Survive holiday season travel

Safe travel with kids in tow…

Traveling can be stressful and hectic no matter how you plan to get from A to B. It’s vital that you don’t let the journey distract you from keeping your kids safe…

Traveling by airplane

• Allow plenty of time to get through security, especially when traveling with younger children. Log onto the Transportation Security Administration website to check up-to-date security rules before you travel.
  
• Explain the airport screening process to your kids ahead of your trip. Let them know that their bags (backpack, dolls, etc) will be put in the X-ray machine and will come out the other end and be returned to them.
• Warn them to watch what they say Discuss the fact that it’s against the law to make threats such as “I have a bomb in my bag.” Threats made jokingly (even by a child) can result in the entire family being delayed and could result in fines.
• Seat your child safely As with car travel, your baby or toddler (and any child weighing less than 40Ib) is best protected on an airplane when properly restrained in a car safety seat appropriate for her age, weight and height, which meets airline safety requirements. You can also consider using a restraint made only for use on airplanes and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Belt-positioning booster seats cannot be used on airplanes, but they can be checked as luggage so you have them for use in rental cars and taxis.
• Seat kids separately Although the FAA allows under-2s to be held on an adult’s lap, the AAP recommends that families explore options to ensure that each child has his own seat. Discounted fares may be available, but if it isn’t feasible for you to purchase a ticket for a small child, try to select a flight that’s likely to have empty seats.
• Keep them occupied Pack a bag of toys and snacks to keep your child occupied during the flight.
• Ensure they’re comfortable In order to decrease ear pain during descent, encourage your infant to nurse or suck on a bottle. Older children can try chewing gum or filling up a cup of water and blowing bubbles through a straw (4+) or blowing up a balloon (8+).
• Get health advice from your pediatrician before flying with a newborn or infant who has chronic heart or lung problems, or upper or lower respiratory symptoms. Consult your pediatrician if flying within two weeks of an episode of an ear infection or ear surgery.

Not sure if you can use your child’s car seat on a plane? Most seats manufactured after 1981 have a label stating that they meet federal safety standards for use on a plane – if you’re unsure, call the National Department of Transportation's Auto Safety hotline at 800-424-9393

 

Traveling by car

• Always use a car safety seat for infants and children weighing under 40Ib. A rear-facing car seat should be used until your child is at least 12 months of age, and weighs at least 20Ib. After he has reached those milestones, he can ride in a forward-facing car seat – however, it is better to keep him rear-facing to the highest weight and/or height allowed by his car safety seat.
• Boost bigger children A child who has outgrown her car safety seat with a harness (she has reached the top weight or height allowed for her seat, her shoulders are above the top harness slots, or her ears have reached the top of the seat) should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits her properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).
• Seat kids in back of you All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles.
• Airbag safety Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag.
• Buckle up yourself Set a good example by always wearing your seat belt.
• Keep them entertained Children can easily become restless or irritable on a long road trip. Try to keep them occupied by pointing out interesting sights along the way and by bringing soft, lightweight toys and favorite CDs for a sing-along. Spot license plates from other states; play I Spy; make up funny rhymes.
• Have a break Plan to stop driving and give yourself and your child a break about every two hours.
• Never leave your child alone in a car Temperatures inside the car can reach deadly levels in minutes, and the child can die of heat stroke.

In addition to a travelers’ health kit parents should carry safe water and snacks, child-safe hand wipes, diaper rash ointment, and a water- and insect-proof ground sheet for safe play outside

 

International travel

• Check your child’s immunizations are up to date and ask your pediatrician if she might need additional vaccines.
• Adjust her body clock In order to avoid jet lag, adjust your child’s sleep schedule two or three days before departure. After arrival, children should be encouraged to be active outside or in brightly lit areas during daylight hours to promote adjustment.
• Ensure hotels are safe Conditions at hotels and other lodging may not be as safe as those in the US. Carefully inspect for exposed wiring, pest poisons, paint chips or inadequate stairway or balcony railings.

 

Was this article helpful?