Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Works For Me Wednesday - Backwards


This week Shannon has decided that Works For Me Wednesday will be backwards. Bloggers ask questions and the commenter leaves advice.


Here is my question:

We are moving in just a few weeks. We are being moved by my husband's company and they have been generous enough to hire movers for us, so we do not have to pack ourselves. Also, we have decided that Miles and I will fly to Texas (where we are moving to) the day before the packers show up. Both of sets of our parents live there, so Miles and I will stay with them while Jared oversees the packers and then drives to meet us. The flight is about 3.5 hours from CA to TX. We will be staying with parents for about a week, then in our home with minimal furniture (while we do updates) for about two weeks. Any must know advice for the flight or the move with a one year old?

Thanks in advance!

9 comments:

happygeek said...

We moved with a one yar old and found he was remarkably resilient. We just didn't do any other big transitions at the same time, ie, taking away a bottle, switching from a crib to a bed. We just continued with our regular routines (as much as is possible) and it went fairly smoothly.
As for the flight, snacks, snacks nad a few more snacks.

Christy said...

As far as the flight goes, be sure to have something to give him to drink during take off and landing. This can help with the "ear popping" issue. Snacks, the less crummy the better! I take some benedryl just to be on the safe side. Ask your doctor for dosing advice.

If you can get him his own seat, be sure to take his carseat. That will let him know that he has to stay seated while you are on the plane. Don't plan on taking lots of "carry-on" baggage..he will be enough to keep up with! We used a harness (the Eddie Bauer Puppy "backpack") for our little one. That made her much easier to keep up with.

We just moved with an 18mo old. She slept in our bed for 4 months. Try to stick to your routine as much as possible.

Good luck!

Amy said...

I wrote a HUGE post about traveling with a baby here:

http://prettybabies.blogspot.com/2007/06/baby-jet-set.html

It's an oldie but a goodie! Be sure to check my current post - I need HELP!

Amy

michelle said...

We have moved with a one-year old before, in fact, we flew all day to our new location on his very first birthday. My baby was very easy-going to begin with, so I didn't really have any problems.

I do have some moving tips posted on my blog (Beware! It is very long.), but they are all things that I have learned about the hard way, doing corporate moves such as you have described. Perhaps a few of the tips will be helpful to you.

My blog post filled with moving tips can be found here http://www.northofthe49.com/blog/?p=116

I wish you all the best in your move.

Michelle
www.northofthe49.com

*carrie* said...

We bring lots of snacks when we travel.

If, by chance, you are moving to Austin, I have a friend who just moved there last week with her 19-month-old. It would be so great to connect you!!

Melanie @ This Ain't New York said...

Pack some of the baby's items that you will want to find quickly yourself and label the box. Pack the crib linens, other items you will need when you first get settled and label the box. Make sure you take any sentimental baby items with you- pack them and mail them to your family. You wouldn't want the movers or the airlines to lose those.
(I've moved a lot.:>>)

Mamacita said...

You are right! My 'baby' just turned 13, so baby wipes are a thing of the past. But the clorox wipes are a good second! It has been a while, so I didn't have my own advice for you on travel. I did a google and voila! This popped up:
http://www.flyingwithkids.com/travel_tips.htm
It looks like some pretty helpful tips - good luck!

Susan said...

It's great that you have movers/packers, but for the boxes that you need to have immediately opened (certain dishes, baby items, etc.), mark the boxes with brightly colored tape and put a little strip of tape on each side and top of the box. This way, you can immediately find those boxes that are essential first or second day items, and the bright tape saves you from having to read the label on each box. I have made several moves over the last couple of years and this trick has been a lifesaver.

Robin said...

I've travelled extensively (12+ hour trans-atlantic flights) ever since my kids were babies. My best advice is don't overstress. It will probably be fine, and if it isn't, it's just a few hours out of your life and you'll never have to see any of those people again ;-).

Like the others said, have him drink for takeoff and landing if possible. (Don't stress if it isn't. My older child always managed to get hungry 10 minutes too early and would be sound asleep by takeoff. Never bothered him a bit.) Bring drinks and snacks (for BOTH of you), some old favorite toys, a few new ones, changes of clothes for both of you (nothing like being stuck in a shirt the baby spit up on - or worse - just five minutes into the flight) and gate-check your stroller. I also find it really helpful to bring a sling or other "hands-free baby holder" for walking through the plane itself, and in case your stroller isn't returned right at the gate.

Most importantly, good luck with the move. How wonderful to be moving closer to family too.

Thanks for your kind words on my blog earlier today too.