Monday, October 11, 2010

Good Morning Las Vegas!

The Car Seat Ladies (Alisa & Emily) along with Lulu, Emily's 10-month old daughter (the car seat baby????), are in Las Vegas for the ABC Kids Expo.  Over the next 3 days we will be meeting with all the major car seat manufacturers to learn what new products and features they'll be launching in the next year - and to share feedback with them on how (in our humble opinions) they can improve their products - because frankly, car seats are just too darn hard to install properly.

Lulu, Emily & Alisa

Lulu sleeping comfortably in her Combi Coccoro on the plane

Having just traveled with a 10 month old in tow, we can share a few travel tips.

1. Buy a seat for the baby on the airplane.  It is not just the safer way to travel, it is the saner way to travel - who wants a squirmy toddler on their lap for 5 hours?
2. Travel with your car seat.  We brought the Combi Coccoro (which we wheeled around the airport connected to the Combi Coccoro Flash stroller).  I am a small person (just 5'2") and found it very easy to carry the car seat with sleeping Lulu in it down the aisle of the plane.  It also fit nicely in the airplane seat and allowed the person in front to recline their seat just about all the way. 
3. Encourage the baby to suck during take off.  Nurse or bottle feed the baby until you hear "flight attendants prepare for take-off" - then strap the baby into the car seat and offer a bottle, pacifier, sippy cup, or food that you have to suck out of the packaging.
4. Fly at night - the baby is most likely to sleep through the majority of the plane ride (Lulu thankfully did).
5. Change your baby into their pajamas before the flight - this will keep them warm as the plane is often chilly.