Flexibility is a Skill (You Can Learn from a Toddler)
Wife, son, and friends in Wuxi, China. May 2026
I recently took a weekend trip from Shanghai to Wuxi. Bullet train, two nights. Me, my wife, two friends, and our two-year-old son.
We planned nothing. Why? Because every previous trip with a toddler taught me that plans are just suggestions written in pencil on wet paper.
The Plan That Wasn’t a Plan
We booked the train tickets and we booked a hotel. Everything else was improvisation.
Where would we eat? We’d find something. What would we do? We would walk around and see what happened. Nap time? Whenever/wherever he fell asleep. Bedtime? Hopefully as soon as we get back to the hotel.
We used to travel a bit more structured. Daily plans, booked tours, restaurants lined up. Then we had a child.
What Traveling with a Toddler Taught Me
Flexibility is about being efficient. A rigid plan breaks when reality hits. A flexible approach bends. You don’t waste energy fighting reality. You just adapt and keep moving.
Freelancing is the same. A client changes the scope. A deadline shifts. An email you thought was clear turns out to be confusing. You can get frustrated or you can adapt.
The toddler does not care about your spreadsheet. Neither does the client.
How This Shows Up in My Work
When a client sends me a brief that is vague, I don’t complain that the brief is vague. I just ask clarifying questions. I restate what I think I heard. I make sure we are on the same page before I write a single word.
When a project takes longer than expected, I don’t panic. I just update the timeline. I communicate with the client and I keep moving.
Flexibility is a skill, not a personality trait. You can practice it. Traveling with a toddler is excellent practice. So is freelancing.
The Bottom Line
I still prefer a good plan. I still make spreadsheets sometimes. But I no longer mistake a plan for a guarantee.
The train leaves when it leaves. The toddler naps when he naps. The client responds when they respond.
You can fight it. Or you can learn to bend.
I recommend bending.
I specialize in travel copywriting for tourism brands, OTAs, and hospitality companies. If you need a writer with firsthand experience in destinations around the world, view my portfolio or reach out.
