- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- home style today articles
- home style today q&a
- traveling today articles
- traveling today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Baby or Toddler on Board
Planning a Summer Vacation with Small Children
By Jacqueline Bodnar
Children over 1 year of age are much more problematic. The plane can be a scary experience, and toddlers and small kids don't take well to sitting in one place for long periods of time. "The best strategy for a peaceful plane ride for young children may be for them to be sleep-deprived before going on board and having a serving of warm milk," Dr. Dover says. Games, books and snacks can also head off a tantrum and save your reputation among the other passengers.
How about the commonly given advice to give kids antihistamines or decongestants before a flight? Dr. Dover advises against it. "Decongestants tend to excite or agitate, and may interfere with sleep, which one hopes to enjoy, especially for long flights," he says. "Antihistamines usually cause drowsiness but sometimes in children will have the opposite effect, along with irritability and disorientation. None of these medications are appropriate for the child under 1 year of age."
Shannon Mcleish, a mother of two girls ages 2 and 4 in Ormond Beach, Fla., has found that timing is everything when her family takes a road trip. "For driving vacations, we tried to plot our course around fun things to do that would let the kids get out and stretch and play, saving most of the drive time for naps and nighttime," she says.
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||