When Travelling with Children; Consider Baby Panodol
There are three things that should not be separated; International Travel, Children, and Baby Panodol. It can be done, international travel with children that is; but I wouldn’t recommend it; not to anyone unless you have a bottle of Baby Panodol to drug them with.
Before you go crying foul, for the record I don’t mean drug them literally, but, that’s what Baby Panodol is, a drug of sorts, although the manufacturers would rather call it something else, whatever it is.
This all relates to Life BC. What is life before children you may be asking. Well, Life Before Children, as it relates to the less than enlightened, pertains to that blissful ignorance that all things a light and roses.
The reason being, recently whilst undertaking some international travel, the first since BC, Life Before Children (more on that soon), my youngest child literally went nuts about a half hour into the flight! I mean, he really went nut! He cried, screamed, threw things across the plane cabin; you name it, from about a half hour into the flight and continued for the next three hours he just plain lost his marbles.
He really knew how to pull my strings, and there was nothing I could do about it. I still haven’t figured out what he was distressed about. He wasn’t in pain. But I was.
So, what I mean when I say something to drug your child with is that you need to have a child trauma backup treatment on hand; something to take the edge off a major tantrum. I don’t recommend first time international travel with a young child to anyone; unless of course you have a bottle of Baby Panodol.
Back to the diatribe; So, what does all this mean to the uninitiated?
Life BC – Before Children
Well, it means that travel is no longer a pleasant experience; as it was with life BC (Life Before Children, ie BC rather, International Travel is an undertaking that should be considered long and hard; considered in the same manner that would accompany someone who is resigned to facing the firing squad. You will suffer at the hands of the toddler, and there isn’t anything one can do to address it.
Life Before Children was devoid of consideration for others to any significant degree. But, Life After Children, is a whole different kettle of fish. You can’t escape that. You have to consider your kids.
Enjoy Your Trip, and consider Baby Panodol; just in case.
Peter Hallam
Peter Hallam
I have used paracetamol (panadol) with my children in long travels by car. It is also helpful in long touristic visits. The “drug effect” is the relief of pain, so children are more comfortable and endure the travel better.
I couldn’t agree more Salamandra. I’d indended to take some on the flight in the first place but it got overlooked in the haste to get to the airport. Imagin my dismay when my partner and I turn out all our cabin baggeg only to find it wasn’t there. We were not happy about that; blamed each other etc but, nothing would stop my toddler crying.
Someone suggested it could also have been the noise from the jet engine; because children have a better hearing rang than adults they are far more susseptible to the high pitched whine of the jet turbines. I’ve still to look into this second aspect of traveling with children but I now have ear plugs for them for the return journey. What do you think of the noise level that children are exposed to whilst travelling by plane? Have you ever encountered anything you could attribute to distress about the noise a child encounters?
I haven’t found anything about the noise, when my daughters have travelled by plane they were “little women”. But i think it is quite probable that noise, pain, changes in everyday routine and all those things that you make when you travel affect them.
Anyway as earplugs aren’t a danger for kids I would try them.
I’ve just arrived back after 38 hours in transit and 30 in the air.
The return trip was in 2 legs, Birmingham – Dubai, then Dubai – Brisbane. The first leg we were up the back (the best spot if you have children because of the space and proximity to the toilets, but the noise is greater. The second leg, Dubai – Brisbane we were close to but aft of the wing. Still, it was quieter than at the very rear.
The earplugs worked a treat for me. They really did. But, unfortunately, my children wouldn’t wear them. The were ‘too different’ or ‘too uncomfortable’ for them to put up with.
Maybe next time the will listen to daddy when he says “you will feel better for it”.
That is something to look into for next time.
Ears ears ears…that change in pressure as the plane ascends can wreak havoc on ears. For first time fliers the strange and seemingly unexplicable feeling of blocked-ness and not being able to hear properly. I can’t imagine what a toddler would be thinking about it and would surely be enough to cause a freak out! Add to that the possibility of ear pain with the blockness. I’ve been on flights where i’ve been sobbing with ear pain equivalent to shoving the pointy end of a screwdriver into each ear. One thing that STOPS this problem of pain and blockedness – SINUS MEDICATION. I met a man on a plane who said “Sinutab”, and i’ve never looked back and taken it every time i fly. Maybe there is an equivalent for children…