Planning, preparation make airline travel possible with a toddler
Analisa Nazareno
Special to the Express-News
Remember that scene in Airplane II, when the mother checks her crying baby as baggage when she's told she can bring just one carry-on?
Perhaps not.
But that feeling of terror and dread is real. Very real. It strikes most parents considering travel with an infant or small child - whether on an airplane or in any other vehicle. And it strikes most other travelers within earshot of such children.
I wrestled with this inner turmoil last year, and it grounded me when relatives asked us to join them for a reunion on the shores of North Carolina. Regretfully, it also stopped me in my tracks when I considered whether to help my father celebrate his 65th birthday in California last year.
That was when my daughter, Mia Juliet, was a wee infant screamer, protesting the indignities of her car seat.
Oh, the wailing. Oh, the gnashing of gums. Oh, the giant headaches.
Then, just a few days after his birthday, my father died and we had no choice but to squelch the fears and get on that airplane with The Screamer.
Since then, my daughter has logged 14,000 air miles, traveled to South America, and tolerated a 365-mile road trip up the California Coast - all before the ripe age of 18 months.
It's been liberating to know that it's possible to travel with a young child and live to see the next day.
If only I'd known that she'd enjoy the spectacle of people rushing around with their luggage, the company of other children, and the entertainment that only the wide-open spaces of an airport could provide, we would have gotten on that plane sooner.
Not only did we survive to see the next day, we became excited about traveling again and again with our tiny tourist.
Before reaching this liberated state last year, we had just a few rushed hours to prepare for travel. Within 12 hours of being notified about my father's death, we were on a Southwest Airlines flight to Southern California. We had little time to research, pack and prepare. No overanalyzing things. No time to read and re-read, pack and repack. We had just enough time to get the minimum done - buy the tickets, bring the bare necessities, and read a few pages in a parenting book.
I turned to "Gentle Baby Care" by Elizabeth Pantley because it was on top of the dining room table (and not hidden underneath piles of toys, books and baby clothes) and because the entire book was organized in a simple A-Z format.
On Page 491, after the "Toys" entry, we read the 10-page piece titled "Travel by Airplane."
The entry offered a few no-brainer tidbits, such as a checklist of necessities (diapers and food were on the top of the list).
But it also offered some helpful advice. The best offering was this:
"If your child falls asleep easily and stays asleep, try scheduling travel for during your child's nap or sleep times. If you have a finicky sleeper, on the other hand, avoid traveling during usual sleep times, as your baby may just stay fussy and awake."
The other most useful bit that Pantley offered was this:
"To help your baby's ears adjust to changes in cabin pressure, encourage swallowing during takeoff and landing. You can do this by breastfeeding or offering a bottle or pacifier."
Fortunately, Mia loves her sleep. And at the time, breastfeeding was her main means of nodding off.
So, I sat at a window seat and my husband sat in the middle to provide some privacy (parents of infants are among the first to board on Southwest Airlines and can choose their seats).
And when we took off, I put baby to breast. Because of the blanket I used to cover Mia, no one noticed what Mia was up to. Within minutes, she fell asleep on top of the Boppy (nursing pillow) and she stayed asleep for most of the flight to California.
It was a pattern we followed for the return flight and for subsequent flights for a wedding, a Christmas visit, a milestone birthday celebration, and a family reunion: Get Mia tired and ready for sleep before a flight; feed her during take-off; and wait for her to sleep. Every time, it worked like a charm.
This summer, we traveled to Quito, Ecuador, for my husband's grandfather's 95th birthday. We also flew to Southern California for my family's reunion.
And though we had positive experiences traveling with Mia as an infant, she was now a wriggly toddler and we were done with breastfeeding. So, my fears stirred again before these flights.
Her napping had become irregular. Her molars were coming in. She was learning how to jump and there was no stopping this girl from attempting to hop.
Oh, the power struggles. Oh, the screeching. Oh, where's that Advil?
With positive travel experiences under my belt, though, these fears didn't have the same paralyzing effect. So, off we went.
With more time to prepare, I reread Pantley's travel entry and "What to Expect: The Toddler Years." I surfed the Internet for advice. And for humor, I also picked up "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting."
Though the survival handbook offered some dubious advice (it suggests drugging tumultuous toddlers with over-the-counter medications), it also lent me some peace of mind with this gentle suggestion:
"Remind yourself that you will never see these people again. Repeat."
Pantley offered something similar:
"If your baby is unhappy and begins to cry, take a deep breath and focus your attention on your baby. Fellow passengers who are unhappy about the disruption may forget that you have as much right to be on the airplane as they do. They also may not know or forget how difficult it is for a baby or young child to be patient during a long flight. Your best defense against an unpleasant stranger is to say with a smile, 'I'm doing the best I can.' And then tend to your baby."
Fortunately, Mia followed her old pattern. We let her run around the airport, play with other children, and practice her jumping. We burned her out before we hopped on the plane. And she slept on my lap for most of the flight.
She did wriggle on the plane. She did protest about the long flight just a little. But, I repeated that refrain: "I will never see these people again," and stayed calm. Small children can smell fear and know how to take advantage of it.
As with most offerings in the "What to Expect" series, the 18-pages under the "Traveling With Your Toddler" title, starting at page 250, offered the nuts and bolts of our travel preparations with Mia.
As advised, we checked in with our doctor about vaccinations for international travel. We packed books, toys and paper and pencil for entertainment. We maintained a miniature medicine chest of Infant Tylenol, diaper ointments, liquid vitamins, Pedialyte travel drinks in case she had diarrhea, and antibiotic cream and bandages.
But perhaps the most helpful advice that the editors offered was this:
"The trick to a relatively restful vacation with toddler in tow is to keep expectations low and patience high."
With only 10 days in Quito, dozens of relatives spread out throughout this sprawling metropolis, and sights to see in the Andes, Amazons and Galapagos, we could have had a full itinerary from Day One.
But, again, Mia does love her sleep. And planning our days around her naps meant we needed to take it slow.
The day that we didn't follow this rule - we took a day trip through bumpy, treacherous roads to a nearby town where indigenous craftsmen sold their goods - Mia developed a horrendous infection that stopped us cold for the next three days.
My husband's cousin called a pediatrician for advice. To confirm the advice, I hopped onto the Internet. We followed the doctor's advice and bought the proper medication at a local drugstore. The medication eliminated the infection in 21/2 days.
And while one of my fears was realized during this trip - to be in a foreign country with an ill child - I'd have to say that the reality is far less traumatic than the fears make them out to be.
It wasn't that bad.
If I had let my fears grip me, we wouldn't have celebrated this milestone 95th birthday. Mia wouldn't have met her relatives. We wouldn't have taken that horse and buggy ride through colonial Quito.
Here's some more classified information about traveling with a small child - some people will actually appreciate your pluckiness, and many more will admire your cute little bundle of energy.
The kindest of strangers will cut you some slack, let you go ahead in line, treat you like you're a human being instead of a foreigner.
In fact, in some countries, it's company policy to give parents of small children preferential treatment.
Travel with a baby? Travel with a toddler? I recommend it wholeheartedly. Keep the baby and check the carry-on suitcase. Babies actually can come in quite handy.
San Antonio Express-News publish date Sept. 24, 2006
Analisa Nazareno
Special to the Express-News
Remember that scene in Airplane II, when the mother checks her crying baby as baggage when she's told she can bring just one carry-on?
Perhaps not.
But that feeling of terror and dread is real. Very real. It strikes most parents considering travel with an infant or small child - whether on an airplane or in any other vehicle. And it strikes most other travelers within earshot of such children.
I wrestled with this inner turmoil last year, and it grounded me when relatives asked us to join them for a reunion on the shores of North Carolina. Regretfully, it also stopped me in my tracks when I considered whether to help my father celebrate his 65th birthday in California last year.
That was when my daughter, Mia Juliet, was a wee infant screamer, protesting the indignities of her car seat.
Oh, the wailing. Oh, the gnashing of gums. Oh, the giant headaches.
Then, just a few days after his birthday, my father died and we had no choice but to squelch the fears and get on that airplane with The Screamer.
Since then, my daughter has logged 14,000 air miles, traveled to South America, and tolerated a 365-mile road trip up the California Coast - all before the ripe age of 18 months.
It's been liberating to know that it's possible to travel with a young child and live to see the next day.
If only I'd known that she'd enjoy the spectacle of people rushing around with their luggage, the company of other children, and the entertainment that only the wide-open spaces of an airport could provide, we would have gotten on that plane sooner.
Not only did we survive to see the next day, we became excited about traveling again and again with our tiny tourist.
Before reaching this liberated state last year, we had just a few rushed hours to prepare for travel. Within 12 hours of being notified about my father's death, we were on a Southwest Airlines flight to Southern California. We had little time to research, pack and prepare. No overanalyzing things. No time to read and re-read, pack and repack. We had just enough time to get the minimum done - buy the tickets, bring the bare necessities, and read a few pages in a parenting book.
I turned to "Gentle Baby Care" by Elizabeth Pantley because it was on top of the dining room table (and not hidden underneath piles of toys, books and baby clothes) and because the entire book was organized in a simple A-Z format.
On Page 491, after the "Toys" entry, we read the 10-page piece titled "Travel by Airplane."
The entry offered a few no-brainer tidbits, such as a checklist of necessities (diapers and food were on the top of the list).
But it also offered some helpful advice. The best offering was this:
"If your child falls asleep easily and stays asleep, try scheduling travel for during your child's nap or sleep times. If you have a finicky sleeper, on the other hand, avoid traveling during usual sleep times, as your baby may just stay fussy and awake."
The other most useful bit that Pantley offered was this:
"To help your baby's ears adjust to changes in cabin pressure, encourage swallowing during takeoff and landing. You can do this by breastfeeding or offering a bottle or pacifier."
Fortunately, Mia loves her sleep. And at the time, breastfeeding was her main means of nodding off.
So, I sat at a window seat and my husband sat in the middle to provide some privacy (parents of infants are among the first to board on Southwest Airlines and can choose their seats).
And when we took off, I put baby to breast. Because of the blanket I used to cover Mia, no one noticed what Mia was up to. Within minutes, she fell asleep on top of the Boppy (nursing pillow) and she stayed asleep for most of the flight to California.
It was a pattern we followed for the return flight and for subsequent flights for a wedding, a Christmas visit, a milestone birthday celebration, and a family reunion: Get Mia tired and ready for sleep before a flight; feed her during take-off; and wait for her to sleep. Every time, it worked like a charm.
This summer, we traveled to Quito, Ecuador, for my husband's grandfather's 95th birthday. We also flew to Southern California for my family's reunion.
And though we had positive experiences traveling with Mia as an infant, she was now a wriggly toddler and we were done with breastfeeding. So, my fears stirred again before these flights.
Her napping had become irregular. Her molars were coming in. She was learning how to jump and there was no stopping this girl from attempting to hop.
Oh, the power struggles. Oh, the screeching. Oh, where's that Advil?
With positive travel experiences under my belt, though, these fears didn't have the same paralyzing effect. So, off we went.
With more time to prepare, I reread Pantley's travel entry and "What to Expect: The Toddler Years." I surfed the Internet for advice. And for humor, I also picked up "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting."
Though the survival handbook offered some dubious advice (it suggests drugging tumultuous toddlers with over-the-counter medications), it also lent me some peace of mind with this gentle suggestion:
"Remind yourself that you will never see these people again. Repeat."
Pantley offered something similar:
"If your baby is unhappy and begins to cry, take a deep breath and focus your attention on your baby. Fellow passengers who are unhappy about the disruption may forget that you have as much right to be on the airplane as they do. They also may not know or forget how difficult it is for a baby or young child to be patient during a long flight. Your best defense against an unpleasant stranger is to say with a smile, 'I'm doing the best I can.' And then tend to your baby."
Fortunately, Mia followed her old pattern. We let her run around the airport, play with other children, and practice her jumping. We burned her out before we hopped on the plane. And she slept on my lap for most of the flight.
She did wriggle on the plane. She did protest about the long flight just a little. But, I repeated that refrain: "I will never see these people again," and stayed calm. Small children can smell fear and know how to take advantage of it.
As with most offerings in the "What to Expect" series, the 18-pages under the "Traveling With Your Toddler" title, starting at page 250, offered the nuts and bolts of our travel preparations with Mia.
As advised, we checked in with our doctor about vaccinations for international travel. We packed books, toys and paper and pencil for entertainment. We maintained a miniature medicine chest of Infant Tylenol, diaper ointments, liquid vitamins, Pedialyte travel drinks in case she had diarrhea, and antibiotic cream and bandages.
But perhaps the most helpful advice that the editors offered was this:
"The trick to a relatively restful vacation with toddler in tow is to keep expectations low and patience high."
With only 10 days in Quito, dozens of relatives spread out throughout this sprawling metropolis, and sights to see in the Andes, Amazons and Galapagos, we could have had a full itinerary from Day One.
But, again, Mia does love her sleep. And planning our days around her naps meant we needed to take it slow.
The day that we didn't follow this rule - we took a day trip through bumpy, treacherous roads to a nearby town where indigenous craftsmen sold their goods - Mia developed a horrendous infection that stopped us cold for the next three days.
My husband's cousin called a pediatrician for advice. To confirm the advice, I hopped onto the Internet. We followed the doctor's advice and bought the proper medication at a local drugstore. The medication eliminated the infection in 21/2 days.
And while one of my fears was realized during this trip - to be in a foreign country with an ill child - I'd have to say that the reality is far less traumatic than the fears make them out to be.
It wasn't that bad.
If I had let my fears grip me, we wouldn't have celebrated this milestone 95th birthday. Mia wouldn't have met her relatives. We wouldn't have taken that horse and buggy ride through colonial Quito.
Here's some more classified information about traveling with a small child - some people will actually appreciate your pluckiness, and many more will admire your cute little bundle of energy.
The kindest of strangers will cut you some slack, let you go ahead in line, treat you like you're a human being instead of a foreigner.
In fact, in some countries, it's company policy to give parents of small children preferential treatment.
Travel with a baby? Travel with a toddler? I recommend it wholeheartedly. Keep the baby and check the carry-on suitcase. Babies actually can come in quite handy.
San Antonio Express-News publish date Sept. 24, 2006
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