Traveling with baby
1. Take advantage of the âfly free under 2â rule for as long as you can.
2. Buy enough diapers for the plane ride plus one day and buy more on arrival. Ditto for formula, unless traveling abroad where formula is sometimes unavailable.
3. Use a good lightweight stroller inside the airport and gate-check it as you board.
4. Eat out early so you can still enjoy good restaurants.
5. Dial down your expectations for a day out with baby since youâll still have to plan around naps and breaks.
My wife and I have always loved to travel. We have both lived abroad and had a long-distance romance that spanned four countries and five states before we finally tied the knot. We never considered ending our travel with the arrival of baby #1, nor then with baby #2. We knew the kids would slow us down somewhat, perhaps force us to postpone more rugged adventures, but giving up on one of our life loves was never part of our life plan. In fact, I've always said that if you are looking for an excuse to stay home and on the couch, never go out again, never do anything adventurous, then having a baby is a perfect solution. On the other hand, having a baby (and eventually a child or teenager) travel with you is a new experience, and one that is part and parcel of being in a family. Sure, my wife and I have taken short breaks away from the kids - that's very important too - but we've always felt very strongly that a family does things together, including travel. Families, where each individual member splits to be alone in their corner may as well change their designation to roommates. If you want a family that hangs together long after they no longer need you to fill up the sippee cup, you have to spend what people refer to as âquality timeâ with them. And, for dads, that often means sharing with them things that you love to do, to instill in them that same love, but also so you can have fun too.
The Wall Street Journal did a story last week on traveling with baby. In classic WSJ fashion, the article reviewed all the services you can hire to do the work. There are actually services that will buy the diapers and formula in your destination city so that they are waiting for you when you arrive at your hotel (BabiesTravellite.com, JetSetBabies.com). While attractive to some, especially if youâre traveling alone with extra kids, these services seem harder to manage than the actual work they are trying to replace.
Packing for baby
We always found that it was easy to pack extra diapers in our suitcase (6-8 per day), as well as extra cans of formula that disappeared and left extra room in our suitcase by tripâs end, but you can also plan on buying these items when you touch down (an exception is overseas travel, where we found some cultures where formula is basically unavailable). This helps us cut down on our own over-packing and even with two kids, weâve never taken more than three suitcases, and I think that is still too much. Despite our worst fears, weâve always found that almost all American hotels and most European hotels are well-stocked on baby supplies like cribs and high chairs. On the other hand, you may have to bring along a stroller, and consider a car seat if you donât want to pop for the extra $8 a day the rental car companies charge for seats. For this reason, make sure any carry-on bags have a good strap you can hang on the stroller, so you have your hands free. The Mackenzie Kids series of bags is a good choice for this. They seem to be designed with how you'll use them in mind, and while expensive, our one bag has lasted through two kids and many, many trips both across town and across the country.
Iâd recommend the Maclaren Triumph Stroller ($139.99). It comes in a variety of colors, it only weighs 11 pounds, it has a shoulder harness for hands-free carrying (not for long distances though) and it comes with an easy-to-pack clear rain cover to protect against wind and water. For an additional $150, the 2006 Techno XT Stroller also looks pretty cool and comes with a few extras, including more reclining positions and a UV protection clear rain cover (oxymoronically).
You might also want to pack a Bundle Me ($49.92), which is a fleece-lined insert for the stroller. Itâs perfect for cold days and could double as an extra blanket if needed.
On the plane
Babies under two years still travel free on the lap, though there are rumors that this perk may soon be coming to an end. Most airlines charge a hefty service fee ($100 on United) for overseas flights for the same privilege. Before you even consider buying that extra seat until they are over two, remember that the baby will probably be on your lap anyway during the entire flights. So, unless you need an expensive place to keep your unread newspaper and magazines, take advantage of this free ride for as long as possible. Donât forget the sippee cup, bottle and binkey. If you do, the plane ride will be a descent into hell, because little ears often can not handle take-offs and landings without sucking on something. If mom is there and still nursing, you're in luck; you can read the paper in peace. If not, you'll be playing hot potato with the baby for at least a half hour up and a half hour down. We lost the sippee cup one time on the way to the airport and were able to get one at Travelers Aid at the last minute.
One gadget (and we love gadgets) you may want to consider sticking at the bottom of the diaper bag is a water bottle adapter. This small piece of plastic allows you to use a soda or water bottle as a baby bottle and includes an extra nipple. At $.99 on eBay, its value to you as an always prepared dad would be immeasurable.
While often harried, Iâve always found airline service staff to be very good at warming bottles or fetching hot water for formula. Donât expect them to wait on you, but they can be very helpful.
A word to the wise on diapers for the plane: carry many extras. Planes get delayed or cancelled, and some end up sitting on the tarmac for hours. Don't become a horror story of a panicked parent down to the last diaper with a diarrheic baby leaking all over you and your neighbors. We have asked strangers to borrow a diaper when really stuck, but wouldn't want to start bartering for one in a closed market environment where demand might really far exceed supply.
Dining out
Weâve eaten at dozens of great restaurants over the years, sometimes with a dozing child on our lap. However, the biggest caveat here is that kids will behave in a strange restaurant the same way they will behave at home. If you know your child will never sit through a dinner at home, donât do as we do. Weâve never been afraid to finish up a dinner quickly if the kids have really had enough, but weâve also never shied away from having a full meal. Go to eat as early as possible, while the staff is fresh and accommodating. Weâve always found wait staff to be super-understanding and welcoming to our kids.
A day with baby
Finally, youâre now traveling with a third person who has input into the activities of the day. Luckily, babies enjoy many things parents do: a walk through the park, a trip to a museum, or just people-watching from the luxury of their stroller. And, unlike us, they can just close their eyes and nod off whenever they get bored or tired. If you time it right, during those moments, you and your wife might even have a little bit of time to yourself to muse about life before children and all the freedom you had.
Find features advice from experienced dads on parenting, dad care, pregnancy care, adoption, newborn baby, and on raising kids and teens.This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_202016_40.html
Keywords: artic, dads, designation, diapers, ditto, excuse, having a baby, knot, naps, new experience, perfect solution, plane ride, quality time, roommates, short breaks, stroller, traveling with baby, wall street
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