By the time your baby is 8 months old, she's become used to her surroundings and familiar faces. Travel can disrupt her sense of security and routine, especially when visiting an unfamiliar place or meeting lots of strangers. "If your baby has to eat, sleep, and play in a way she's not used to, she can get really cranky and difficult, and who can blame her?" says Susanne Denham, a child development psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University.
When you think your little one is ready for a change of scene, make sure you build up to it slowly, and schedule plenty of downtime away from all the strangers to let her decompress. At this age, she realizes she's in a new, strange place, but she hasn't grasped the concept of travel yet. To make your trip safe and successful, consider these tips:
Health and safety.
• Before you travel, find out whether your accommodations can be childproofed before you arrive. If not, bring your own childproofing kit that includes doorknob covers, plastic outlet covers, and pipe cleaners or twisties to secure drapery and electrical cords. If you need to travel light, masking tape or duct tape provides a quick fix for most danger zones.
• Prepare a first-aid kit so you'll have the supplies you need for dealing with minor medical problems while traveling. Be sure to take along any prescription medications that your child requires, even if only on occasion. (It's always when you leave the inhaler at home that your little one has an asthma attack at Grandma's.)
• Fill out an emergency sheet containing contact names and numbers and your child's health information, including the names of any medications she takes, so it's handy if needed.
• Take a hat for your baby or toddler to shade her from the sun in warm weather or keep her head bundled in cool weather. Sunscreen is a must, too, if you'll be spending time outdoors — no matter what season. Use sunscreen of at least SPF 15, with both UVA and UVB protection.
• In the car, your baby should always ride in the back seat — in either a rear-facing, infant car seat or a convertible infant-toddler car seat (which can face either the rear or the front). Before you leave, make sure the car seat is properly installed and that the seat's belts are correctly threaded. Make sure the harness fits your baby snugly and securely.
• Get removable shade screens for the car's side windows — available at baby supply and discount stores — to shield your child's eyes from the sun and keep her from getting too hot. Peel-and-stick shades are more secure, and therefore safer, than those that attach with suction cups.
• Keep your baby or toddler as safe as possible when you take public transit (like a bus, train, or taxi) by bringing along a car seat. The car seat will provide some protection even when there are no seat belts to strap it in.
• If you've paid for an airplane seat for your baby or toddler, bring an FAA-approved car seat for your child to sit in (this is the safest way for young children to fly). If you haven't bought a ticket for your child, you'll be able to use the car seat only if there are empty seats on board. (For more about flying with a young child, see our list of questions to ask your airline ahead of time.)
• If your baby or toddler seems to be experiencing ear pain from air pressure changes during takeoff and landing, encourage her to breastfeed or suck on a bottle, pacifier, or sippy cup. If she's strapped into a car seat, it's better to have her suck on something from there than to breastfeed, since it's safest for both of you to be properly restrained. Keep in mind that not all young chldren need rescuing from ear pain — there are no firm medical guidelines on the topic, so just use your judgment. If your child is sleeping soundly, leave her be and she might get through the takeoff or landing without any trouble. (She'll wake up and show her discomfort if she's bothered.)
• If you're crossing time zones and are worried about upsetting your little one's schedule, take steps to fight jet lag like shifting her sleep hours for the few days leading up to your departure and exposing her to sunlight once you reach your destination. Try to avoid overscheduling the first few days of your trip, since you can't predict how disrupted your child's rhythms might be.
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