Hints to Ease Holiday Traveling

So the airport is jammed and your flight has been delayed for hours. The kids are whining. Your spouse is getting grumpier by the minute. They lost your rental car reservation and damaged your favorite suitcase. Is that any reason to hate holiday travel?

You bet.

And that’s not counting all the energy we invest in creating the Perfect Holiday Experience. “People get so caught up in all the traditions that everyone gets stressed out, even the kids,” said Sharon Berry, a child psychologist at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

But you can’t stay home. The in-laws are expecting you. The ski condo is already paid for. You called in every favor at the office to get the week off. So along with millions of other American families, you’re determined to make your way from point A to point C this month . . . no matter what. Here are some tips that may make that holiday journey a little easier--for parents and children.

Tips for parents:

* If you’re heading out to visit family or friends, tell them ahead of time what you’ll need: a crib and apple juice for the baby, a certain brand of cereal or favorite snacks for the older kids. Can they scout out some special holiday attractions nearby to take the kids to? Will they have some simple foods on the holiday table the kids will eat?

If you have toddlers or babies, gently remind your hosts about keeping pills and poisons locked away. Suggest they move breakables. Check that the Christmas lights are out of reach and move the poinsettias. They’re poisonous.

* Delays are inevitable whether you’re traveling by car, train, boat or plane over the holidays. The trick with kids is to be ready for every eventuality. UCLA child psychologist Jill Waterman remembers one particularly bleak Christmas marooned for hours in the Denver airport with 18-month-old, jet-lagged twins. “It was miserable,” said Waterman, who now picks off-peak days to travel during the holidays. Whatever the kids’ ages, travel armed with plenty of “surprise” trinkets, toys, games, tapes and books that you can pull out when the going gets rough.

* If you’re traveling with an infant, stow plenty of juice, diapers, formula, baby food and clothes where you can get to them quickly. There’s nothing worse than a soaked infant without a dry diaper. And don’t forget the car seat. If you’re flying, he or she will be more comfortable and safer.

* Keep an extra T-shirt or sweat shirt within reach in case they spill pop all over themselves or, as has happened to my kids more than once, get sick.

* “No matter where you go on vacation, people are going to get sick, and kids are much more susceptible,” said Los Angeles pediatrician Jeff Fireman. Add bitter cold, not enough sleep and too much rich food and it’s no wonder kids get sick. Always pack children’s acetaminophen, a thermometer, a first-aid kit and any medicines your child might need for a chronic condition such as asthma or allergies.

What are you waiting for? Start packing.

Tips for kids:

* Pack your school backpack with a couple of favorite books and games. A joke book is a good bet, as is a deck of cards. Bring along a hand-held video game and a small tape or CD player, if you have one. They’re great for tuning out annoying brothers and sisters. Parents, too.

* Offer to pack your own suitcase so you can make sure you’ve got your favorite jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. Don’t forget plenty of underwear or the good clothes your mom wants you to wear for the big family dinner.

* Ask for a map so you can help plot the route and help navigate in the car. Look carefully at the landscape you pass. What’s different from home?

* If you’re flying alone to visit your mom or dad, make sure you have his or her phone number and know how to call collect. Carry money with you and plan what you’ll do if you get stuck in the airport because of bad weather.

* Sure, you want to check out your cousins’ neighborhood or explore the ski resort or hotel. Just make sure your parents know where you’re going. Write down the address or room number and the phone where you’re staying and stick it in your pocket.

* No matter how much you hate any of the presents you got from relatives, just smile and say thank you. You can exchange them later.

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Taking the Kids appears the first and third week of every month.