Im 18 and i really really want a baby... ever since i was little i have and now i am old enough.. what do you think? is it ok to want a baby so young?!?
Answer
You are a girl and your maternal instinct is normal. However, you have so much time left. You are at an age where you can go do things for just YOU... not for your parents, a husband, and your children. Those are responsibilities that you can put off for years and still be in your "prime". Go travel, go to school, hang out with friends, enjoy this time. It's ok to want to be a mother, but once you are, there is no turning back. I got married at 20 and had my son at 22. I am 23 now. I do not regret my son or husband at all, but all my friends my age are in college or just graduating, some are backpacking in Europe, some are just enjoying weekends with just themselves or a boyfriend. My advice is don't rush it. Have some "childless" time, some more experiences, so you can tell your future children about them. Please put all your thought and consideration into it and don't have a child on just a whim, they are too precious to be dealt with thoughtlessly. God bless!
Traveling with three children under age 6 to Alaska, any suggestions on how to make this an easy trip?
chjcmcrzyf
their ages are 1, 3, & 5, any advice someone can give will be great.
Answer
I've flown alone with my kids at those ages between Europe and California. We also flew to Italy from France that year...
I'm also an ex-Flight Attendant and we do those transatlantics about twice a year. I have never used any sort of medication to get my kids to sleep. They usually do so on their own and twice when I was working, I saw meds go very wrong with children. Sometimes they make the child hyper. They also aren't harmless. I ended up in the ER at age 7 from Benedryl. It was an allergic reaction and my parents, both medical professionals (so no mistakes they made) couldn't find my pulse. Allergies to antihistimines are common.
I actually found it easier to use a single stroller, left the double at home, and then have the baby in a carrier. I used a sling because it carries them up to age 2-3 and was much more comfortable and useful than those front packs (like Bjorns) that hung off my shoulders (ouch!). For bigger babies, Ergos and Beccos are popular and the baby can go on your back. I could get through security eaiser. Sometimes the older ones would walk, then the little one could go in the stroller or the stroller was used for bags.
After collecting the bags, I would fold the stroller, throw it on the luggage cart with the bags, keep the baby in the carrier and make the older two (or one, before I had the third) walk.
Don't count on getting any help at the airport. Basically, there are so many families flying, the ground staff has to prioritize the handicapped passengers first. When you arrive, be among the last to exit the plane and the F/A's can help you better then. We used to exit the plane with the families, each grabbing a bag or a child...
The only way to fly safely with a baby is to have his own seat and to bring the car seat along. Commercial air travel in general is safe so babies are allowed in laps since the statistical risk of anything going wrong is so low.
You can also ask at check-in if it's possible to get a free seat next to you. Bringing the seat kind of solidifies your arguement and if you don't manage it, the seat can be gate checked with the stroller. I can tell you that the fuss of getting the car seat to the aircraft is worth the peace it gives me onboard. My children sleep much better in their familiar seat.
This way, the seat will get to your destination without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. On my last transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it but since we had the car seat with us, my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later). I saw at least two other seats while looking for our luggage. Wonder how they got home?
There are a lot of gizmos to get carseats to the gate, including one that you can wear like a backpack and some where the baby can ride in the carseat like a stroller. I'm not promoting any of these sites, they're just to show you examples;
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html
http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Attach-Rolling-Carry/dp/B000JHN3AS
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/363756.html
Decide what works for you. Some parents are able to bungee cord their car seats on to the stroller. I use a simple metal luggage cart with an extra bungee cord. Try it at home first!
Just some other odd tips;
-Try to sit in the "bulkhead" seats, those with a wall in front, even if you can't use the bassinet.
-Bring about 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need...at least! Put them in plastic bags, make at least two "packages" and wrap them with rubber bands to pack them more easily.
-Learn to change the little one standing up. Practice at home first! This will make it easier and faster, plus, you wont have to search around for baby changers. Depending on how big and cooperative he is, bigger babies and toddlers hate to lie down in strange places and I use the handicapped lavs instead.
-Bring changes of clothes. Do the same trick with the plastic bags and rubber bands to save space in your bag.
-Bring a lot of snacks. Don't worry about security. If it's not allowed, they simply take it from you. I've never had this happen. They're stricter with drinks.
-Bring empty sippy cups to use onboard.
-If your baby uses bottles, use the kind with disposable liners. Airplanes have bad sinks for washing bottles.
-Make sure the bottles don't have to be warmed. It's not necessary and pain to do while travelling in general.
-Bring small baby food jars, disposable bibs and spoons. Smaller jars are easier to warm and can be thrown out after one meal.
-Consider ordering special meals. Kids usually hate the standard fare.
-Bring brand new toys to surprise them with onboard. These keep them occupied.
-If you opt to use a portable DVD player, make sure they're used to wearing the earphones, or can watch it without sound. Make sure it's fully charged before leaving and bring the recharger. I only allow it inflight for my kids.
- Talk to your older child about security and that he has to put all his things on the belt and perhaps take off his shoes. My kids are fine with flying but security can be intimitating for any child.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm
Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have children awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).
http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandaltitude.htm
I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. Take your children to the doctor in the last few days before you fly to make sure their ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes.
About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed, both on line and in Real Life. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.
Feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Have a great trip!
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