If you are planning a family holiday, here are a few safety tips to consider before you fly.
Car Seat, Harness or Belt?
Familiarise yourself with your airline’s rules regarding child safety restraints before you go. If your child will have their own seat, but is still very young, many airlines won’t let you travel without a restraint system or a car seat. In practise for take off and landing, flight attendants will usually insist you hold toddlers on your lap and use a child seat belt extension which they provide. During the flight a harness or car seat will still be really useful. You will have less wiggling to worry about and won’t find yourself having to haul a small, resistant child out of the footwell. It also stops them slipping slowly off the seat in the lucky event that they nap.
Stay Hydrated
This can be especially difficult during the journey with the restrictions on liquids in place in airports. Make buying more water the first thing you do once you are through security. This may seem wasteful but you should have it to hand so you can rely on this water on the plane. Avoid drinking the tap water available on flights if you can. Make sure you and your family take regular sips as you travel.
Stay Sun Safe
We all know sun safety is important, so coat your kids in factor 50 and try to find a hat they will actually be excited to wear. Wearing a T-shirt or UV resistant top when in the water is a really good idea – especially in the first few days of the holiday.
A little less well known is the risk of heat stroke, which can be serious. Kids are especially vulnerable while running around or swimming as they don’t just won’t notice their thirst or how hot they are getting. Symptoms to watch out for are headache and confusion, dizziness, high temperature, fast breathing or pulse, excessive thirst, pale clammy skin and floppiness. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms they need cooling down quickly and may require medical attention. To avoid heat stroke keep them out of the sun in the middle of the day. Make sure they are drinking regularly. Keep them cool with regular dips in the pool or ocean or breaks in the shade. Aim for some rest time to break up periods of physical exertion. An ice cream should keep them still for a minute or two.
Make Sure you are Covered
You will need travel insurance that covers your whole family. The cost of medical care abroad can be astronomical. A hospital stay in the US, for example, can cost $10,165 USD a day, so it is essential to have insurance. Many policies will actually offer free cover for children travelling with their parents, so this might not be very expensive. The peace of mind it provides is absolutely priceless. Your travel insurance policy should cover any medical care you need and the cost of repatriation in the event of an emergency. It should cover the safe return home of any minors in the event that you are hospitalised. Your policy should also come with access to travel assistance which can help with the daunting task of finding medical help in a foreign country.
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