Need Advice for Air Travel

Check with Dr. if benadryl would be ok, and take a flight as late in the night as possible, hopefully only 3 or 4 hours?, maybe consider train ride?

Hi M.,

My son will be 4 next month and is being tested for S.I.D. We know it is there but are still figuring out to what degree he has it. He has been flying since about six months of age without any trouble. In fact he loves it.

In terms of carseats, if you use them they must be positioned in the window seat-airline rules.I would just close the shade during take-off and landing because my son was scared during these times of flight.

The day of the flight, I would try to not give him much to drink the hour before take-off so he would be thirsty and then give him a bottle/sippy cup/drink with a straw once the plane was lifting off. A pacifier works too. This kept him swallowing thus preventing his ears from hurting. Ask your Dr., but mine said a dose of benadryl before the flight would not be harmful and the child will sleep for a while.

To keep them busy, have a toy for every 15 minutes of travel. I usually pick up a sticker book, coloring or paint with water book and take some of the crayola colorless fingerpaints or markers and paper. Any kind of cards,books and mini magna doodle type toys are good too. Don't forget snacks.

I still get carsick if I am not in the front seat, but I have never had any problems on planes. Ask your Dr. about Dramamine.

Other preparations include books or videos about taking plane trips are helpful since your child will have an idea of what to expect. There is a Caillou episode that covers this.

I hope this is helpful.

Good luck!

C.

M.-

You certainly have a challenging flight ahead. Here are a couple of things that I have found, both with traveling with my son and traveling for business.

1) Benedryl. This might be a good option for your son with his sensory issues. A lot of parents swear by this as a means to have a calm flight. I wouldn't normally recommend medicating him for something like this but if this is an option, this circumstance but be a good time to try this.

2) I have recently started using something called EarPlanes, found at Walgreens. They are FAA certified and used for helping with minimize the pressure in the ears. This might be good for both kids but might minimize the sensory stimulation of the take-off and landing for your son.

3) I am not sure what it is called but a lot of people who go on cruises swear by anti-nausea bracelets. You could do a quick google search to see what is available.

4) You might consider renting a portable DVD player and playing their favorite movie. Have lots of activities and snacks. Your husband will be with you and so you can each handle one child. Also, my child is almost 3 and we don't carry a carseat anymore. It's up to you if you feel comfortable with this but it would be a great relief if you could get away with not taking the carseats.

Good luck. If I can help any more, let me know.

Hi M., Any child older than 2 is required by law to have his/her own seat, but I *think* that a child older than 3 doesn't need a carseat. The airline can confirm this when you make your reservation. If your husband is like mine, I would suggest that you & one of your children not sit close to your husband and the other child. My husband refuses to listen to any helpful advice about how to stop crying, etc., and it is extremely painful for me to sit next to him and listen to it. Do not schedule the flight during a nap, but rather an hour or so before hand. The child will be too stimulated from the airport, etc., to fall asleep as soon as you board and the extra hour will allow time to settle down so they will fall asleep. Bring crayons, favorite books, favorite blanket (or other sleepytime/comfort item), portable DVD player, snacks & juice/water. The flight attendants are too busy to stop and fill a sippy cup when needed. Bring something to suck on to help relieve ear pressure. I'm not sure about the motion sickness, but your pediatrician may suggest Dramamine or something similar. Good luck!

Hi M.,

We've travelled a lot with our son, now almost 3, so he used to it, but some helpful hints i got from other moms were 1. the $ store, and 2. a DVD player! Each time we take a flight i stock up on fun, small, quiet and safe toys from the $ store, like coloring books and cards, calculators, etc.... This could work great for both of your kids. We introduce a new toy whenever he gets tired of one, and save a few for the flight home. We just took a 9 hour flight, (we had a break in the middle thank god) but we did use a DVD player once on each leg home and back. We're not big TV watchers, but his favorite Sesame Street video was good for when he was overtired and restless. You can get a cheap one for $100. Definitely bring their favorite snacks and drinks so you're not running around the airport shopping. Oh, and "One Step Ahead" (they have a website) makes a great, FAA approved car seat that converts into a stroller. It's been a life saver for travel. No lugging of a car seat AND a stroller anymore! No waiting for your stroller at the gate. The wheels collapse under the seat and the handle collapses behind the seat. We love it. Feel free to email me if you have more questions!

Have you heard of a magazine called SI Focus? It's written about sensory integration. Their website is www.sifocus.com. They also have an online store, and one book is called, "101 Activities for Kids in Tight Spaces" by Carol Stock Kranowitz, MA. If you have the time to plan ahead, there are good activities in there. Otherwise, bring lots of DVDs, but have some other toys or books for takeoff and landing when the DVD player has to be turned off.

M.,
I would definitely use car seats. When we went to Colorado we did not and I wished we did. We rented car seats (w/rental car) and they were awful! They were dirty with vomit and food stains. If you bring your own you can put them in the seats on the plane and they are safe (and clean) and then you have seats for the car.

Good Luck!

Hi M.-
I am a flight attendant for a major airline out of O'Hare...good for you for venturing out with your children. Many parents opt NOT to travel because of the hassle that traveling with children can create.
Since there are 4 of you in your party, and usually seats on airplanes are in 3's(unless you are on a widebody jet)you would have a parent, plus the 2kids on one side and the other parent across the aisle. Carseats for the kids are the safest way to travel!! If you just bring one carseat, that is great too- maybe the kids can take turns. A stroller is great too just in case you have any length of a delay. You can "gate check" the stoller(and carseat too if you opt not to use it- this means that you can use it up until you reach the door of the airplane and then it is brought back to you as soon as you step off the plane. It really helps if you bring new toys(that don't make noise), coloring books, etc. along so that they keep the kids' attention. Many parents now bring along a portable DVD player and that seems to help. The most important thing to bring is.....SNACKS!!! You wouldn't believe the amount of parents that come unprepared!! As flight attendants we would love to help, but most airlines only give you a bag of pretzels and a drink anymore. That is not sufficient for a flight that will probably be 4 hours for you. Pack sandwiches, snacks, drinks and make sure to bring disposable silverware with you- sometimes we have a hard time finding utensils ourselves. Put these items in ziplock bags-you never know when you'll need to put a dirty outfit in there(good idea to bring one extra change of clothes). If your kids have ANY sign of a cold, talk to your pediatrician about a decongestant...this alleviates pressure on the ears during your descent.
Make sure to book early and request 4 seats together. I know that United and American offer sections with extra legroom- it's worth the extra money. The kids can at least have a little more room to move.
I hope some of this has helped...email me if you any more questions and have a great time!

We just took my 14 month old daughter on a 20 hour car ride to florida and my 8 yr old niece, I would highly recommend investing in a portable DVD player and some movies.......IT SAVED US!!!!!!!!!