There’s something about a child carrying their own little backpack through the airport that feels like a rite of passage.

They’re going on an airplane. They have their own activities, their own snacks, their own little bag. They’re officially a traveler.

At least, that’s the idea.

The backpack usually starts on him…and ends up on us

Our son loves the idea of carrying his own backpack. It’s almost a symbol of his independence - he’s going on an airplane ride, and he has his big-boy backpack to go with him.

The only problem? His enthusiasm for having his own backpack tends to last a little longer than his enthusiasm for actually carrying it.

He’s perfectly happy having his own things to keep track of once we’re on the plane or settled into the hotel. It’s the hauling-it-through-the-airport part where things tend to fall apart.

We’ve probably brought his backpack on at least five trips now, and it usually goes about the same way. He starts out happily carrying it. Then we walk through the airport, wait at the gate, wander around a little…and somewhere along the way, one of us is carrying it.

Usually my husband.

So while we keep giving our son his own backpack with the hope that this will be the trip he takes full responsibility for it, we also go into every trip fully expecting that he won’t.

One of these days, it will happen.

The real question: Do you mind carrying another bag?

Once your child is past the baby stage, I think this becomes less about whether they’re physically capable of wearing a backpack and more about whether you want them to have their own bag badly enough that you’re willing to carry it if they don’t.

This is separate from a diaper bag filled with all the baby gear you need to get through a flight. I’m talking about the stage when your child is walking, talking, has very definite opinions and knows exactly what he wants to keep himself entertained.

You really have two options: Keep his activities and snacks in one of the adult bags and have one less thing to carry. Or give him his own little backpack - knowing there’s a pretty good chance it eventually becomes yours.

We keep choosing the backpack.

Why I still like him having his own

Even knowing how this story usually ends, I like the sense of responsibility and ownership his backpack gives him.

We can pack it together: What activities do you want to bring? Which snacks? What crayons do you want? Is there a small toy you want for the plane?

It becomes his stuff for the trip, rather than everything being something Mom or Dad packed and hands to him when he asks.

And selfishly, I also like the idea that there is one little bag containing the things meant to entertain and feed him that I don’t have to keep track of - especially since I’m usually sitting in the middle seat and fielding most of those requests once we’re on the plane.

Granted, my husband is a little quicker to suggest we just put everything in his backpack from the start - but he’s also usually the one who ends up with our son’s backpack clipped to his, so perhaps his opinion is slightly biased! :)