Parental Advisory 9
When is it safe to travel with a newborn?
by Rebecca Odes & Ceridwen Morris
February 7, 2007
I love my kid, but I am really finding it hard to "play" all the time. He's into this imaginative play now, and I just can't muster the energy to make the plastic knights talk to each other for more than twenty minutes. I'd literally rather do the laundry. — Sir Gala-had-it
Dear Sir Gala-had-it,
Twenty minutes! Mothers who can come up with knight dialogue for a full twenty minutes should at least get a TV deal with the History Channel. Your problem has nothing to do with your lack of imagination, but with your expectations. First of all, of course you love your kid. Second of all, of course he bores you! You're not the first parent to nod off with an action figure in your hand. All parents are bored by their own precious children some of the time — even seemingly child-obsessed Angelina Jolie recently (and refreshingly) called her baby a "blob." The fact that you even know the term "imaginative play" indicates to us that you're a caring mother aware of your child's needs and abilities. Which is great. But you're a grown woman and you've run out of clean underwear. Do the laundry! Live it up a little. Your child can bring his favorite knight down to the laundry room and the three of you can load the machine.
When is it safe to travel with a newborn? We have been invited to stay at a friend's house for two weeks in the summer and our baby will only be five weeks in June. Also, should I buy the baby a seat? Or just carry her — the flight is about six hours each way. — Coffee, Tea or . . . Baby
Dear Coffee, Tea or . . . Baby,
There is no minimum travel age for newborns. Babies who are adopted, for example, often fly in the first days of life. Although it is true that planes can be germ fests, it is also true that babies and their parents have places to go and people to see. Some recommend that parents wait until after the baby has had his first round of shots before flying, but it's much more likely that a plane would be harboring cold germs than anything a vaccine might prevent. Parents of preemies and other babies with particular respiratory or immune challenges may want to think twice about travel. In any case, ask your pediatrician. She will probably have opinions or suggestions that you may want to take into account.
Traveling with a newborn can actually be a lot easier than traveling with a mobile baby or a toddler. If your baby is an avid nurser, he may be on the breast for a good part of the trip, which should keep him happy (you, maybe not so much). Sucking also helps babies' ears adjust to the pressure changes, so consider nursing or offering a bottle or pacifier on the way up and down. The safest place for a baby to be on the plane is strapped into his own car seat in a separate seat. But many can't — or would rather not — pay for an extra seat, especially on a short flight with a small baby. Babies under two are allowed to ride on a parent's lap. Buying a separate seat can make the difference between a tedious squirmfest and an arms-free flying experience, but it can also sit completely unused for the entire flight if your baby wants to be held. However you decide to travel, be prepared for a little stress if your baby cries on the flight. Despite the glares you may get — and some people are surprisingly understanding and sweet about babies — realize that your baby has as much right to be on the plane as anyone else. Enjoy your trip!
How do I get my toddler to learn how to clean up? Right now, playing seems to consist almost exclusively of dumping things everywhere. She's like a hurricane moving from room to room leaving a stream of colorful plastic debris in her path. — Tripping On Tinkerbells
Dear Tripping on Tinkerbells,
Here are a few tips to reduce the lego-flinging hurricanes to level one. All are cribbed from the finest pre-schools in the city. You may be lacking that extraordinary patience exhibited by many trained professionals, but eventually these habits can become second nature. A quick disclaimer: Everyone has a different idea of what "mess" is: the following tips are intended to help you and your daughter make some sense of playtime and clean-up, rather than instruct you in how to keep a perfectly tidy house. Whether you want things immaculate or just not totally disgusting is your business. In the meantime, try these:
The Container Store Solution. One big toy container may seem the easiest option, but it means your toddler must dump or otherwise distribute ALL contents on the floor in order to find the one tiny plastic elephant she's looking for. If you have toys in smaller containers and sorted by type, she can just go to the animal bin/box/bag/tub/bucket to find the elephant. Everything else stays put and she can focus more on one activity at a time. When it comes to cleaning up, the sorting element can be equally helpful: "Wait a minute, this doll doesn't go in the oven! It goes in the doll bin!" She may enjoy the thrill of getting things in the right place. Congratulate her. Cheer her on. Join in (but don't do it all yourself). Make it a challenge she can succeed at: "I'll do blocks, you do legos, let's see how fast we can do it!"
The Same Bat Time, Same Bat Place Solution. Make clean-up a regular part of the day. You can do it throughout the day or all at the end of the day. Some like the rule of putting things away before taking something else out. For others, cleaning up the exact minute you're done playing with a particular toy can put a bit of a damper on the flow. Also, toddlers may not be SURE they are done with the plastic pizza when they move over to the firefighters. But depending on the type of mess and your space, putting things away immediately may be necessary.
The Musical Theater Approach. Mary Poppins pulled this off with wit and supernatural style; you may sound slightly more pathetic with a cheering/lilting version of "clean up, clean up, everybody clean up!" But you may want to give it a try. Life with toddlers can, in fact, be a cabaret!
Have a question? Email parentaladvisory@babble.com
©2007 Rebecca Odes & Ceridwen Morris and Nerve Media
About the Author
|
|
Related Articles
|
|
|
|
-
by Rebecca Odes & Ceridwen Morris
I must protect my newborn from my 3-year-old's germs!
-
by Rebecca Odes & Ceridwen Morris
Should I listen to U.K. sleep guru Gina Ford?
-
by Rebecca Odes & Ceridwen Morris
Should my husband watch the baby come out?
|
