If you read my last post, Share Your Plane Trip with Young Kids Disaster Story, you may have realized that I started BabyTravel.com not because I have all the answers, but because I made a lot of mistakes. But my ineptitude was not limited to air travel. In fairness to myself, I wasn’t inept at traveling in the car with a baby, it just caused severe and lasting emotional trauma. So this is part one of a four part series on keeping kids entertained in the car.
You paid more for luggage than the actual price of your airfare, you shoved your over-large stroller through the security checkpoint, and you watched in resignation as your child did laps around the moving walkways.
As the plane boards, most parents suffer some degree of anxiety about the potential public humiliation they will endure if their child throws a tantrum on the flight. Whether your flight is a puddle-jump across the state or an epic trans-Pacific voyage, you’ll need a strategy to keep the little one(s) entertained.
The majority of parents traveling with young children are concerned about ear problems on the airplane. A short anatomy lesson will help you understand the root of the problem. Ear pain is caused by a difference in pressure in the middle ear and the cabin of the airplane. This occurs most often and most intensely during descent, but it can happen during take-off as well.
Successful Car Trip (suk-ses’ful kar trip) – A trip by automobile in which all passengers arrive at a given destination (though not necessarily the originally intended destination) alive and in one piece. Now that we’ve established the definition of “success” as it relates to taking a car trip with a baby, we can discuss some ideas that will make the experience truly enjoyable for both parent and child.
It is always shocking to see what is required to take young children on a vacation. Since most airlines are charging $15-$25 for EACH bag in EACH direction, lightening your load makes travel more efficient and more affordable.
Picking the right bag for your carry-on is important. The key word is “accessibility”. A bag with several compartments is a great choice. The things you need most frequently should be in an outside pocket or near the top of the pack. Examples of these might include bottles, burp cloth, a quick snack and something to read. Diapers, wipes and a change of clothing will not be used as frequently, so those can go deeper inside the pack.
