Holiday Travel Survival Guide for Moms: Staying Healthy

by: LiLing Pang



If I let myself think about what a swab test of an airplane seat might reveal, I might actually head right out and purchase one of those disposable airplane seat covers.  Yes, I might even pluck up the courage to sheepishly adorn the airplane seat with it before putting my kids in their seats.  Staying healthy during Holiday Travel is particularly challenging because there are lots of sick people who don't want to put their holiday plans on hold because they are eager to see loved ones.  At the same time, having a sick child really throws a wrench into things.

 

Here are some simple tips to help us all stay healthy.

 

  • Load everyone up on vitamin C and Echinacea 3-4 days before boarding a plane or embarking on your road trip.
  • Make sure your kids are well rested before your trip so that their bodies are ready to fight any germies they encounter.
  • Bring anti-bacterial wipes with you and wipe down all surfaces on the plane and in restaurants before your kids eat off them.  Airplanes, airports and highway rest stops are germ terribly germ infested.
  • Diligently clean hands before kids eat even if you’re on the plane or tired.  Carry a bottle of anti-bacterial gel for a quickie if the line for the bathrooms is too long.
  • Keep nasal saline handy for your plane journey.  Dry cracked nasal passages allow viruses into your body readily.
  • Don't let your kids eat food - even stray cheerios - off the airplane seat.  At best, they disinfect those seats once a month.
  • Bring along multiple chew toys or pacifiers in case baby tosses one, you have a clean one available, or disinfect with antibacterial gel and rinse thoroughly.
  • Pack a basic first aid kit so you don’t have to run out for meds in the middle of the night at aunt Susie’s new home in the boonies.
    15 Essential Items for Baby's First Aid Kit

 

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Other Resoureces:

 

LiLing Pang (TravelPangs) is co-founder and contributing author on Trekaroo - - a reviews website dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

updated: December 24 2010 by TravelPangs

Comments
at 12/14/2009 11:05AM PDXBloss wrote:
On top of our usual vitamins and hand washing regime, we also load our guy up on probiotics. We have been doing this through a Whole Milk Kefir Smoothie (they sell them in the dairy section of our grocery story, they come in a 4 pack...and they are organic-yipee!). This was something our doctor suggested to us as it is full of vitamins and the probiotics help fight off the 'nasties'! We usually give him one a day at lunch time and our guy loves them. They come in the squeeze packets so the kids can handle them easily and the mess is kept to a minimum (I wish all kids food came this way...Europe has been doing it, and I am finally starting to see it here...it is just too cool).
at 01/19/2010 11:47AM CatholicFamily wrote:
You are SO right about not letting them eat anything off of the plane seat (or ANYTHING). One of our children licked a wall on Las Vegas and we were all paying for it for a week with a nasty stomach bug!
at 01/22/2010 01:58AM jaybra wrote:
Take straw cups (plastic cups with lids and straws - kind of like fast food cups, except reusable) for everyone in the family for on the airplane. Keeps little kids from rinsing their Cheetoh fingers in your soda and making you sick for a week (not to mention it cuts down on spills). Take your own blankets, especially if your kids snuggle and make a loose tent below their bottom lip / chin with the edge of the blanket. This was a strange suggestion from our doctor, but it makes sense after you try it. The air on the plane is dry and usually blowing directly on them, placing the blanket under their mouths provides some warmer air as well as some moisture. This helps cut down on sore and congested throats after plane flights. (similar concept to wearing a ski mask or a scarf on a cold day)
at 01/22/2010 02:04AM jaybra wrote:
One more...travel with disposal latex gloves. If the kids get runny diapers use the gloves to change them (especially if you are applying diaper cream). Before you go to wipe the runny nose just before landing, put on a glove - who knows the next chance you are going to get to wash your hands. This is a great tactic when you are traveling with two kids and one has a cold and the other doesn't - try to isolate the bug to one kid and not make yourself the carrier while caring for the other.
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