting some new friends in a new park we have never been to before. Wish us luck!