Friday, December 13, 2013

Travelling overseas with an infant?

portable baby carrier backpack front pack sling
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Elisabeth


I would like to bring my 3 boys who will be almost 5, 2.5, and 7-8 months next summer when I would like to visit family in France. My father and sister have never met any of our boys and I would like for them to meet their cousins. They aren't financially able to come here, so it would only be possible if we went there. My problem lies in the fact that my youngest will be so young when we travel next summer, as well as my rambunctious older boys. Do you think it will be possible? Do you have any suggestions for a long plane ride, which will be approximately 13 hours total.


Answer
Bien sûr!

I take my three children approximately the same age alone on 11 1/2 hour flights about twice a year. I've been doing this since each was 4 months old and like yours', mine are close in age.

I get a seat for my youngest. Once I flew Air France and they wouldn't guarantee that I could use my car seat so I flew with my 4 month old as a "lap baby". This is much less safe. Both for comfort and safety, having the seat is important. I don't know how I could have dealt with three small children without somewhere to put the little one. So now I book with Lufthansa and United, who let me use my American car seats on board.

Another reason to avoid Air France is the fact they let you bring your stroller to the gate but then they check it all the way through to your destination. Unless your final stop is Paris, you'll find yourself having to negotiate Charles de Gualle airport without a stroller and three small children. No thanks!

Your 2 1/2 year old can sit in the seat but you may want to look into a CARES harness.
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
You can rent one on Ebay or Craigslist, especially if you're in N. America, if you don't want to buy one.

Arrange a car seat for your middle child and a booster for your oldest in France. Don't use car seats provided by a rental car company. These are really dire here in France.

Make sure you have a good baby carrier. Awful front packs like the Bjorn are too small. I had a sling and I could carry either of two children in it and it went to age 3. You might also look into a front/back soft carrier, like the Ergo. A wrap or pouch is also good. This way, my children alternated walking (those who could), riding in the stroller or were carried. As a Flight Attendant, I saw too many parents dashing through airports carrying heavy toddlers and babies. Don't be one of them!

I was able to manage with a single stroller but you can bring your double. Any stroller that folds is usually acceptable (but check your airlines' website).

I was able to manage with a big backpack and a diaper bag when I had two in diapers. I wrapped the diapers in plastic bags and bound them with rubber bands to make room in my carry-on.

I usually had a few brand new toys to give the older children, once we were on the plane. I also brought quiet, easy-to-pack toys like coloring things, stickers, pipe cleaners, small plastic animals or cars, etc. I found that simple things kept them occupied best. I did get a portable DVD player once they were older but my kids were not good "screen watchers" and not good about wearing the headphones (don't even think about playing it over the speakers).

For more information, nine years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed;
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com

C'est en anglais mais n'hestiatez pas de me contacter si vous avez encore des questions. Mon email est à la fin d'article. Je suis en France depuis 13 ans.

Bonne chance!

Advice for taking our 19 month old son on a long-haul flight (30+ hours)?




Steven Jen


Hi, later this year my partner and I are taking our son who will be 19 months old on his first ever flight but I for one am dreading it as it is a long-haul flight going from New Zealand to the UK (via Australia/Singapore and possibly Dubai - depending on which airline we finally decide to book with) for a 3 week stay.

As most boys probably are, our son is very energetic, won't stay still very long at all and gets very bored easily so needs lots of entertaining.

The trip will be well worth it when we do get to the UK as our son has never met any of my side of the family who are all over there. So knowing that alone will help us cope somewhat with any stresses of flying with a young child.

Any advice/tip's/experiences shared etc to help ease the journey will be very much appreciated.

Thanks



Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly transatlantics alone a lot with my three children.

This is a long flight and you're going to need to be organized. I wont lie to you and I have to admit that this was probably the worst age for air travel. They love to move but don't have the reasoning to talk about the fact that sometimes they have to be seated, etc.

I recommend that instead of a diaper bag, purse, etc. you opt for a large backpack. Mine goes up to my knee when placed on the ground. Bring at least two changes of clothes and way more diapers than he usually goes through in the same time frame. He will need more than usual. Take out packs of 10, straight from the pack so that they're really flat and put in a plastic bag, Bind with rubber bands and this will make space. Clothes are rolled, placed in plastic and also bound with rubber bands. Split the supplies between both of you in case you're separated or just so that one can take him somewhere without having to fuss with the gear.

My kids at that age were too active for portable DVD players, although they were useful later. You actually have a number of options as far as gadgets that play movies so find out what works for you and if you think it'll keep him occupied. One tip I got was to burn the movies on to your hard drive if you're bringing a computer to save battery time while watching. Make sure he wears the headphones. Practice at home if necessary.

I found simple toys worked best; toy trucks, toy cars, plastic animals, coloring things (magadoodles as well as old fashioned pens and paper), chunky books with openable flaps, pinwheels, plastic rings that click together, pipe cleaners, play dough, etc. Nothing that makes noise. Even a quiet noise played 10,000 will drive your fellow passengers batty. Make sure some of the toys are new (or at least never seen before) so you can "present" them at critical times, like to offset a tantrum and after the plane pulls away from the gate and everyone is supposed to be seated.

Try to get him off of bottles and on to a sippy cup if possible. But if he's like my son, good luck! Chances are he wont so opt for the bottles with disposable plastic liners. Get the flat liners (not "pop-ins"), premeasure the powder in each, roll it up and put in a ziplock.

I really recommend that he have his own seat. This is a LONG time to be on your laps and he's going to be big and heavy. If you opt to save money, try to get an empty seat on the plane beside you. They often do this for families. Be really nice at check-in.

I always fly with a car seat. This is a whole, big subject. Babies are quieter and more comfortable in their own familiar car seat, as well as much, much safer. It's not that big a deal to take it along. I simply strapped mine to a metal luggage cart and pulled it behind me with the carry-on bags. You do want to check your car seat's compatibility, before you book. Make sure you can use it on board. Different airlines have different rules.

Be sure not to check it as luggage. They often get lost and/or broken en route so either use it on board or gate-check it. You may want to arrange a car seat at your destination but please never use one from a rental car company. Have relatives ask around and make sure it's not too old.

I really recommend a good baby carrier. It is the secret to successfully flying with children. He's far too big for one of those dire "front packs" (like the Bjorn) but something comfortable and perhaps with a back carry is good. If you don't already use a sling or wrap, you may want to get a Mei Tai, Ergo, Beco or similar carrier. They're soft, easy to take along and are magic for calming overtired babies on flights (experience speaking!) Also, in big scary airports, toddlers don't always sit nicely in their strollers and want to be held. As a Flight Attendant, I saw far too many parents trying to get through airports with clingy and sleeping babies over their shoulders. Don't be one of them!

Please don't fret over ears. It's actually a myth that babies have to suck on something for take-off and landing. Sure, if you want to offer a cup to drink, not on landing but at the top of descent (landing is too late) when everyone's ears have to reverse pressure, do so. This is about an hour before. What I do recommend is that you schedule a doctor's visit and make sure he doesn't have any ear blockages or infections. These are dangerous and painful to fly with so just have someone look in his ears. We "caught" one in my toddler son once. But on the flight itself, there is no reason to unnecessarily wake up your child or force him to drink if he doesn't want to.

For more information, nine years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed;
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com

Have a great tr




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