GENERAL TRAVEL ADVICE

From Debbie, mother of 2:

* We used one of those Sit ’n Strolls.  It is awkward getting on and off the plane, but a life saver while in the air and around an airport.  If you are in coach, ask for a seatbelt extender.
* I also say: go to Europe!  Rules are suspended a bit.  We strolled our stroller right into those London taxis.  I would put a seatbelt between myself and the baby in a baby bjorn.  In Italy, the local kids adopted ours and played with them for endless hours.
* Finally, my biggest travel trip ... do it!!!!  It is so much work, but the memories are priceless.  New Year’s Eve in the Dolomites with my ten month old eating breadsticks after sledding around the sparkly little European mountain town is something I will never forget.

From Hilary, mother of 2:
* We travel a lot and what we have learned is each child, even within a family, is very different.  We have one who has been a wonderful traveler since his first flight at one month old.  He is more even tempered on an airplane than at home.  Then we have a child who has always had more energy.  Put him on an airplane and his feet were constantly moving and kicking the chair in front of him.  So we tried giving him Benedryl (it supposedly has a calming effect).  Well that was a mistake!  It seems that the chemicals in each body are reactly differently and he was worse than ever on that flight.  More active than ever before.  He has never had another Benedryl since! 

From Desiree, mother of a 3-yr-old:
* We go skiing in Colorado every winter and the best advice that a friend gave me once was to rub your child's nostrils with Neosporin.  It prevents germs in the air that's re-circulated in the airplane cabin from entering his system.

From Heather, mother of 3:

* I always pack Benedryl b/c you never know when you might discover an allergy.

From Suzanne, mother of 2:
* Never try a medicine on your child in the air that you haven’t already tried at home!  You never know how they’ll react.

From Bettina, mother of 4:
* Before I had kids, I used to hate it when families got on a plane so now as a mom, I sympathize with travelers who aren’t flying with kids.  As soon as they see me with my gang, they roll their eyes.  My advice is to be nice to the other people on the plane with you and explain that you’re doing your best.  If they think you care about them, they’ll be way more tolerant of your children.