Minimizing the risk of catching something…
As the world opens up and travel becomes more of a reality, many parents are asking questions about how to keep their little ones safe during air travel. In general, we encourage parents to visualize potential bottlenecks in the travel plan and be prepared for these moments! Here are four potential bottlenecks and practical tips to help you minimize the risk.
- TSA – If possible, try to book a super early flight so that your experience with TSA is not crowded and chaotic. There is no social distancing, and these lines can be long and a bit unorganized. If you travel at an off-peak time, you will have fewer crowds and your child will hopefully be sleeping-an added bonus.
- SECURITY – Try to pack lightly so you can minimize the chaos when going through security. It is easy to get distracted as you try to keep track of everything that you need to take out of your bag and off your person.
- THE AISLE – If you are traveling with young children, you are at the highest risk of catching an airborne illness when you are boarding and disembarking the plane. It is wise to be the first passengers on the plane and the last passengers to leave the plane.
- ANY TIME YOUR TODDLER STARTS TO LOSE IT – It is easier to control your child’s environment and exposure to other passengers if they are calm. I always recommend that parents go to the dollar store and pick up a few little toys that you can pull out during the flight when your young child starts to become restless. Sometimes, bringing a roll of blue painter’s tape and constructing the letters of the alphabet in the window can distract kids beautifully.
Of course, very frequent masks and hand-washing goes without saying. We hope this helps and happy travels.
