About flying to Europe...

[Rachels]

(And I am not planning on that right this minute, Paula. Iwillhavewillpower.) But just in case I ever should plan to do that, at some future date (Paula) after the idea of six hours in a confined space with a toddler becomes less scary, would she need a passport? How do you even contemplate this kind of travel with a tiny person?

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[egoldber]

EVERYONE needs a passport now, including a newborn infant! The application info is on-line.

http://travel.state.gov/specialreq.html

And just think, its only an hour worse than a direct flight to the west coast. :)

[Rachels]

I'm too scared to do that, either. What on earth do you do with a child on a plane for that length of time?!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[egoldber]

Hope that they sleep. :)

Watch movies if you have a laptop or a portable DVD player
Read books (I like the small, paperpack versions and I can get 10 in my carry-on)
Eating slowly...
Coloring with crayons in a small spiral bound notepad
Coloring on the mini-MagnaDoodle
Finger puppets

Even though I HATE the LeapFrog products, I will admit to having considered the My First Leap thing just for airline trips...

[Rachels]

HOPE THAT THEY SLEEP! Nope. We can't ever go.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[khakismom]

Rachel, it actually can be fun traveling with a toddler. I'm sure you are ROTFLOL. :) Bring books, games, toys, food--lots of activities (perhaps even a porable DVD player with some new or favorite DVDs).

And maybe it's just my kids, but for some reason I think kids have some sense that where they are (ie, in a plane) is not somewhere where they can roam and be free. I thought Ellen was going to be squirming all over the place last weekend--on a flight returning from Chicago--but she sat in our laps very calmly playing and eating.

I'm so envious! A trip to Europe sounds heavenly!! :)

[Tondi G]

YUP she will need a passport and it takes at least 6 weeks for it to come so do it early if you are planning on traveling out of the country! You will also need to have both you and Dh be there to sign in person at the post office to ok the issuance of a passport for a minor child!

I had the same fears as you and we were considering a trip to the UK with a toddler leaving from the west coast... so a 10+ hour flight!The flights leave from LA in the evening about 5pm or so.... they serve you dinner... you bring lots of snacks and books and a magnadoodle and color wonder markers and anything else that will occupy your child for a bit! If you fly Virgin Atlantic airlines they have individual screens in the seat backs and they offer childrens programs/shows! A portable DVD player would be a good idea and bring along favorite Disney movies etc.! That could kill a 2 or 3 hours right there! if it's a night you can always have hopes of your child actualy falling asleep for at least a potion of the trip!!!

Good Luck.... you are so not alone in your fears! We are waiting on a trip to Hawaii cause we don't want to deal with the flight issues with an active toddler... we're takign a cruise that leaves from a local port instead LOL!

~Tondi and Mason 7/8/01

[khakismom]

Actually, you both don't have to be there to sign in person. There is now a form available online that gives permission for one parent to appear. The parent not appearing signs it thus giving the other parent permission to appear alone. (I feel like an old pro at this because I just got passports for both the girls in prep for our upcoming trip :).)

[emilyf]

One more piece of passport advice-the only place I could find to take Charlie's picture was Sears. He was an infant, so maybe other places would be able to do an older baby but most places I tried had preset cameras that the operators couldn't change the distance to accomodate a baby. He has the most adorable baby picture on his passport that already looks nothing like him!
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[aliceinwonderland]

Rachel, I am flying (most likey by myself) with the bean to Europe this summer...I know it's different with a baby, but I'm actually excited about it... (NOT so excited about the crazy prices, mostly due to the Euro-dollar conversion. yikes!)

One thing I have been advised of is that if you and your child have different last names, you may need a notarised letter form the other parent consenting to the trip...

I'll be getting one, even though my name is "maiden", and baby's will be Erik James "Moms last name" "Dad's Last name" (so yea, 4 names for the little person :)

[wendmatt]

We're flying from Hawaii to UK in June..eek! My mums coming over to help me with the pack and flight thank goodness. We bought a dvd player so I can take baby Einsteins, lift the flap books, raisins, craisins and cheerios in abundance!! And hope she sleeps for a portion of it! I got the passport pics taken at a local place, she stood in front of a white door, only babies have to go to the place like sears. The head had to be a certain size (pic not IRL!!) but they should check that when they print them for you.

[miki]

I have friends who decided to go to New Zealand last minute and had no idea they needed a passport for their little guy. They took their own pic with their digital camera and printed it out and went into the main passport office in SF and got it within a day. Not that you want to do it all last minute, but it is possible.

I just flew 5 hours with my 6 month old. I might be in fantasyland but I kind of think it might be easier if she were toddling and more interactive. At 6 months, she was just very frustrated at how boring it was since the sort of toys she can play with are limited. Thankfully she slept for 2 hours and I only had to walk her up and down the aisle for about 20 minutes.

[egoldber]

LOL! I'm afraid that is fantasy. :) The REALLY hard time to travel I think is between when they get mobile and before they get really verbal.

[nohomama]

No kidding. What I wouldn't give for Lola to be six months again next Thursday when we fly to Amsterdam, then Hanover, then take a train to Braunschweig!!! A six month old might occassionally sound like a screaming banshee but a least they tend to sleep alot and they don't talk back (with words) when they object to something. Plus at six months, Lola was easily quieted with a boob/bottle. Entertaining Lola at nearly 31 months often requires a kind creativity that can be elusive at 30,000 feet.

[newbelly2002]

Ritz stores often do it too. And sometimes Walmart. I got Dante's photo at 3 weeks. Yeah, he looks the same now...

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/02

[newbelly2002]

PressurePressurePressurePressurePressurePressurePr essurePressurePressurePressurePressurePressurePres surePressurePressurePressure

C'mon, Rachel, everybody's doin' it. :)

Passports: you've got great advice already. Need one. Get one.

As to when you get off the plane, well, it's new and different and usually they are so beat that they're half asleep anyway. To give you hope, Dante only slept for the last 30 minutes of our last flight back from Boston. Sarah's advice helped us through: 15 minute chunks. You can do anything for 15 minutes. And really you can, think about your worst sleepless night, Rachel. You made it through. And a flight won't be anywhere near that bad.

I'm telling you, a direct evening flight is doable. Time change is another ballgame entirely. But look, Dante has done--what--4 roundtrips now? And that doesn't even count vacations. Really, so long as you have an aresonol of toys/snacks/movies/and patience it's really not that bad. A trip downtown in LA with traffic would be worse. And Abby watches movies (Dante doesn't. We're hoping that will change before our next 20+ hour flight next November). And even if it is as bad as you think (which it won't be), the payoff at the end is worth it for both you AND her.

Just last night we went out to buy a used baby jogger (Um, Sarah, we now have--eek!--three strollers so you have your choice!)and on our way back there was an organ grinder with a stuffed monkey in one of the major squares. Dante watched in amazement and then danced in my arms before giving the musician some change. See, those are the kind of memories that you both need. Dante's excitement just made me smile. And it would you too. I know it would.

I promise lots of kid friendly stuff--and time's running out as we may be back for good in another 18 mths or so.

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/02

[egoldber]

We got Sarah's passport photo (when she was 4 months old) at AAA.

[mabuckles]

Rachel,

Madison is Abagail's age and we just got back from France. The flight suprising was really not that bad. Sticker books were what saved us. Madison had never used a sticker book before this trip and they kept her amused for hours.(Literally hours) She isn't old enough to use them on her own but I would say "What sticker do you think goes on this page?" and then she would find that sticker and put it on the page.

Also we had a magentic Madeline set which was a big hit. You put the clothes on Madeline, etc.