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Baby or Toddler on Board

Planning a Summer Vacation with Small Children

By Jacqueline Bodnar

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Children over 1 year of age are much more problematic. The plane can be a scary experience, and toddlers and small kids don't take well to sitting in one place for long periods of time. "The best strategy for a peaceful plane ride for young children may be for them to be sleep-deprived before going on board and having a serving of warm milk," Dr. Dover says. Games, books and snacks can also head off a tantrum and save your reputation among the other passengers.

How about the commonly given advice to give kids antihistamines or decongestants before a flight? Dr. Dover advises against it. "Decongestants tend to excite or agitate, and may interfere with sleep, which one hopes to enjoy, especially for long flights," he says. "Antihistamines usually cause drowsiness but sometimes in children will have the opposite effect, along with irritability and disorientation. None of these medications are appropriate for the child under 1 year of age."

On the Road ... Again

Shannon Mcleish, a mother of two girls ages 2 and 4 in Ormond Beach, Fla., has found that timing is everything when her family takes a road trip. "For driving vacations, we tried to plot our course around fun things to do that would let the kids get out and stretch and play, saving most of the drive time for naps and nighttime," she says.


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