What to Expect the Toddler Years (89 page)

If you’re traveling with another adult, your travel agent may be able, on uncrowded flights, to book an aisle and window seat with an empty seat between. If you specify that you have a lap child, the airline won’t sell that seat unless absolutely necessary. As long as the seat stays unbooked, you’ve got a free seat for your toddler. If it doesn’t, you can be pretty sure the middleman (or woman) will be willing to trade seats with one of you rather than having a toddler passed back and forth over his or her lap during the entire flight.

Favor the aisle.
Children love window seats—but you’ll hate not having access to the aisle. So if you’re traveling alone with your toddler on your lap, opt for the aisle—otherwise you’re going to end up trying the patience of those you’ll have to keep scrambling over in order to take your restless toddler to the potty or for a walk. Of course, if your party fills the entire row, you can have your aisle and your window seat, too. When booking a window seat, be sure to ask for one that doesn’t overlook the wing, which will block most of the view. Also be sure that you aren’t seated in an emergency exit row; they are restricted to adults only. A seat near the kitchen facilities is noisy and lacks privacy (a problem particularly if you’re still nursing), but provides easy access to the toilets and to flight attendants.

Parents often favor bulkhead seats because they provide extra room forward of the seats for a toddler to kick up his or her heels (without annoying the passenger in front) and to play or sleep on the floor when the seat belt sign is off. But these advantages don’t stack well
against the many disadvantages: Trays unfold over your lap, leaving no room for your child; the armrest usually can’t be raised (which means your toddler can’t spread out across two seats to nap); you’re right on top of the movie screen, if there is one; because there’s less oxygen at floor level, a toddler playing or sleeping on the floor is in danger of being deprived of oxygen if the oxygen levels in the cabin drop suddenly; the child on the floor may also be knocked about if there is sudden turbulence; there’s no underseat storage so that even your bare necessities must be stored overhead during takeoff and landing.

Smoking is not permitted on flights within the continental United States, and it’s banned on almost all international flights (hurray!). Check with your travel agent to learn the rules for your flight.

Don’t take meal service for granted.
Food on domestic flights has just about disappeared (you may still find it on international flights), so what might have been a meal may now only be a snack for purchase—if that. Call ahead to find out exactly what will be served and if special children’s or toddler meals are available. Other “special” meals to consider requesting, depending on your toddler’s tastes: a fruit and cheese plate or cold cereal. Sometimes a snack means nothing more than a beverage and a bag of pretzels, which, as a choking hazard, are off-limits for fours-and-under. And no matter what fare’s been promised, don’t ever board without your own supply of toddler-appropriate sustenance (see page 251 for suggestions). Takeoff delays can result in mealtime delays, food service carts can move at a maddeningly slow rate down the aisles, and special meals sometimes don’t show up at all.

Since fluids are particularly important when flying (the air in a plane is very dry), be sure to pick up your toddler’s favorite beverages in the secure boarding area once you’ve cleared the metal detector checkpoint. In addition, because of heightened security on planes and in airports, be sure to check out the Transportation Security Administration at
www.tsa.gov
for the latest information about bringing other liquids on flights. There’s also helpful information from the TSA on traveling with children, including tips on how to handle breast milk, formula, and other baby and toddler necessities you’ll definitely need while flying the friendly skies.

Dress for the occasion.
Sunday best is not the apparel of choice for travel; dress in comfortable clothing that can accept spills with impunity and look good even when rumpled. If you want everyone spruced up at your destination, change when you get there or bring a “dressy” accessory, such as a hat or vest, to don before deplaning. Because temperatures are unpredictable, dress in layers. For example, for cold weather travel, dress your toddler in a T-shirt topped with a long-sleeved polo and then a sweatshirt or sweater, so that you can add or remove layers as the temperature on the plane or in the airport warrants. Also be sure that your toddler’s clothing will allow for easy diaper changes or bathroom use.

Take advantage of curbside check-in.
To avoid having to lug your luggage through a sprawling airport, check everything but valuables and the essentials (your toddler’s backpack of toys, your tote bag) through at the curb. To avoid having to lug your toddler, rent a luggage cart, which has a built-in child seat, at the airport or—if your airline allows you to carry one on—bring a lightweight stroller for getting around the airport. If you’re taking a stroller for use at your destination and can’t carry it on board, ask the porter to box it for you to prevent it being mangled in the cargo hold by heavy suitcases.

Don’t preboard.
Passengers with small children are generally given this option, but the earlier you board, the longer you have to stay in the plane’s cramped quarters. If there are two adults in your party, one can board early with the bags while the other waits with the toddler in the comparatively wide open spaces of the waiting area until the last boarding call is made. Before boarding, however, be sure to make a bathroom or diaper-changing stop. Both will be more difficult to accomplish on the plane, especially during taxi and takeoff, when you’re not allowed out of your seat. When you do change your toddler on board, wrap used diapers well in a bag before tossing them out in the rest room.

Know what to ask for.
Pillows, blankets, playing cards, and often fun packs for junior travelers (make sure they’re safe for your toddler’s age), are all usually there for the asking. It’s also sometimes possible to tour the cockpit during boarding or after landing.

Fear for the ears.
Pressurization of the cabin on takeoff and depressurization on landing is notoriously tough on little ears, with any resultant lusty complaining notoriously tough on any big ears sitting nearby. If your toddler’s still on a bottle or breast, sucking during takeoff and landing can help by encouraging swallowing, which helps release the pressure that builds up in the ears. (Start as the plane starts speeding down the runway and again when the pilot announces, “We are beginning our descent.”) If not, let your toddler drink from a cup or a thermos with a built-in straw; munch on a snack that requires a lot of chewing; or, if he or she is old enough to be trusted not to swallow it, chew gum (most aren’t until at least school age).

One of these popular home remedies for popping the ears when the pressure builds up in the eustachian tube may also help:

Hot towels. Ask the flight attendant to heat two towels. After checking to be sure they are not too hot (touch them to your inner forearm), place one towel over each ear. The heat expands the air in the middle ear, relieving the negative pressure on the eardrum.

Hot cups. Wet a couple of paper napkins or towels with hot, but not scalding, water (ask the flight attendant to do this if you can’t; be sure to check that the towels aren’t burning hot), wad them into two paper cups, and hold a cup over each ear. Again, the heat relieves the pressure.

Blowing. If your toddler knows how to blow through the nose, have him or her do this while you hold both nostrils closed. Though initially painful, this pops the ears and relieves the pressure. Blockage of the eustachian tubes due to nasal congestion from a cold or allergy can make ear pain much more likely and more severe. If your toddler has been sick, check with his or her doctor before flying. The doctor may recommend giving an antihistamine and/or decongestant an hour before takeoff and, if the flight lasts longer than the medication, an hour before landing. Or the doctor may suggest postponing the trip entirely.

If all else fails and your toddler screams all the way up and all the way down, ignore the dirty looks from other passengers. (Remember it’s likely you’ll never see them again.) And keep in mind that the screaming will help reduce the pressure on your toddler’s ear drums and ease the pain.

Put safety first.
If your child is over two and/or is occupying a seat, plan to bring an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)-approved car seat aboard. Babies should ride in a rear-facing infant seat until they
are at least 20 pounds (some seats may accommodate up to 22 pounds) and 1 year of age; tots over a year, weighing 20 to 40 pounds, can ride in a forward-facing one; children over 40 pounds should use the provided lap seat belt. Some airlines will allow you to reserve a plane seat for the car seat at a discounted rate. Know how to operate your child’s safety seat and how to open it quickly in an emergency. If you’re ordered to evacuate, take only your child; leave the car seat and all your other possessions.

If your toddler is on your lap,
do not
belt him or her in with you—serious injury could result from even a mild impact. But do secure your belt and then hold your toddler around the waist with your hands grasping your wrists during takeoffs and landings. Do not allow your toddler to wander around alone in the aisles or to sleep or play on the floor, because of the risk of injury if the plane should suddenly hit an area of turbulence.

Also carefully review the use of oxygen masks and know where there are extras in case your child doesn’t have a seat (and therefore a mask) of his or her own. Remember, always put on your own mask first and then attend to your child’s. If you try to do it the other way around in a low-oxygen emergency, you could lose consciousness before you manage to get either mask on.

Book in advance.
Ordering train tickets in advance from a travel agent allows you to arrive at the train station with tickets in hand, so you won’t have to wait on a long ticket line. If it’s possible to make seat or compartment reservations, then do this in advance, too. Remember, however, that coach reservations guarantee a seat for each ticket, but not that those seats are together. Ask if children’s meals are available on the train you’re planning to take and just what they include; if they sound appealing (they may not), order ahead when possible.

When possible, travel during off-peak hours.
Peak travel times can be very crowded, especially during holiday seasons. Try to pick off-peak times. A late evening train may be a good choice if your toddler is likely to sleep during the trip.