CARES: A Holiday Life-Saver for Airplane Travelers with Young Children

Let’s face it! Traveling with young children is a challenge no matter what the time of year. But, during the holidays, airports are more crowded, roadways are gridlocked, kids are more excitable and parents are more stressed than typical. As the holidays approach, many moms online are gearing up for their trips by asking for travel tips and suggestions to make their holiday trips easier.

One common concern is how to juggle the carseat through the airport. You already have your hands full with toys for the kids to play with during the wait, diaper bags with snacks and drinks and the stroller… not to mention holding onto the kids themselves. Do you really want to lug the carseat for one or more children onboard your flight? The obvious answer is no. But, what are you to do to keep your child safe on the flight? The answer is CARES!

CARES or Child Aviation Restraint System is a belt-and-buckle device which works with the airplane’s seat belt providing the same level of safety as a carseat would. Certified by the FAA as an alternative to the traditional carseat, CARES weighs 1 pound and is easy to transport, install and use. CARES is designed for children 1 year old and older that weigh between 22-44 pounds protecting these children from flailing around in their seats during the flight. Best of all, you can check your child’s carseat with your luggage and not have to carry it throughout the airport.

One might think you could get CARES at stores like ToysRUs and One Step Ahead. However, CARES is not available at those stores. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, for example, Kidproteq in Wayne is the only store that sells CARES www.kidproteq.com . Getting CARES for your holiday trips will help make your air travel less stressful and more enjoyable this year. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy your flight!

Sleep much? Mount a baby safety gate and get your zzz’s.

Sick and tired of getting out of bed every hour just to put your toddler back in her bed? I know how you feel. For me, it started when my baby turned 2 ½ years old and kept climbing out of her crib. I figured it was time for her to move into her “Big Girl Room.” But, the transition didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. Every night, I had to sit at the doorway of her room until she fell asleep. Even though her room was baby-proofed and I knew that she would be safe, I couldn’t sleep if she was awake and free to roam the house. Plus, she kept hopping in and out of bed every few minutes looking for me. Three years later, the same thing happened with my middle child! I was miserable and sleep-deprived for weeks!

Now I ask myself, why didn’t I think to buy a gate for the doorway? Not sure… Gates were a safety product that I had always thought of for keeping my kids out of somewhere as opposed to keeping them in. But, it makes perfect sense. Moms discussing sleep issues of transitioning toddlers from crib to toddler bed always offer a gate as a solution. Blogs like this one http://bit.ly/toddlersleepproblems provide many suggestions on how to get your toddler to stay in bed. I guess you have to use trial and error to see what works best for each situation. But, in my opinion, a gate is a great place to start.

So, when our third child gets to be “that age,” I’ll be babyproofing his room and getting a gate for his bedroom door. There are so many products out there, but chances are I’ll get a tall gate that will prevent him from climbing over. Both Kidco www.kidco.com and Cardinal make baby safety gates that get excellent reviews. Many online merchants like One Step Ahead carry both brands; however, many don’t offer the extra personal touch that Kidproteq www.kidproteq.com does. Kidproteq’s personalized approach helps you buy the right safety product the first time. And, maybe this time around, I’ll finally be able to transition my baby to a bed without sacrificing my sleep!