Summer Travel Must-Haves from The MommyDocs
We go to Wildwood for a weekend every summer. We camp for a week every August. We go to Walt Disney World every couple of years, as family finances permit. We travel locally. Since CJ is not unfamiliar with sickness the first thing I do when we’re away from home is find out where the local hospital is. We’ve been pretty fortunate in that neither of the boys have ever gotten really sick while we were traveling.
Lots of folks are so excited or so busy preparing for a trip that they don’t think to pack anything in case one of the kids get sick. Then if someone does get sick you have to scramble to find a Walmart or a drug store. Boy does that stink when you’re in an unfamiliar area, especially if it’s the middle of the night.
Here’s some more information on safe travel tips from the MommyDocs (www.mommydocs.com), an online duo who provide pediatric advice to moms, by moms, via podcasts and articles. Dr. Jamie Freishtat is a board-certified Pediatrician. Dr. Rachel Schreiber is board certified in both Allergy/Immunology and Internal Medicine and was recently selected as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by the Consumers’ Research Council of America.
As parents pack that beach or travel bag, it’s important to always be prepared on the road even before the first signs of illness.
Hand Sanitizer. Limit your child’s germ-spreading and germ-getting by enforcing a strict hand-washing policy. If available, use water and soap, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Another great option is an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Just be sure it is completely rubbed in and kept out of reach of children.
Thermometer: Make sure you have a good thermometer and know how to use it. For infants, especially under 3 months of age, temperatures should always be taken rectally with a digital thermometer, like a Vicks digital thermometer. A great option once children have graduated from rectal temps is the Braun ThermoScan ear thermometer. It’s very quick, which kids (and parents) will greatly appreciate.
Nasal aspirator: Babies haven’t quite figured out how to clear their own tiny nostrils and will need help from mom. A nasal bulb syringe can help remove bothersome boogies from the nose.
Your Doctor’s phone number: Always have your doctor’s number on speed dial or somewhere very easy to find, such as in your wallet or glove compartment.
Tissues. Teach children to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible since germs can spread this way. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and remember to throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Also, encourage everyone to direct coughs and sneezes into their elbows, not their hands.
I also now pack an over the counter fever medicine. I’d love to hear any suggestions you have for items to pack for travel in case of illness, or if any of your children have ever gotten sick while your family was traveling.
We have a small travel trailer. We go camping in upstate New York every year. The reason we don’t camp more is because the trailer is so small we have no room to move and cannot enjoy ourselves. Lately we’ve been doing some heavy consideration of getting a bigger trailer, so we can enjoy some family time. Camping can be much less expensive than flying and staying in hotels. Some people don’t like the driving aspect of camping, but they probably haven’t seen the award winning TripFLIX dvd.
When you start the TripFLIX dvd you’ll be presented with a map of the US, divided into six regions. Each region features descriptions of several places to go or see within that region. A couple of the stops are well known, such as Sea World, California, but for the most part the stops are places offering something fun and educational and won’t cost your family an arm and a leg. I’d never ever heard of some of the places, but found them interesting.
Recently as a member of 
