Traveling with Children: Planes, Trains, and "Are We There Yet?"

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/traveling-with-children-planes-trains-and-are-we-there-yet/5015776/

�" Situation �" I’m taking my daughter, who is 31?2, from Los Angeles to Boston to visit my parents. We will be in the air six hours then three-and-a-half, with a four-hour stop over between flights. Any travel tips? This summer we are driving from Tucson to Sacramento to see my brother. We’ll be in the car for a day and a half each way. How can I keep my three and five year olds from debating over which square-inch of the seat belongs to one or the other for several hundred miles? �" Solution �" Three Big Words Before any family travel, chant these three words daily: Prevention! Prevention! Prevention! The best way to prevent displaying one’s parenting skills while wrestling a child into an aircraft seatbelt, chasing offspring across runways, or pounding on the bathroom door insisting that the child inside “Open up,” to let her sister use the toilet “NOW!” is to never get into these situations. The Rules What behavior is expected? This requires planning. Will seatbelts be needed? When? Explain about seatbelt lights and the rules of air travel. Can car seats be unbuckled to lay down for a nap? Why not? What will make sleeping in a car easier? Small pillows? Lap blankets? ...