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Preparation best defence against travelling stress  

KATE TAVENDER FOR NEIGHBOURS

 
   Most parents have at least one air travel ordeal that makes them dread the thought of flying with kids.
   My worst memory involved all the usual air travel inconveniences like a five hour delay on the tarmac, a cranky four-year-old, and even crankier passengers who had to endure the inconsolable crying of my baby who wailed most of the trip home. It was a pretty run-of-the-mill flying experience but it was stressful nonetheless. No wonder parents like me get a little anxious when preparing for family plane trips.
   Low expectations and preparation may be a parent’s best defence against the stress. You should assume there’ll be a blizzard in Toronto that will throw off every arrival and departure in the country, or that your child might come down with the flu the day of you’re supposed to leave, and that at least once on board, you’ll be forced to change an exploding diaper in the claustrophobic confines of the airplane bathroom. This isn’t pessimism, it’s realism.
   “You really have to think of all the ‘what ifs’ before you get going,” says Stacey Corbett, owner of One Tiny Suitcase — a baby rental equipment company in Calgary. “When you add babies into the mix, you’ve got to think about entertaining them on board, what equipment do you bring… what emergency situations you need to be prepared for.”
   Corbett knows what she’s talking about. In addition to running her business, she’s also a veteran family traveller and mother of two-year-old twins who has learned some tips to help parents better manage air travel.
   To begin, she recommends trying to travel during hours that fit the child’s schedule. If you can time a trip over a regular naptime “odds are in your favour” that your child might sleep. Even so, parents should always plan for lots of awake-time on board and that means keeping kids entertained.
   Corbett recommends bringing toys that don’t make a lot of noise out of consideration for other passengers. She also suggests simple toys like Etch-ASketch or books with flaps rather than those with lots of pieces that can get lost. A new toy can also be a cure for restless kids.
   Corbett also suggests leaving the stroller and car seat behind. Both devices are big and bulky and can get damaged in transit. Strollers can be particularly troublesome if parents use them to get to the gate. En route, they’ll have to go through security where children must be removed from strollers or hard carriers.
   “You have to take (kids) out at the security checkpoint and have them not run away from you, collapse your stroller, get out your boarding pass, put everything on the belt,” explains Corbett.
   “In some of the airports in the U.S., you have to take off your shoes as well.”
   This kind of juggling act would leave many parents frazzled, which is why Corbett suggests using a soft carrier for babies young enough to still fit in them. This leaves parents hands free to get through security with the baby strapped in place.
   Strollers and car seats needed upon arrival can most easily be rented from a baby equipment rental company that exists in cities throughout Canada and the U.S., says Corbett. Car rental agencies can rarely guarantee customers a car seat, so a baby equipment rental business much like Corbett’s — that will deliver a car seat and any other necessary supplies to the airport or your accommodation — is an excellent solution for parents wanting to travel light.
   Travelling light may seem like a contradiction when you consider the need for an extra change of clothes, diapers and baby food (Corbett suggests premeasuring formula powder to make it easier to mix on board). But the days when parents could bring endless supplies on the plane are over. Security regulations — primarily a liquid restriction — place limits on everyone, including kids.
   The liquid rules have been significantly relaxed since the summer. Now, you can at least bring a small amount of liquid on board in your carry on. Baby formula, baby food and milk for children two years and under are exempt from the restrictions, but other liquids, gels and aerosols are affected.
   “Some people bring hand sanitizing gels, but with the travel restrictions, that’s not something you’d want to have. Instead, you could bring baby wipes,” says Corbett. “Ointments and creams that have been in your diaper bag for a long time are things you might want to leave behind and purchase on the other end.”
   Travel restrictions like these are in constant flux and may vary from country to country. This makes flying all the more challenging for even the savviest of family travellers such as Emma Breitmeyer, whose most recent family trip was to the U.K.
   She made the journey back home to Calgary alone with her two kids. At the airport she was surprised by tightened regulations that impacted her two-yearold son, Benjamin.
   “I wasn’t allowed to take any fluids (on board) unless it was formula,” says Breitmeyer. “I didn’t have Ben’s normal cup of milk to feed him and finally the airline was persuaded to find some milk for us — but that meant Ben was being difficult for a couple of hours.”
   Despite this, parents like Breitmeyer aren’t going to give up travelling with their kids anytime soon.
   “It’s an ordeal, but it’s part of our lives,” she says. “You just take a deep breath and expect the unexpected and prepare for the worst. And make sure there’s somebody there with a stiff whiskey at the other end.”
   For more information on travel restrictions in Canada, visit the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority website at www.catsa.gc.ca.

Calgary Herald November 2, 2006                              Link: Calgary Herald