usvi-on-line
Car seat question for toddler: TY to any moms that can help
Another tip - if you turn the brightness/resolution all the way down and use earphones (which you would do anyway) you can usually double the battery life.petepie wrote:I should have also added that I second the DVD player recommendation. Also, see if you can buy a spare battery pack, that way when the first runs out, you'll have another ready to keep the entertainment going!
We just returned from a trip to STJ with our 16 month old.
We did not want to deal with bringing a car seat down. We had our baby on our lap for the plane ride, which worked out fine. That's only allowed for children under 2.
We rented a car from Discount Car Rental on St. Thomas and they met us at the airport with the car and the car seat installed. (Although it was not installed very tightly, so we had to take it out and re-install it.) That way we just put him in the seat, drove to Red Hook, took the car barge over to St. John, and then drove to the villa. In my opinion, it was the ideal way to go if you have a child who requires a car seat.
As for the plane ride:
- I 100% agree with the DVD player. That is a necessity.
- PLENTY of snacks and a sippy cup. Keeps them busy and helps with the ear popping issue.
- Get a few new toys. Nothing fancy, just some dollar store items, but something that's new to them so it keeps their interest. We got a mini magna-doodle, a book about planes (which he LOVED), and a few little trucks. I've heard that some people will actually wrap each toy and let them open a new one every half hour or so. It makes the time pass and gives them something to look forward to.
We've taken 2 trips with our little one so far and I feel like I'm an expert. So if you have any questions, ask away!
We did not want to deal with bringing a car seat down. We had our baby on our lap for the plane ride, which worked out fine. That's only allowed for children under 2.
We rented a car from Discount Car Rental on St. Thomas and they met us at the airport with the car and the car seat installed. (Although it was not installed very tightly, so we had to take it out and re-install it.) That way we just put him in the seat, drove to Red Hook, took the car barge over to St. John, and then drove to the villa. In my opinion, it was the ideal way to go if you have a child who requires a car seat.
As for the plane ride:
- I 100% agree with the DVD player. That is a necessity.
- PLENTY of snacks and a sippy cup. Keeps them busy and helps with the ear popping issue.
- Get a few new toys. Nothing fancy, just some dollar store items, but something that's new to them so it keeps their interest. We got a mini magna-doodle, a book about planes (which he LOVED), and a few little trucks. I've heard that some people will actually wrap each toy and let them open a new one every half hour or so. It makes the time pass and gives them something to look forward to.
We've taken 2 trips with our little one so far and I feel like I'm an expert. So if you have any questions, ask away!