Tips To Keep Your Baby Happy in the Car

Once upon a time, I loved road trips...  Windows down with music blasting, getting there was truly half the fun!  After the birth of my daughter, open windows might mean a draft, and instead of Motley Crue blasting, it was yells of displeasure from a very cute but car-seat-hating baby girl.   Eventually she’d succomb to her fate of remaining buckled, but we have several hundred photos of her “stink eye”  - the name we lovingly gave the permanent expression on her face while strapped in.

Road trips happen, and getting unbuckled is not an option, so if you’re hitting the highway, here are a few tips for keeping your baby happy and you sane.

·         Keep Baby Comfortable – Babies get warm in their car seats, and while the plush liners are convenient for trips in and out of the car, it doesn’t take long for babies to get hot & uncomfortable in them.  Double check that bub isn’t too warm, and use a roll-down screen to help keep the sun at bay.

·         Keep Baby Company – It can get a bit boring all alone in the back seat – especially facing backwards!  While your baby’s up (or when you want to keep her up) have one of you hang out and chat for a while.  A few minutes of peek-a-boo may be all it takes to quell the fussing.

·         Distract By Singing! – My pre-kids travel tunes of choice aren’t necessarily family-friendly, but I’ve found some suitable substitutes that my daughter enjoys and lets us leave The Wiggles at home (sorry Jeff!)  We all love singing along to Bob Marley, Beach Boys, early Beatles, and especially Abba.

·         Prepare To Stop – Plan your route with stops included, and prepare for unplanned stops as well.  Baby will need to be fed and changed, and you’ll need to stretch your legs.  Your trip will take longer, but you’ll all be happier once you arrive if you take your time.

·         Prepare For Sleep – After the fussing, my daughter would inevitably fall asleep in her seat and stay asleep until the car stopped. If you’re traveling by day, you may find that you’ll be up all night with a very well-rested baby!  If possible, try to arrange your trip so you’re fine if baby sleeps... leaving in the middle of the night may not seem fun at the time but may well be worth it by the next night.

It won’t be long before DVDs and portable game devices keep your kids busy in the back seat, but in the meantime, don’t put off that trip you’ve been wanting to take because you’re dreading the journey.  Anything’s possible (and sometimes even pleasant!) when you plan ahead, and starting travel early means every trip gets easier, and your kids grow up loving it too.

Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel, your online guide for travel with babies and toddlers.  For more information please visit www.havebabywilltravel.com or send a message to info@havebabywilltravel.com

Posted by @ 1:40:37 PM

• 0 comments

Q & A: Neighbors and your Babysitter

Just last week, I got an email from parent in Toronto. This question actually comes up more than you might think:

“I just learned that a neighbor friend has starting using my babysitter. She did not ask me if I was OK with this… should I be worried?”

There is a sort of unwritten etiquette with babysitters. Usually, a person that you know (friend, family member, or neighbor) will ask you about your babysitter and see if you mind if she has the babysitter provides care for her children too. But, this is not always the case.

With our website and other services, it is possible that your neighbor has found her without knowing that your family has already hired her. Lots of families have feuded over this very issue, but at this point there is really nothing you can do that would be productive. All you can do is ensure that the babysitter is happy being employed with you. If she is happy, then she is sure to stay loyal to your family’s needs. Meanwhile, both you and your neighbor get great care for your kids!

Posted by @ 3:27:57 PM

• 3 comments

Q & A: Smelly Babysitter

A friend asked my opinion on her babysitter the other day. I’m used to this, based on my background and profession. My friend wanted to know if she should fire her babysitter because she smelled. She explained that the babysitter is great with the kids and incredibly reliable, but she has bad body odour. The kids love her, but make comment when she’s not around about the odour, and with the heat we’ve been having in BC lately, the situation is getting worse, so they have to air out the house when she’s left.

I can feel for my friend, BUT I feel that firing her is the wrong step to take.  I think they owe it to her to be honest and as kind as possible. I recommended having a conversation, mentioning that her care of the children has been wonderful but, "I want to discuss something that's awkward, and my goal is not to offend you, but we've had a noticeable body odor.”

Is she going to be embarrassed and maybe upset? Yes, very likely. Really, body odour is the kind of thing that an individual doesn’t realize on their own. But, maybe there is an explanation; the washing machine is broken, she is going through menopause, has had a change in diet. Whatever the reason, I really do feel that if you care about someone, then you should let them know. Really if she was fired and goes to another job she is just going to be dealing with the same issue.

Posted by @ 1:29:34 PM

• 0 comments