Holiday tips for traveling with kids

Donya Betancourt, Pediatrician, drdonya@hotmail.com

The holidays are here. That means family, fun, food plus presents, a break from school, and in addition to that, family trips.

This week we will be talking about holiday safety for the kids and travel tips for the family.

Your family might take a mini-vacation during the holiday season and I am sure that sometimes parents are concerned about traveling with kids, especially on long holidays.

When you travel with your children, the first point to remember is DO NOT worry about what other people on the flight are thinking. If your children are fussing, focus on your children, making them more comfortable not because they are annoying someone else but because that is what they require. Remember that you will not likely ever see the other people on the plane again so do not worry about what they think of you or your children.

Traveling with an infant and a toddler presents more challenges than anybody could have ever imagined. The challenge will be in the amount of stuff needed to carry on the plane, diapers bags, toys bag, books or anything that you think that you could use to calm your child down during the flight.

So in the case where you have two children traveling with you, give the older one a carry-on bag full of new toys and books that he/she can pull out at varying intervals throughout the flight. This will keep him or her happy, while you will be able to focus on the baby.

Remember to carry a comfort item, such as a favorite blanket, pillow or stuffed animal to help comfort them so they will be able to sleep better. Another must is, if your child takes a pacifier, bring an extra. Travel trauma occurs when the only pacifier you bring disappears under the seat and you cannot find it until the end of the flight; it will be a nightmare.

If you are in the process of potty training, forget it during your flight. Put your toddler in diapers for the entire trip. Also, be sure to carry with you a complete change of clothes, because accidents happen.

Air travel is one of the few places where it is OK to let a stranger help with your child. After all, where can they go? If someone offers to entertain your child for a little while, within your sight, let them. Don't hesitate to ask a flight attendant for help. They should be able to heat bottles for you and may even hold the baby if they are not too busy and the flight is smooth.

If you travel a lot you will learn that investing in a backpack-style child carrier is worthwhile. When walking through airports for long distances, for example, you will want to have your hands free.

If you have to travel on a long flight, the idea of having a transit stop of an hour or two is a good thing because it gives the children a chance to get off the plane and run around a bit. But make sure that you have a least an hour to rest because you don't want the stress that being forced to run from one side of the airport to the other causes.

Most airlines will help you by having a cart waiting to drive you to your next gate but you need to remind them beforehand.

One more thing I would like to suggest if you are traveling during the high season -- get your child his/her own seat otherwise you may find your self walking the aisles because your child is sleeping in your seat.

The last thing I would say is traveling should be enjoyable. Avoid taking your frustrations and fears out on your children. They are aware of when mom and dad are upset, so make sure they have a good trip and stay calm. Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season.