Give your best advice to an expecting father

Originally Posted by Rambo

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I know this is taboo these days but wouldn't a little children's benadryl or caugh syrup, plus a xanax for you two, go a LONG way to smoothing everything out?

Better living through chemistry!

Originally Posted by gdl203

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It's primarily about others and not about the kids and us. I think my level of stress would be 90% lower if we were flying in a private plane with no one but family. It may be irrational but it's impossible not to feel that stress in a contained environment with people who are very often in a hostile mood. We cannot always find a solution as parents - sometimes one of the boys just has to let his frustration or fear out of his system by crying and screaming for a few minutes before calming down.

The idea of such an emotional blow-up on a plane surrounded by hostile people (yes, people are hostile to children on a plane - don't ask me why but they are - even Fuuma and others here have expressed such sentiments in previous threads, same as assholes who puff and stare in restaurants) is very stressful.

Then, there is the kids, they don't like to sit for 7 hours, they like to run, climb and do crazy things. In the red-eye part, I'm concerned thye may not sleep and be very upset and cranky about it.

I can't wait for this to be over.

I do get bothered but I know it is a closed environment and there is nothing to be done about it so I would never bother the parents or children, I think most people are that way so don't get tense over that. If you're using air france you'll get to be mad at way worse than crying children anyway if you watch the Adèle Blanc-Sec movie, what a load of crap! When are you going to be in Paris BTW, I'll be around in sept (in Africa right now).

Originally Posted by Fuuma

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When are you going to be in Paris BTW, I'll be around in sept (in Africa right now).

Not going to Paris for a while (flying to Nice this time). Where in Africa?

Originally Posted by gdl203

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It's primarily about others and not about the kids and us. I think my level of stress would be 90% lower if we were flying in a private plane with no one but family. It may be irrational but it's impossible not to feel that stress in a contained environment with people who are very often in a hostile mood. We cannot always find a solution as parents - sometimes one of the boys just has to let his frustration or fear out of his system by crying and screaming for a few minutes before calming down.

The idea of such an emotional blow-up on a plane surrounded by hostile people (yes, people are hostile to children on a plane - don't ask me why but they are - even Fuuma and others here have expressed such sentiments in previous threads, same as assholes who puff and stare in restaurants) is very stressful.

Then, there is the kids, they don't like to sit for 7 hours, they like to run, climb and do crazy things. In the red-eye part, I'm concerned thye may not sleep and be very upset and cranky about it.

I can't wait for this to be over.

Ah, now I understand. Save some stress for the trip itself... Bad joke, but I can imagine that you're fully prepared (enough things to distract them, for instance), and apart from the preparation you don't have any influence until the flight itself. Try to let it be. And forgive me for using that clichà .

Originally Posted by gdl203

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Not going to Paris for a while (flying to Nice this time). Where in Africa?

Staying in Nice or traveling on? Such a great place to be this time of year, enjoy!

Originally Posted by gdl203

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flying to Nice this time

That sounds very niece.

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

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Staying in Nice or traveling on? Such a great place to be this time of year, enjoy!

Don't talk about traveling !

We're staying in Cannes. Yes, Teacher, because we cannes.

Originally Posted by Thomas

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My parents certainly made sure I was well-medicated (generally it was bourbon or some such) on even the shortest car trips, and I wasn't affected in the slightest. Well, other than being the only pre-schooler with my own 30-day chip.
All the ladies in kindergarten love a man who can hold his liquor.

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

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Better living through chemistry!
It certainly would ease GDL's problems. Seriously though, the entirety of the baby-boomer generation was raised with this style of parenting. See how well they turned out...

Enjoy every moment of time you have with your child, my boy just 9 1/2 months and over the course of the last 3 days he has learn to crawl very fast, explore every facet of the house, today climb into his rocker chair by himself.

All these events just sliped pass us while we are working at home. Children grow up very fast and learn extremely fast. I have the great luxury to work at home most of the time and learning to understand your child and their needs are very fulfilling.

Prepare to take some time to have arguments, and disagreements when deciding what the babies wants but trust your judgements when you observe long enough its very easy to understand them.

Also give your wife as much support and comfort as possible!

Good luck!

Gilbert

Buy yourself this book by robert conti and learn the guitar. i promise you will learn over time the process of life through music. Drum and bass is the way forward. Buy yourself Kurt Rosenwinkels "Our Secret World" on Sep. 7 and play it for your kids. STORY BEGINS Best luck

I was rightfully concerned. Day flight back was a nightmare of epic proportions. I'm simply happy it is now over. Next vacation: New Jersey or Staten Island !!

Everybody alive?

i just want to bring this thread up to share an idea i got.

this might be obvious to some but i think it is one of my brightest thoughts recently.

our kid have started eating various mashes and finger foods and you all know what kind of mess this makes.
go get a cheap ice scraper from an auto store. makes wiping off the table, high chair and floor so much easier.

Spend as much time as you can with your kids. Read to them, when in school, both of you play hookey and just piss around. Time goes so quickly, that you have to teach them to not take life too seriously and they should learn to feel it's alright to have fun.

Originally Posted by gdl203

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The stress associated with the anticipation of a long flight with infants is something that's hard to describe. I have been thinking about this flight for months, every single day, multiple times a day. I am having nightmares about it (for real), I am incredibly stressed and so is my wife. I think we're developing ulcers just thinking about traveling with our kids.

How did the trip go? I see it was hard, do you have any tips to make it easier? I was talking to my sister in law who is English and flies with her two kids back home from time to time and she said Infants were easy to fly with. It was once they started to walk a lot that it became hellish. I'll likely be flying with a 8 month old and am interested in your experience.