There is something about being on a airplane with a child, particularly a baby or toddler, that seems extremely daunting to many new moms (or even some veterans out there!). I suppose it could be the idea of being confined to one seat, with a child on your lap, for at least several hours at a time, not knowing if the person next to you will find your child endearing or annoying, as you frantically try to entertain him with the 25 toys you’ve jammed into the diaper bag and your own version of “Wheels on the Bus”! Or maybe the fear creeps in at the thought of your little one crying (or even screaming) in pain from the ear popping that can be so painful as you change altitude levels. And, if none of those pictures convince you, one only needs to consider the germs that are embedded into nearly everything your child touches which will most likely lead to, at best, a minor case of the sniffles. But, whatever the reason, I think it can be said that there is most definitely an understandable level of anxiety, or at least apprehension, at the thought of traveling with little ones.
Having recently ”flown the friendly skies” with my 6 month old son to visit family out of state (some with help and some solo), I have been determined to find ways to make our journeys with as little stress, and as much joy, as possible. And, while I know my “bag of tricks” will inevitably have to change as Will gets older, I am grateful for the few little gadgets I’ve found that have helped make our trips thus far quite uneventful…which in the world of babies can be a very good thing!
In an effort to help anyone who may be anticipating traveling during the holidays, I’ve decided to post my top three traveling necessities. I had thrown them in my diaper bag “just in case” and they turned out to be life-savers! Will has managed to endure his recent flights with grins and giggles, and we all survived without getting sick! Thank you, Lord!
Baby Tooth and Gum Cleanser~Who would have thought a little soft bristled, rubber toothbrush could work such wonders on a baby? I think this little gadget kept Will entertained and quiet for at least 15 minutes straight! It doesn’t hurt that he is in the very early stages of teething so I’m sure this felt good on his gums. But, he loved gnawing on our fingers and letting us “brush” and massage his gums with it. I vowed to buy an extra just to keep in the diaper bag. (Hmmm, could it also be perfect for church?) It’s made by Gerber and comes with baby toothpaste, though I have yet to try it. Maybe we’ll save the flavored touch for when the “toothbrush” gets old!
Teething Feeder~ I think this is one of the all time greatest inventions for babies! The one I have is made by Sassy and it’s designed to introduce little ones to solid foods before they have the ability to chew and to prevent choking. But, it also helps with teething. Many of my friends have them and put pieces of apple, carrots or other fruits and veggies inside to allow their babies to gnaw on something hard while still getting some flavor, juice or at least a few nutrients. But, since Will has just begun to start solid foods, I have only used this with ice. It certainly does the trick! On the plane, I just asked the flight attendant for an extra cup of ice and refilled it for as long as he seemed interested. And, since the ice melts, it forced him to swallow frequently so it also helped with his ears. Another 15 minutes of sanity! It has also proven to work wonders when eating out!
Antibacterial Wipes~ Since new air travel regulations prohibit you from bringing liquids on planes, our hand sanitizers had to be packed in our checked luggage. This was a big disappointment since I for one am well aware of the germ fest that lies aboard any aircraft! It’s pretty gross actually. But thankfully I had thrown a travel pack of antibacterial wipes (which are different from regular baby wipes) into our carry-on luggage. These actually proved to be far better than the hand sanitizer because they allowed me to wipe down arm rests, tray tables, and even the seats themselves. And their fresh citrus scent smelled far better than the stale air and burnt coffee that I had previously been so familiar with when flying.
Again, these are just a few of many little remedies I found that made traveling with a 6 month old a little easier. What are your life-saving traveling tips?
laurie said,
November 18, 2006 at 3:08 pm
You remind me of one of my most embarrassing mommy moments. Israel was a toddler and my mother and I took him on the plane to visit my grandmother. This baby who in normal everyday life spontaneously saying to himself and others, “I happy! I so happy!” This boy who smiled all of the time. this normally easy going kiddo screamed his fool head off the entire time people were boarding. We weren’t in the air – no ear issues. We weren’t strapped into a car seat. He would not eat a lollipop (what you give a 3rd baby as opposed to ice-filled teether
). People were excruciatingly rude about it. The only good thing is that we had quite a big section all to ourselves. Once the plane took off (which felt like it took 2 hours) he settled right down.
Glad your buddy is a good traveler. Hope you trip went as well as your flight!
bethyoung said,
November 18, 2006 at 10:35 pm
My life saving traveling tip is to go with your husband and leave your baby with family
briana said,
November 18, 2006 at 11:40 pm
MY tip: NEVER travel with twin toddlers…NEVER.
Actually, we all survived, didn’t we? BUT, survival is just about the only expectation I would tell another traveling mom with babies or toddlers to have.
bethyoung said,
November 20, 2006 at 10:26 pm
I was kidding, sort of. I feel like I’ve started a string of negative comments. On my last comment to you, Kate, I said that you were easy to peg from your confessions. I just want you to know that I wasn’t being mean and I was trying to be funny. Afterall, I’M probably the easiest one to peg. Maybe I need a confessions blog. HA!
zoanna said,
November 21, 2006 at 10:58 pm
I had a nursing baby. I knew that the act of swallowing helps the ears during take off, so I planned to nurse her. (Also keeps baby quiet to have mouth plugged! Which then keeps other passengers from scowling, even tho’ I refused to make eye contact w/ them.) But I didn’t plan well enough . We sat longer than planned on the tarmac, so I ended up having to give Sarah apple juice. I also didn’t pack a waterproof pad for my lap. So when we were finally taking off, and she started to cry (back then they didn’t make babies ride in car seats on the plane). , well I pulled out the left one, shall we say, and plugged her. Then the right one at 30,000 feet. Happy baby, mommy, fellow passengers. Then about 10 minutes later, I guess the apple juice and milk in her tummy decided they didn’t appreciate sharing the same stomach.
VWOT! My 5-month old’s stomach did a “take off” of its own. About 12 ounces of appled milk “landed” in my lap. Three hours later I was dry and in Kansas. So there are probably a couple tips young moms can learn from my experience. But you know. I don’t regret taking her at all. Small sacrifice. Her great grandparents got to see her for the first and last time in their lives.
zoanna said,
November 28, 2006 at 7:50 pm
Kate, can you please leave your email address on my latest blog post ASAP? Thanks.