Logistics of relocating with a 17 month old

[cathybramble]

Dramamine keeps kids, and adults, from getting motion sickness.

It is MADE to be taken before car trips or boat rides, giving OTC medication for motion sickenss to one’s own children before a long car ride is a reasonable thing to do.

we always took dramamine before a road trip to avoid getting carsick. to this day sometimes i will still take one before travelling, just because on one transatlantic flight i overestimated my constitution and ended up being sick all the way to heathrow

 

[TravisandJill]

I dont think I used anything on the drive to Texas, but I have given my kids liquid melatonin before. Melatonin is a substance your body produces naturally to make you tired…it is considered to be very safe to give to children. My kids went through a phase where they would wake up in the middle of the night so I gave them a dose and within 15 minutes they dozed off again.

I do not see the big deal for parents to give their kids benedryl for a long drive…its not like she gives it to them everyday. I think people tend to overreact to things like this.

 

[ack]

I won’t even take Benedryl myself for its intended purpose, due to the side effects associated with the medication (irregular heartbeat, etc.) There is a reason why Benedryl is considered to be a “1st-generation antihistamine” and newer medications with fewer side effects were developed.

The only reason why I stock Benedryl is for emergency use (for scorpion stings, or in case a visitor has a severe food allergy, etc.)

I do not see the big deal for parents to give their kids benedryl for a long drive…its not like she gives it to them everyday. I think people tend to overreact to things like this.

 

[basilisk]

I do not see the big deal for parents to give their kids benedryl for a long drive…its not like she gives it to them everyday. I think people tend to overreact to things like this.

Wow… I cannot believe the situational ethics going on here!

Is it morally right for parents to depress their children’s nervous systems with drugs in order to make the kids easier to deal with? If the answer is no, then it’s always no. If it’s yes, then it’s always yes.

As for the melatonin… well, my daughter’s body naturally makes progesterone and estrogen. So, if I have a good enough reason, why would it be wrong or dangerous for me to give her birth control pills? I mean, it’s just a manmade version of the same thing.

Do you subscribe to the Church’s teaching that artificial birth control is always intrinsically wrong and immoral no matter what the circumstances? If you do, then your position on this is untenable. If it’s wrong to use drugs to depress a child’s nervous system for the parent’s convenience regularly, then it is also wrong to do it once for a car trip.

I am stunned that there are so many people who think this is acceptable.

Oscarthecat, I am sorry your thread got SO off track! I would say your best choices are to hire a transport company for your car and fly together, or to rent an RV, tow your car, and take turns driving so you can both help your child get through the trip.

 

[cathybramble]

Wow… I cannot believe the situational ethics going on here!

Is it morally right for parents to depress their children’s nervous systems with drugs in order to make the kids easier to deal with? If the answer is no, then it’s always no. If it’s yes, then it’s always yes.

As for the melatonin… well, my daughter’s body naturally makes progesterone and estrogen. So, if I have a good enough reason, why would it be wrong or dangerous for me to give her birth control pills? I mean, it’s just a manmade version of the same thing.

Do you subscribe to the Church’s teaching that artificial birth control is always intrinsically wrong and immoral no matter what the circumstances? If you do, then your position on this is untenable. If it’s wrong to use drugs to depress a child’s nervous system for the parent’s convenience regularly, then it is also wrong to do it once for a car trip.

I am stunned that there are so many people who think this is acceptable.

i’m not sure i follow this. if it is wrong to make a child sleepy for a car trip, is it wrong to make them sleepy for medical procedures that would cause them anxiety? is it wrong to make them sleepy if they are experiencing stress from some temporary situation and cannot sleep?

hormone pills are in a whole different realm than antihistamines, i’m not sure this is a fair comparison.

 

[TravisandJill]

Wow… I cannot believe the situational ethics going on here!

Is it morally right for parents to depress their children’s nervous systems with drugs in order to make the kids easier to deal with? If the answer is no, then it’s always no. If it’s yes, then it’s always yes.

As for the melatonin… well, my daughter’s body naturally makes progesterone and estrogen. So, if I have a good enough reason, why would it be wrong or dangerous for me to give her birth control pills? I mean, it’s just a manmade version of the same thing.

Do you subscribe to the Church’s teaching that artificial birth control is always intrinsically wrong and immoral no matter what the circumstances? If you do, then your position on this is untenable. If it’s wrong to use drugs to depress a child’s nervous system for the parent’s convenience regularly, then it is also wrong to do it once for a car trip.

I am stunned that there are so many people who think this is acceptable.

Oscarthecat, I am sorry your thread got SO off track! I would say your best choices are to hire a transport company for your car and fly together, or to rent an RV, tow your car, and take turns driving so you can both help your child get through the trip.

Um I think this is a rediculous comparison and I think this conversation is also getting off topic. Should we maybe start another thread?

 

[happymommy]

We’ve driven to Florida, from PA, twice now with kids…it’s around 21 hours
the first time our oldest was around 17 months…we left at her bed time and she slept all night and then we read to her and played with her for the rest of the trip…We did have to make stops so she could run around, but it worked out just fine.
the second time the kids were 6, 4, and 8 weeks! Lond trip…we left at night again and that helped with the sleeping for the older two, but we did have to stop a lot to feed the baby…once again it worked out, but hubby said he will never make that drive again

 

[Oscarthecat]

Um I think this is a rediculous comparison and I think this conversation is also getting off topic. Should we maybe start another thread?

Thank you-

I’m not planning on giving our daughter any sedatives for the trip, but if we really need some advice about that we’ll ask her pediatrician about the safety and appropriateness of particular options.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

I think it either way has its pros and cons and it depends a lot on what the people involved are more comfortable doing. We have done several trips with babies. The longest drive I can think of is 25hr drive (not counting stops) in 3 days on our way there and in 2 days on the way back (we were doing well on time and the thought of unloading and staying at a hotel when we were pretty close to home was enough to motivate us) with a 10 mo old and a 2 yr old and morning sickness . With car driving you do have to plan for extra time to let the kids stretch a little (combine it with diaper changing/feeding etc) and I am not sure how that would affect your time limit. Have you traveled long distances with her before? It can add a couple of hours to your trip. The longest plane trip I can think of was probably about 8 hrs total (2 flights, longest 3.5 hrs). We haven’t sworn off traveling yet in fact we are getting ready to go on a trip that will involve an 8 hr drive and a 3 hr flight, with 3 with the oldest being 3.
Snacks (you can bring an empty sippy cup for the plane and fill it up once you are in the gate, you can bring an empty sippy cup in the car and bring individual juices or buy something to drink at a stop), new toys (for the plane, silent is a must, for the car, whatever your tolerance is), for the car: a flashlight so you can see what you are doing at night, whether it be changing a diaper, feeding, etc I usually set up a changing station in my car and then go in to wash my hands. I gotta go to bed now, but if I think of any other ideas or if you have any other questions for all of us on here, feel free to ask BTW, a lot of times we have had to travel because of dh’s job, so it is for a temporary “move”.

 

[Oscarthecat]

Thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut-

we’ve decided to send her via UPS and hope for the best.

 

[nodito]

Thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut-

we’ve decided to send her via UPS and hope for the best.

Lol! That’s just about the funniest thing I’ve heard all week.

 

[PapaSquash]

We’ve driven to Florida, from PA, twice now with kids…it’s around 21 hours
the first time our oldest was around 17 months…we left at her bed time and she slept all night and then we read to her and played with her for the rest of the trip…We did have to make stops so she could run around, but it worked out just fine.
the second time the kids were 6, 4, and 8 weeks! Lond trip…we left at night again and that helped with the sleeping for the older two, but we did have to stop a lot to feed the baby…once again it worked out, but hubby said he will never make that drive again

This would be my usual route - drive at night so the kids are asleep and traffic is light, but that won’t work for Oscar’s timeline - he only has one overnight and both days are short so it’s only 33 hours total to drive 22 hours of “windsheild time”.

This is really tight with Kids and any margin for safety breaks I’ve done the 1300 miles between Minneapolis and Providence more times than I remember, with kids at just about every age (I have three spaced three years apart) Did it once solo with two dogs in 27 hours.

Given that, If I took the family with me, I’d do a twelve-hour “drive” day on day 1 (10AM to 1AM gives you 3 hours for breaks) Swap drivers a couple of times. Sleep is tight - 6 hours from 1AM to 7AM gives you 12 hours elapsed to drive 10 hours by 7PM. The margin is tight. It’s winter so sleeping the car is out and travel speeds can be limited by weather (at least up here in the north they can be)

If the family flew, I’d consider this a pretty easy drive solo, but I’m different like that. You have to consider how the wife and child travel. Somebody is going to ride in the back seat with the baby a lot. Bring little wrapped presents (thrift store trinkets are more than good enough) so you can break out a new distraction/amusement when restlessness sets in. Pack lots of food. This works for long flights too. I’ve never needed the portable DVD player thing but I have considered it.

Know thyself, and evaluate what kind of shape you are going be in for whatever it is that you have to be there for at 7PM.

Can you fly out with the family and then fly back and get the car the next time you have a fee weekend? It might be cheaper than having the car shipped if you can buy the flight back as part of a round-trip ticket, and you can survive without a car at the destination city for a bit.

 

[basilisk]

i’m not sure i follow this. if it is wrong to make a child sleepy for a car trip, is it wrong to make them sleepy for medical procedures that would cause them anxiety? is it wrong to make them sleepy if they are experiencing stress from some temporary situation and cannot sleep?

hormone pills are in a whole different realm than antihistamines, i’m not sure this is a fair comparison.

Any and all drugs used for sedation carry risks. When a child or adult is sedated for a medical procedure, it is because the benefit outweighs the risk of the sedative. Like, when my 3 year old son had to have hernia repair surgery… I was freaked about the risk of having him under general anesthesia BUT it was necessary because an unrepaired hernia can strangulate bowel, causing much worse damage and even risking death. That is an appropriate reason to sedate a child. Parental convenience is NOT a valid or moral reason to sedate a child.

As for your second point, a previous poster said she uses melatonin… a HORMONE. She is manipulating her children’s bodies hormonally. But that’s not really the point. Of course hormones are different from antihistamines. Stop getting lost in the details and focus on the larger moral issue. If I, as a parent, think I have a good enough reason to do so, why is it wrong for me to manipulate my child hormonally if, as you seem to be saying, it is perfectly fine for us to chemically manipulate their nervous systems to meet OUR desire for peace and quiet?

Oscarthecat, I love the UPS idea… tee hee. Though I would recommend Fed Ex as UPS tends to be really rough with packages.

 

[happymommy]

Thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut-

we’ve decided to send her via UPS and hope for the best.

Make sure they poke holes in the box first and maybe give her a sippy cup, but don’t drug her, that would be bad!