HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

The most common travel horror stories that you hear have to do with either traveling with pets or young children.  For the most part, the trips are uneventful, but occasionally it is the one ill prepared person that sours the idea for travellers around them.  How many times have you heard about someone seeing dogs panting in a car while someone with out of state plates dined, or how many times has your seat been kicked on a plane by a child?
Little Jeffrey.  I remember his name, not because he said, “I’m four years old,” but because Jeffrey’s mother said his name all 2500 miles of the trip.

- Bill Cosby, Himself

Just like the immortalized “Jeffrey,” one rotten apple can spoil the whole bushel.  Unfortunately, hundreds of children and pets who travel well, and the adults who make it happen, go unnoticed. Instead, many people think that the world is made up of Jeffreys.  I have covered pet travel frequently, but baby travel is something equally, or even more important to consider due to the amount of planning involved.  If you follow these tips, your trip will be more pleasant for your family and those around you.

Young babies are often excellent travellers, because they often sleep through a plane or car ride. To prevent a baby from crying when he or she feels a pressure change on the plane, be prepared with a bottle. Feeding the baby alleviates pressure in the ears, just like sometimes swallowing or chewing gum does for us. In fact, there was a well prepared couple on my last trip, and I didn’t even notice the baby was there!

Babytravel.com, a site that rates hotels for child safety and amenities, had a great suggestion.  Always bring masking tape with you when travelling with a baby or a toddler.  You can easily use it to baby proof a hotel room. Of course, a child should never be left unattended, but it is possible for a parent to miss something.  The tape can be safely used to cover electrical outlets.   An additional use is to tie up the cords to window blinds safely out of reach, without damaging hotel property.  Corners of glass tables can also be made just slightly safer as well.

Young children can sit on a parent’s lap on the plane.  However, if your child is a squirmer, please pay for a seat and bring their car seat if it is the correct size for the plane.   It will help the child relax.   There is even something called a Travelmate, which turns a car seat into a wheeled piece of luggage.  BabySafeTravel.com shows handy items like it on their site as well.  You can wheel a toddler through an airport.  It saves money and bulk because you don’t have to rent a car seat at your destination and is much easier to navigate through a crowd.  Also, you can leave the stroller at home, too, depending on your destination.   It is okay for inside but doesn’t suit the purposes of an all terrain journey.  They have stroller rental at theme parks, of course.

Another bulky item that you may also want to leave home is the baby gate. If you are visiting a relative whom you plan to visit frequently, purchase one at a local store and leave it at your destination for pets and kids.  Leave the baby gate at home, versus struggling to fit it on the plane.

By thinking ahead and making the proper calls and making the right decisions, a trip with a young child doesn’t have to be something to cry about.

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