If your PCSing, road tripping to grandparent’s house or flying across the globe, traveling with children is always an adventure. When planning for the trip, be sure to keep your child’s age, development and temperament in mind. A child under 2 will have a difficult time understanding, “if, then” statements (“If we stop the car now, then we wont get to Grandma’s before dinner”).
Think of alternatives to food for the child who needs extra encouragement (i.e. bribery) to get through an airport. When my daughter was 3, I flew from Hawaii to Philadelphia with her 2 week old sister by myself. Instead of giving her M&M’s to get her through the obstacle maze that is the airport, I gave her Jibitz (we called them “shoe bling”) for her Crocs. She was happy to receive a prize for getting through security and wasn’t hyped up on sugar by the time we got on the plane. Other motivators could be stickers, 1 crayon at a time from a brand new set, small figurines such as Littlest Pet Shops or Little People.
When trying to decide if a stroller/ carrier is necessary, consider your child’s napping schedule. Any child who naps will be happier in a stroller or being carried during their regular nap time no matter where they are.
Even though technology has blessed parents with portable devises that pacify our children during these long trips, eventually the batteries will run out and when they do, it is important to have a plan. Check out the website Mom’s Mini Van at http://www.momsminivan.com/index.html for great age appropriate ideas for both car and airplane trips. My favorite tip from this site is to bring a lollipop to suck on during take off and landing to avoid ear pain. So much better than gum for my little ones!
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