Traveling With Tots: Kids Corner

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, June 25 and October 22, 2006
Show 317

Your bags are packed and you found the best way to get there. Now, how do you handle a trip with a tot? The fun can fade fast on a family trip if you don't prepare properly. If you are terrified of becoming the parents of kids who scream their heads off for the first 15 minutes of the flight, remember that cabin air pressure changes, and start your baby drinking something or sucking on a pacifier. According to travel expert, Pauline Frommer, keeping kids entertained can help make long trips seem not so long. You want to bring a lot of toys and activities for your kids to play with, and you want to dole them out throughout the flight. If you are on a car trip, a fun thing you can do is take a toy-- it can even be an old toy-- and wrap it like a gift. Just the action of unwrapping can make the experience so special for a child that it could take a good 10 minutes. Also, plan to take some breaks from the car. Let the kids run off their energy at a rest stop. And babies will need to be checked frequently for dirty diapers. Don't forget to take along a well-stocked diaper bag. Diaper rash cream, travel size shampoos, lotions and soaps, and a first aid kit can make travel so much easier and safer. Once you do arrive, try to stick to your routine. The first night may be tough, especially if there is a time change. A nice warm bath can help settle kids down before bedtime. As for what you should pack-- a carry-on full of calmness, and a purse full of patience.