Traveling with children:

I just got back from a vacation with my adult children and remember well, traveling with them when they were younger. With electronics, life is so much easier when traveling. But I must say that many parents overuse electronics with their children. A perfect travel aid is one that is a ‘special treat’ or ‘new’ to keep your child interested.

Pick a time to travel when you might get lucky and have them sleep while you get to where you are going. Last week, I took a 1:50 am plane with my kids. We all slept on the way and arrived at our destination rested with the full day ahead of us! I always get asked about giving ‘drugs’ to get children to relax or sleep during the ride. Benadryl makes about 99% of kids drowsy and 1% hyperactive. So check with your doctor ahead of time for advice and dosing. Another safe medicine is melatonin. It is available at Health Food Stores and also pharmacies and should be given about two hours before traveling. Again, check with your doctor for safety and dosing. Another drug worth mentioning is dramamine. It works well for motion sickness and usually makes you tired. Dosing of all of these drugs can come from your doctor, pharmacist or the drug’s website.

You can find out more details on traveling on the website. Click on Pediatric Care Online for Parents – bottom right of the home page and click on ‘T’ in the index.

Come back tomorrow for more advice …