TIPS FOR TRAVEL

Role Mommy welcomes a brand new columnist to the site - SAFETY DAD, better known as James Hirtenstein, founder and president of Baby Safe-Inc. Born in 1996, Baby-Safe has pioneered the field of child-safety risk management. Baby-Safe is the only full service safety company serving the tri-state area. Not just a safety expert, James Hirtenstein is also a founding member of the International Association for Child Safety(IACS). Our 12 years of safety expertise have made us a regular guest on shows such as The CBS Morning Show, Dateline NBC, Good Day New York and many others. Let our experienced professionals leave you and your family with the peace of mind you deserve.

As the holidays are quickly approaching, Safety Dad offers important tips on travelling safe with your kids.

SAFETY DAD'S TRAVEL TIPS ON THE RUN

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house we go” may sound like the fairy tale trip you intended for your family but without the proper safety preparations, your trip can all too easily end by way of the big bad wolf. DANGER!!!! With the holidays rapidly approaching so will family travel. Do you have a comprehensive safety plan to deter common and preventable injuries? Are you prepared if something catastrophic were to happen to you or a loved one???? When pressed for an answer, most parents answer “what plan?” or say, “I never even thought about it”. Planning family trips are difficult at best but don’t forget those precautions or recovery plan that might end up saving you or one of your loved ones from major injury or worse.

Questions to ask yourselves and the hotel/home before we depart on any trip

How would you contact 911(local emergency eqivalent) in a foreign country?
Where is the best hospital within driving distance of your hotel???
What is the nearest Hospital with a trauma unit?
Do you have a pre printed map quest from your hotel/residence to local hospitals?
Do you have all vital medical information of your Family?
Are all your documents/fingerprints copied to a USB flash drive around your neck?
Do you have a first aid kit?
Do you have at least 2 extra weeks worth of any vital medications?
Is your hotel/apartment room baby-proofed?
Are there exposed stairs without gates?

Most accidents are preventable. With proper planning and execution, your trip can be made easier and you can have peace of mind. These simple hints will make your trip easier and safer. Bon Voyage!!

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

Remember, no matter your mode of transportation, keeping your children happy when traveling will also keep them calm and inevitably safer. A screaming and disruptive child can easily become a safety hazard and traveling only exacerbates that fact. It only takes an instant for catastrophe to happen and it happens everyday all across America. Below are tips that will greatly decrease the chance of an accident while traveling by car, air or train

1) Bring plenty of activities to keep them busy and occupied (games, movies, bookies, toys)
2) Bring plenty of dry snacks, water & juice- have enough for at least 4 days longer than your trip is planned- Plan for unexpected holdovers.
3) When driving put a yellow “baby on board” sign in the rear window. An indication to your fellow motorists that your family is on board.
4) Place sun stoppers on the rear windows of your car- any baby in direct sunlight will be fussy and soon to cry.
5) Have an air pump, flashlight, fire extinguisher, flare, reflector triangle, jack and spare tire in the trunk
6) Have an extensive first aid kit that has a bottle of ipecac
7) A large and sturdy plastic golf umbrella and a change of clothes for each member in your party in case you are stranded out of your car in bad weather

Do you have hotel reservations? We do!!!!

If you don’t have reservations about safety, you should. Most hotels/motels aren’t baby-proofed and their in-room safety deterrents are minimal at best if at all. Taking 10 minutes before you depart on your trip and 10 minutes once you’ve arrived to re-arrange your room and secure a few areas will make your trip less dangerous and envitably, more enjoyable. If you can’t find a hotel that is baby-proofed while booking your trip you can easily pre-pack the following and secure them when you arrive. The items below should all fit in a small knapsack or easily fit in your luggage without taking up much room.

Suggested items:
1) 8 soft cushion corner guards- Adhesive won’t mar furniture but can cover most of the low lying corners of any desk, nightstand ,counter or any other sharp corner.
2) 1 toilet lock-easily removed from one at home and re applied at hotel
3) Tie any blind cords up into a bow up high.
4) Adhesive latches-take all dangerous items and place in a drawer/cabinet that can be latched Also, latch any low lying cabinets that might tip over
5) Move all soaps, razors, sewing kits etc.. from tub/sink & low lying areas into latched cabinet.
6) Keep access to mini-bar away. Alcohol kills. Keep key securely away.
7) Move all pens/matches from coffee/nightstands and desks
8) Always have a First aid kit that has a bottle of ipecac-
9) Flashlight & transistor radio and extra charged phone battery in case of power outage
10) Printed map quest directions or better to best local hospital and hospital with best trauma unit.

Traveling with the family is fun and these safety tips are intended to help enjoy the time away with your family. These tips will help you be safer on your travels but it is important to stress that these hints can’t prevent accidents and that is that there is no substitute for parental supervision and even homes that have been baby-proofed aren’t 100% safe.

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