Traveling with Kids: The Essentials
Congratulations to CARES harness- winner of the Good Housekeeping’s “Good Buy 2008 Award”, one of only 8 products selected - from over 2000 reviewed - “for its innovative technology and design, and ability to make lives easier and safer.”
Why do I review this CARES harness almost every newsletter?
Well because every month when I fly I marvel at how much easier it is to fly with the 1 lb. harness than installing that big bulky car seat in small airplane seat rows.
The CARES harness has made a dramatic difference in our international travels as well. In the past, when traveling to Europe, I would have to haul a large car seat around or find airport storage (not a possibility when flying into one city and out of another on an open jaw ticket). While in Europe, we travel by the extremely efficient and clean trains and buses and are unable to use a car seat.
Now we are able to use the CARES harness for the flights and pack away the 1 lb. harness while we enjoy our destination.
My son carries the CARES harness in his Trunki and fastens his own harness when we are seated. What a difference from hauling the big bulky car seat! He is very comfortable in his seat - and has more freedom to move about than if in a car seat.
This harness was made for airplanes - while car seats are made for cars. It is also a bonus that his legs do not get jammed against the seat in front of us like happened on some narrow-row-planes while sitting in a car seat.
Words of advice about any new travel products:
Use them in role play with your child before the day of travel. Allow your child to become familiar with the CARES harness and the Trunki. Waiting until the day of travel can mean a child who is frightened of a restraint (only having been used to the car seat) or a child who is wobbly on the unfamiliar Trunki.
After showing your child the product, hide it away until travel so it is special.
In my book Jet With Kids, retired flight attendant Renee gives ideas for setting up the living room as an airplane and role playing the flight process with young children.Set up a chair and practice installing the CARES harness (good for the parent to learn this as well). The CARES harness comes with an instructional DVD - which is good for both parent and child to watch. Practice placing the harness around the back of the chair. If your child is old enough and desires to do so, allow them to buckle the front clip or help with the seat belt portion. As Renee pointed out - you can use a belt around the back of the chair as the “seat belt” which you then would thread through the lower CARES harness loops.
Do not wait until you have travel plans to order the CARES harness.
Plan ahead and allow your family to become familiar with it. A trip may come up quickly and the last minute rush usually does not allow for relaxed role play.
Want to know the best way to help a child become familiar with travel? Children love surprises and gifts. Wrap up a Shae By Air DVD Toolkit- the best tool to help your child become familiar with airplane travel. Then make a big deal about your special “Flight Preparation Day”.
Talk with your child about what THEY can expect to see and do on the day of travel. Watch Shae By Air DVD with your child. (It is professionally done and interesting to watch!) Most kids like to watch the video over and over and on the day of travel you can refer to their good behavior as being “just like Shae!”
Jet With Kids, the book, will walk you through all the necessary steps of the flight process, giving you ideas for role play, precautions to take before flying, and more!
Now you can order the Shae By Air DVD Toolkit and Jet With Kids in one package - already wrapped in red gift wrap - a great gift for your child (and you!) or any parent with small children. A popular use for this flight kit is as a unique and useful Baby Shower gift.
Order today -this package is available for $39.00 and for a limited time, shipping is FREE via priority mail! AND all of these are great, unique, and useful gifts for the new parent or any parent of small children.
