Category: parenting

We took our 2-year-old to two football games including the Cotton Bowl…here is what I learned.

First things first, traveling with a 2 year old is difficult no matter how much you plan, but over the past year I have learned to go with the flow and not be scared of travel. We have had some amazing trips and adventures with our daughter that I would never want to miss out on because I was too scared of traveling with a little one.

This year Nora joined us for three Mizzou Football Games including a big trip down to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. She is clearly our good luck charm because the Mizzou Tigers won all three of those games and mom and dad got some incredible memories with our little tiger cheerleader.

These were not Nora’s first football games but I will say they were the most enjoyable. If you do plan on taking your baby and/or toddler to a game my best advice is to do it before or after they are one. When she was a baby it is was easy. I just strapped her in a carrier and she slept most of the game and at two she was more independent and engaged—one is just hard. They are not yet walking, but don’t want to sit in your lap. Don’t get me wrong it can be done, but in my experience one year olds are the hardest to take with you during these longer games.

Now on to some items that are a must:

Noise Canceling Headphones – Even though she is not a baby the games were still very loud. She loves her pink noise canceling headphones to help. She loved them so much she was putting them on at the tailgates too. These also allowed her to sleep if needed. During two of the games we ran into nap times and when she got tired she fell right asleep.

Clear Bag – As everyone knows stadiums now require a clear bag or a small clutch for games. I ended up bringing my Lululemon cross body bag for my phone and keys for easy access, but then a stadium approved clear bag for Nora. If security gives you trouble for both just put the cross bag in the clear bag or make your partner carry the other. Unfortunately, I don’t think the stadium approved bags are very big so try to pack light. I put pull-ups, wipes, snacks, a few activities, a change of clothes, water bottles, and snacks in her bag. For those colder games we had to stuff in gloves and hats, but if we ran out of room we resorted to coat pockets too. Make sure you have layers for those cold games because a cold toddler is not going to last, trust me.

Snacks – These are a must and keep any toddler happy for extended periods of time. I asked Nora what snack she wanted and sometimes added in new ones that she was excited for. These snack cups are great to use for goldfish or cheeseitz. I also had apple sauce pouches and bars. This kept us from having to buy too much food in the stadium.

Activities – As a mentioned those clear bags fill up quickly so I learned what activities she could do in the seat that didn’t take up much room. I found that a small bag of a few crayons, a coloring book, and a sticker book with PLENTY of stickers worked best. Nora loved adding stickers to her book and this kept her busy when she was a little “over” the game. I did try bringing her Amazon Fire tablet one time and honestly it is not worth it. It was a lot to lug around and barely worked in a crowded stadium. If she wanted to watch something for a little while I just used my phone if I had reception or we looked at pictures on my phone which she loved too. The tablet though is GREAT for car rides. We try to limit her screen time, but when we are hitting that last hour of a road trip and she is fussy and over it, the tablet is a game changer! A new item we got for Christmas right before the Cotton Bowl was this fun LCD writing pad. These are super thin and another great thing to bring along for them to draw. Nora and I wrote “Go Tigers!” on hers and she held it up like a sign, super cute and kept her entertained for a while.

In addition to these physical items as must haves I will say you need a few other things to make the game enjoyable for you and your little one.

• Be patient and flexible – again traveling and doing anything with a Toddler is challenging but try to make the most of it and go with the flow. We are pretty strict on Nora’s nap time most days but know with traveling and game days we have to be flexible. If she is tired at the game we let her lay down and nap on us. If we can squeeze in an early nap we do that too.
• Make sure your spouse or partner is on board to help – This is key! You cannot do it alone, especially if you have a little one like mine who likes to be held. Make sure you both are prepared for a toddler at the game and trade off often when someone needs a break. This help keep you sane and lets you enjoy the game a little more.
• Dress Appropriately – I love all the cute game day outfits but sometimes I had to be realistic about what I put her in. We had one really hot game where we had to shed layers and make sure I had room in the bag to put her sweater and then we had some really cold games where we need to add layers, and then there was the Cotton Bowl where it was cold outside and warm inside the dome. Just make sure you have the appropriate clothing and shoes to be comfortable and make sure you have the bag storage to carry it all. I promise the pictures and memories are cute no matter what they are wearing!
• Walk around when needed – This one was hard for me because the crowds can be scary and you are going to fast. I found it easiest for us to carry Nora at the beginning and end of games while the crowd was rushing but to give her a break me or my husband would take her for concessions and let her walk then. It was less crowded and she got to stretch a little. If you are tailgating before this is also a great time for them to run around and get some of that restless energy out.
• Hype them up! – Nora LOVES Truman the tiger so a week before the game we would talk about him and get her excited. This way all the way to and during the game she is excited to be there.

We are very fortunate that our daughter likes going to the games and I know this is not the case with every child. I also don’t want to sugar coat it, it can be hard, and you will be tired after it all. All three games I was pregnant at so this mama was feeling it towards the end. But I hope this blog helps show that you can do it! Don’t miss out on those family adventures because I promise you will look back and wish your kids got to enjoy some of it too.