Flying with a toddler?

Mary

I'd like some helpful suggestions for flying with my 19 month old daughter.She has traveled with me a lot, about 10 times since she was 6 weeks, and has always been really good, but lately nothing seems to make her settle down. I bring juice, snacks, toys, coloring books, crayons, all her favorite stuff, but she screams and cries (this last time for an hour and a half of a two hour flight!)
I do everything to make she the altitude isn't hurting her ears too bad, like give her her sippy cup to drink on take off and landing.
Does anyone know of something SAFE to give her to make her sleepy? Do doctors prescribe anything for this kind of problem? HELP!

Answer
Hi,

Here's a little last resort idea for after the Dr. said all is well. Of course this age can not have gum in my opinion so try a starbust chew. These things I swear are as close to gum as you can get without it being gum. They need to chew and chew these things to get them soft enough to swallow. Maybe this would help if it is her ears.
Try a small piece of it at home so you know she can handle this type of candy first. You can cut them if you have to so it's just her size. Maybe a candy neckless that she doesn't know you have stashed away will grab her interest also. We bring playdo but, it sounds like you've tried the toy avenue already.
When we traveled with our little once we apologized to everyone as we went down the aisle before the plane even took off so they knew if he started screaming later we were covered. It can be very embarrassing and exhausting to have a little one who doesn't want to be on that plane!
Oh I have another idea. Go buy a cheap portable DVD player. Bring her some movies to watch. They love getting to wear the ear phones and Movies usually hold there interest. Just make sure you have a good battery or battery back up.
Good luck to you and all your fellow passengers

Travelling with an infant?

Spark

My wife and I are planning to travel abroad (from Canada) with our infant next year. What places do you recommend and are there websites that are good for this?

Answer
I've been to almost 60 countries on all continents (including Anarctica). I was an international Flight Attendant for 13 years and had most of my career and most of my travel before I had my own children starting at age 35. My husband was also a keen traveller before we met and we basically haven't stopped. I fly with mine about twice a year, between Europe and California since each was about 4 months old. We also have travelled within the U.S. and Europe with our little ones.

Where do I recommend? Depends on the season and the real question is not where but how. Actually, the only places I wouldn't recommend are locations with dodgy sanitation conditions and/or political unrest. Extreme hot or cold aren't ideal either. You have a lot of choice.

I personally, wouldn't want to go somewhere that you can't take advantage of what's on offer because of the little one. For example, you might not want to go skiing (unless there's a baby club and your child is old enough for it) or to amusement parks with tons of rides you enjoy. You'll be stuck with having to watch each other doing these types of things. Don't plan activities which wont accomodate a baby. You can dive and parasail again in a couple of years' time...

Please don't plan anything that needs constant relocating. If you want to see a specific region, park yourselves somewhere central, rent a car and make daytrips from that point. Repacking, checking in, checking out, etc. are a real pain with a baby.

If you go to a beach, stay ON the beach. Little ones are senstive to the sun and it can get messy with the sand. Don't intend on driving to a beach and hanging out there all day. It wont work.

Choose locations which are calm and family oriented. Don't have loud partiers and the thump-thump of a disco keeping your baby from sleeping. In Hawaii, for example, Kauai might be a better choice than Maui or Wakiki (which I don't recommend to anyone!)

Distance is not a problem for your baby (more a strain on your budget though) because small babies actually do very well on long haul flights.

I used to be a snob about All-Inclusive resorts (with that much traveling, I was a Youth Hostel addict!) but was I singing a different tune once I procreated. We moms need a break too. Food is taken care of and you can lounge around as you like or do whatever is offered right there. We were big Club Med fans but they jacked up their prices to the point I don't think it's value for money. We tried a couple of similar companies which were cheaper but we ended up with poor organization and bad food, among other complaints. Go onto Travel Advisor and get the real skinny on which ones are good. Take advantage of off-season deals.

We recently took our first cruise. This was a great way to travel with children because you don't really have to worry about the food and accomodation. You only have to unpack once (well, we stayed a few days in Rome prior). Only NCL, from what I understand, will have a baby club for really small ones but honestly, with an infant, you don't need it. Take him/her with you on shore excursions.

The drawback is that diapered babies and toddlers aren't allowed in the ships' pools. Also be careful of the age as different lines have different rules about the baby's age.

I honestly recommend to new parents to plan a trip before 8-9 months of age. I found that once the baby moves, travel, and everything else, become more complicated. By contrast, I would not advise going before 8 weeks of age. They are able earlier but honestly, the first two months can be tough so go for it and use that as your time frame. You have a nice 6 month window there. It is also much easier to travel if the child is purely breastfed (experience with both here!) and consider delaying solids until after your return, if the timing is right. If the child is bottlefed, get the kind of bottles which use disposable liners and use powdered formula. Traditional bottles are a pain to cart around, especially in the car or airplane.

Just as a general tip to make travel as well as the rest of your life easier with a baby, get a good carrier. By definition, that should be something that goes at least to age 2. Forget Bjorns and Snugglies and get something really comfortable like a sling, wrap, pouch, mei tai or ergo. These work much, much better.

Here are my flying tips if you need them eventually;
http://flyinwithchildren.blogspot.com

Some of my favorite sites;
traveladvisor.com
http://www.cruisecritic.com/cruisestyles/area.cfm?area=23
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49
http://www.clubmed.com/cgi-bin/clubmed55/clubmed/welcome.jsp

Have a good trip, wherever you decide!

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dude ranch family vacation with toddler?

liane

hi everybody

does anyone know about a great dude ranch or farm where we can spend our vacation around may june with our 2 year old.

i would like to find something where there are ponyrides and things to do with the 3 of us. i am not interested in something were they have things for only kids so that parents can do something alone, thats not what i am looking for.

anyone knows of any cool ranch in california or arizona or even somewhere else.

thanks
thanks, good to know, do you know anything about farm vacations?

Answer
The problem is dude ranches are not made for kids that small, at least not to do activities with their parents. Dude ranches cover a wide range, from real working ranches to resorts with horses. Still the main purpose is to put people on horses and get them out into the countryside. That isn't something for kids that small. Truth is you are at least 3 to 4 years too early for this kind of adventure with your child. When the time does come, I would recommend your child have riding lessons before showing up at a dude ranch, just to be on the safe side.

Sorry don't know anything about farm vacations.

Traveling with small kids is tough in it really limits your options. I took my kids to places like San Diego for the first 2-4 years. Between the pool, beach, zoo and Sea World, they were pretty happy. Of course then I would take another vacation just for me later.

Traveling to Jamaica..........?

ms daisy

Family of four,.. two adults and two toddlers......what would be a good budget for a two week stay?? Excluding air fare??

Answer
This all depends on what type of accommodation you seek.
Starfish resort is a nice place for families. $2400 could do for your room there. http://www.starfishresort.com

If you are looking for a villa a 2-bedroom one can be from $1,000 to $5,000 per week.

You can even opt to stay at a resort one week or at a villa another week. Probably stay in 2 different sections of the island like Negril and Port Antonio or Treasure Beach.

The cost of tours will vary. If you go on 5 tours during that time it will cost you around $1000 for you and your wife. Some tours may not be appropriate for children and many resorts and villas will have a child care facility.

Luck 2 ya!

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Is it better to stay in Downtown Disney or a Disney Value Resorts?

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mama2ameli

I am traveling with a toddler so which is the best option for transportation and food.

Answer
It depends on your needs. You can bigger, nicer accommodations at non-Disney hotels for the same price as a value. By staying onsite, you have better bus service. Some of the non-Disney hotels have shorter commute times to the parks than value resorts though. Onsite you get EMH privileges, which can help a lot with a little one.

Food is always more expensive onsite than offsite. Quality is relatively the same. If you are spending all your time in the parks, I wouldn't worry about it either way. Of course, you should check-out the dining plan too if you are onsite. See: http://trifter.com/usa-canada/florida/evaluating-disneys-dining-plans/

Is it worth leaving Kauai to see the volcano on the Big Island while on vacation for 10 days?

s73

Is it worth island hopping? It is my husband and 2 year old son traveling. I think most of the lava tour boats won't even take a 2 year old. Do you see a lot just in Volcano National Park?

Answer
It ABSOLUTELY IS...for adults. But I am afraid to tell you that if you are going to take your toddler with you on the hikes, it is discouraged taking young infants and toddlers into Volcano National Park at the moment. The reason is that the main caldera of Kilauea is also active and there are bad days of "vog" (volcanic fog) which is toxic (sulfur dioxide fumes and sulfuric acid when it mixes with air moisture). In fact, the volcano park main visitor's center is frequently closed (there is another museum close by however).

You do not have to take a tour boat to see the lava, if you are willing to drive quite a bit south of Hilo to Kalapana (clockwise around the perimeter of volcano national park), past Pahoa on Hwy 130. From the end of the road where the lava covered the highway, it is a 3/4 of a mile hike over jagged lava mounds at night to see it glowing (bring a flashlight, no lights although some enterprising people sell some if you arrive in the early evening for about $6 with batteries). Also bring repellent...sometimes after substantial rain, there are thousands of standing pools of water in the new lava (nice and warm!) that breed millions of mosquitoes. You must arrive by 8PM to get in, they close the gates to new visitors past that time. Depending on the lava flow, you are currently not allowed any closer than about 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the lava because a bit dangerous at the moment so bring binoculars. This is because when the lava hits the water, it "freezes" instantly into lava rock and creates an oversteep ledge near the water that will eventualy overhang the ocean and then collapse without warning.

For toddlers, there is still a lot of sulfuric acid to sting the eyes and sulfer dioxide in the air here, even this far from the lava flow spilling into the ocean.

I know all of this because my brother just got back from visiting this place.

Because the lava has covered the southern part of the highway, you need to backtrack to Hilo.

Even without the Volcano National Park (which is admittedly spectacular), the Big Island is just simply the most exotic island in the Hawaiian chain. You feel it at the Kona airport already, it is hotter, most of the landscape is solid black lava. There is less coral here (island is too new) so deep-sea life comes close to shore...you can view manta rays at night at Keauhou Bay (along the coast of the Sheraton) which come to feed on the plankton attracted to the resort lights (there is no coral to keep them away from the coast). You can even sign up with a night dive to swim with them. If you take the Fair Wind catamaran cruise from Keauhou, you will frequently be followed by spinner dolphins and there is the chance of seeing schools of flying fish jump out of the water to fly away to avoid the boat. The City of Refuge archeological site near Kealakekua Bay is amazingly spectacular. There are black sand beaches. Akaka Falls is the prettiest (easily accessible) waterfall. Holualoa town above Kailua-Kona is famous for its Kona Coffee growers and is also an interesting artist colony.

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Is it worth leaving Kauai to see the volcano on the Big Island while on vacation for 10 days?

toddler travel resorts image

s73

Is it worth island hopping? It is my husband and 2 year old son traveling. I think most of the lava tour boats won't even take a 2 year old. Do you see a lot just in Volcano National Park?

Answer
It ABSOLUTELY IS...for adults. But I am afraid to tell you that if you are going to take your toddler with you on the hikes, it is discouraged taking young infants and toddlers into Volcano National Park at the moment. The reason is that the main caldera of Kilauea is also active and there are bad days of "vog" (volcanic fog) which is toxic (sulfur dioxide fumes and sulfuric acid when it mixes with air moisture). In fact, the volcano park main visitor's center is frequently closed (there is another museum close by however).

You do not have to take a tour boat to see the lava, if you are willing to drive quite a bit south of Hilo to Kalapana (clockwise around the perimeter of volcano national park), past Pahoa on Hwy 130. From the end of the road where the lava covered the highway, it is a 3/4 of a mile hike over jagged lava mounds at night to see it glowing (bring a flashlight, no lights although some enterprising people sell some if you arrive in the early evening for about $6 with batteries). Also bring repellent...sometimes after substantial rain, there are thousands of standing pools of water in the new lava (nice and warm!) that breed millions of mosquitoes. You must arrive by 8PM to get in, they close the gates to new visitors past that time. Depending on the lava flow, you are currently not allowed any closer than about 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the lava because a bit dangerous at the moment so bring binoculars. This is because when the lava hits the water, it "freezes" instantly into lava rock and creates an oversteep ledge near the water that will eventualy overhang the ocean and then collapse without warning.

For toddlers, there is still a lot of sulfuric acid to sting the eyes and sulfer dioxide in the air here, even this far from the lava flow spilling into the ocean.

I know all of this because my brother just got back from visiting this place.

Because the lava has covered the southern part of the highway, you need to backtrack to Hilo.

Even without the Volcano National Park (which is admittedly spectacular), the Big Island is just simply the most exotic island in the Hawaiian chain. You feel it at the Kona airport already, it is hotter, most of the landscape is solid black lava. There is less coral here (island is too new) so deep-sea life comes close to shore...you can view manta rays at night at Keauhou Bay (along the coast of the Sheraton) which come to feed on the plankton attracted to the resort lights (there is no coral to keep them away from the coast). You can even sign up with a night dive to swim with them. If you take the Fair Wind catamaran cruise from Keauhou, you will frequently be followed by spinner dolphins and there is the chance of seeing schools of flying fish jump out of the water to fly away to avoid the boat. The City of Refuge archeological site near Kealakekua Bay is amazingly spectacular. There are black sand beaches. Akaka Falls is the prettiest (easily accessible) waterfall. Holualoa town above Kailua-Kona is famous for its Kona Coffee growers and is also an interesting artist colony.

What resort is good for toddlers, has beaches, pools, and things to do?

Paul

Not kids daycare or activities but actual things to do on the property for families.
(Like Atlantis in the Bahamas)

Answer
in Williamsburg, Virginia you can stay at the GREAT WOLF LODGE. although it was completley booked and i didnt get to stay in this hotel we walked around and saw how amazing it was. it was like a water park. indoors and outdoors. there was like a whole floor dedicated to the arcade and all the rooms look like cabins. my descriptions dont even give it justice. and i hope i get the chance to stay there someday! check out this website for complete details!! lol. happy travels!


http://hotels.about.com/od/virginia/a/great_wolf.htm

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What are the best Cancun hotels for toddlers?

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Diana

I am planning a trip to Cancun with my family. My daughter is about 2 years old. Anyone has a suggestion of a good resort?

Answer
I'm not sure if you're set on Cancun or also considering Riviera Maya, but I believe both Azul Hotels and Barcelo Hotels have kids clubs. My travel agent is a friend and mentioned Azul Hotels is letting kids 5 and under stay free when you book this month. Those look like amazing resorts. Iberostar might have a kids club too but I'm not sure.

How much should I expect to spend at Disneyland?

millertcrn

I am taking my son to Disneyland this summer. I've already figured costs for travel, the hotel stay and tickets, but am wondering if anyone who has been somewhat recently knows how much I should expect to spend in the park? My son is only 3 years old and this is the first trip for both of us. I'd like to buy a souvenir or two and we will be eating lunch and dinner at Disneyland. There will be a bunch of people in our group, but I will only be spending money on myself and my son. Any idea how much I should plan for or any money saving tips?

Answer
I'll start with the Food, there are several places in Disneyland that are a great price for Lunch and Dinner and because the meals are so big at some of these places I would share with your 3 year old, I go to Disneyland quite often and I share all my meals with my boyfriend and we both end up really full. If you really don't feel like sharing and want to get kids meals for him allot of the restaurants and counter services have a Kid's Meal and a Toddler meal depending on how much you son eats the Toddler meal is about $3.50 and the Kid's at $6.50 and they both include a drink. Honestly once you see the size of the meals at Disneyland I'm sure you will end up deciding on sharing.
My Favorite places for Lunch and Dinner are Rancho del Zocalo it is mexican food and is great portions if you were to get a meal and a drink and share with your son, because they also have refills you would spend about $10-15 for everything.
Cafe Orleans is great for lunch because even though some of there meals are about $15.00 a piece I go there and get a couple of starters for lunch like Gumbo & Pommes Frites and get a lunch for $10.00. It's an idea you can use at allot of places get a couple of starters and it is sure to fill you and your son up for lunch.
A great spot for Dinner is PCH Grill it is at Paradise Pier and is about a 10 minute walk but they have great food and great prices. Here is a great site that I've always use it has the menu's for all of the Disneyland Resort and prices this way you can look at it and decide what you think is best.

http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm

A money saving tip is to bring along a water bottle for you and your son so one you stay hydrated and also so you don't have to pay for drinks the whole time. If your son doesn't like to drink just water you can get a box of a flavored drink and mix it into the water.
Another thing would to bring a snack that he like's that way if you are standing in a line or take a break you can pull out a snack.
If you are a Coffee drinker you can get a reg. coffee at Blue Ribbon Bakery and if you save your receipt you can get a free refill al day that is sure to save you money.

As far as souvenirs there is and such there are a couple things you can do one is if you what an autograph book you can make one for allot cheaper then they sell them, go to Target or Walmart and get a notebook then decorate it in the characters your son like's he'll have something more personal then the books that they sell.
If you want to get a shirt there it is about $15.00-35.00 depending on the shirt your are looking for, Toys can be anything from $5.00-50.00 depending on the toy of chose, if you have your heart set on getting something from Disneyland I would plan at least $50.00 for each of .
There is a Character Warehouse about 10-15 minutes away and they have allot of stuff that Disneyland sent to them and there shirts and toys are allot cheaper you could get something for your son there and then surprise him with it mid way through and that way he still has something special to celebrate the time at Disneyland.
Also a couple of free things he may like if you are celebrating something Special make sure to go by City Hall in Disneyland and get your free button, also you can ride the Fire engine down Main Street and after they will give your son a Jr. Firefighter Sticker with Mickey on it, I am sure he would love what little boy doesn't want to be a Firefighter.

Well I hope this helped you and enjoy your trip! *Jena

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