Saturday, March 1, 2008

Traveling with Kids

Okay... I currently have two things that are freaking me out and I think some of you could help me out on.
#1 - my impending 5 weeks of single motherhood. Brian has an internship in Berlin this summer and he leaves near the end of April. Allison and I will be going with him, but I have to finish out the school year (I teach science) before we can go. It'll be about five weeks on my own before we get to follow. Does anyone how advice for me (either personal experience or someone else's experience) to help me survive 5 weeks for single motherhood? My mom will be coming to stay for a few days (mostly to babysit while I work), but beyond that, I'm on my own.

#2 - Before my stint as a single mom ends I have to make through a 18 hours of transatlantic travel with a 10 month old. This TERRIFIES ME! I have requested the airline bassinet on the bulkhead row for the flight leg to Europe, but its still a very long time to manage a very small child in a small, crowded space. Any advise for how to travel with kids internationally? Along the same subject lines, when we get to Berlin it will be 8 am local time... 1 am Utah time. How do I get her changed over to the new time zone? I would LOVE any advice that anyone had to offer me.

2 comments:

Bridget said...

I can't help you with #1, but we have lots of experience with your second question.

First, just remember that you and your baby WILL get there, no matter what. Even if everything goes horribly on the flight, at the end of it all you will get to walk off the plane and away from any problems you had :). That helped a lot to stave off the insanity during our transatlantic flights with Miriam.

Bring tons of snacks, a few absolutely new-to-your-baby toys, and at least two changes of clothing (besides what he/she is wearing).

The bulkhead bassinet seat is awesome. If nothing else, it's a place for the baby to perch and observe everyone else and NOT be on your lap for once. But watch the stewardesses - some of them are strict about you only having the baby in there while it's sleeping.

That's it. There is no magic formula. You just pass the time, somehow, and everything works out in the end. We've gone on lots of domestic flights and four transatlantic flights with our now 2.5-year-old and we've never not made it.

Ask your doctor about melatonin for your baby for the time zone change. I've never used it with Miriam - she's always just adjusted, better than we have (maybe they take their cues from sunlight better), but it might be an option if you get desperate.

Nancy said...

I'd take Bridget's advice. She does SO WELL with Miriam and works so hard to keep her happy and quiet the whole way.

I'm glad that you asked this question, though, because we'll be facing this soon ourselves (hopefully). :)