For those of you who have little ones, you might be able to relate. Micaela has flown quite a lot considering her young age. She went on her first flight illegally...ok well against policy when she was just 12 days old. The first flight we had with her we were so nervous, what if she screams the entire time? Which was highly unlikely because Micaela was a few months old before we even heard her cry more than a whimper, and she never really screamed (as a baby at least.) So plane rides with her were fairly uneventful and we all took advantage of the time and napped.
This all changed when she became mobile. All of a sudden our plane trips became scenes out of horror movies, hence the spin-off title "snakes on a plane," get it? And no I did not see that movie but it looked scary and stupid, which is how I feel flying with a toddler. She obviously does not understand that we are not allowed to move around a plane, and she takes every opportunity to try climbing over the seats, into the aisles, under the seats, and around the seats in the small crack between the window and seats. She has also, no joke, stolen other people's peanuts...including her parents, who love their peanuts. It really is my worst nightmare to be in a cramped, stuffy area with a toddler, who wants more than anything to run wild and free down the aisle and steal peanuts and half glasses of coke (because they can't just give you a full can)from all the passengers. Needless to say this is a very anxiety-provoking situation.
However, this horror movie has a happy ending...Dramamine. I was unfamiliar with this motion-sickness medication, but one of my many child wise friends recommended it to me. I was hesitant, but her doctor said sure, and we tried it. Back again are our plane rides full of naps, where I can eat my own peanuts, and we leave the plane refreshed. The only difficulty is getting Micaela to take the pill, which we discovered works best when mixed with a crunchy snack, such as a granola bar.
To think, if this were my advice in all situations, to medicate, I wouldn't have a career....

Labels: Rave, The Fam