Is it just me or does someone in your family always get sick when traveling? Whether it’s the stress of being on the move, the climate change or spending more time in confined spaces, it seems at least one of us comes down with something before, during or after a trip – and that’s not factoring in the occasional bout of motion sickness.
I’m usually no germophobe, but in this season of increased mobility and H1N1 hype, keeping the kids healthy is a top-of-mind priority. Here are a few products that can help with hygiene while you’re on the go.
File this under “simple ideas I wish I thought of”. The Little Lasso is a colorful fabric leash that attaches your child’s sippy cup, pacifier or small toy to a stroller, car seat or highchair and prevents it from falling onto the germ-filled ground. While I’m way past this stage myself, I clearly remember how frequently babies and toddlers drop these kind of items throughout the day. My patience for this game of “fetch” wore thin after the third drop, and my primal need to wash things before handing them back to my child’s mouth was exasperating.
This gravity game is even more confounding when traveling with a youngster – it’s hard to retrieve a fallen object when you’re driving in the car to grandma’s house, and repeated fishing expeditions under the airplane seat can require contortions of yogic proportions. Who knows what microbes are lurking on the train platform or the hotel lobby tile? The Little Lasso prevents your child’s droppables from getting dirty, broken or lost, and keeps them at arms reach for easy retrieval. It’s a real road trip or plane flight sanity saver, with sanitary benefits to boot.
Another “duh, why didn’t I think of this” product. The multi-purpose TRAYblecloth helps keeps your kids happy, healthy and clutter-free while traveling on a plane (otherwise known as a flying germ capsule). The plastic sheet slips over the notoriously unhygienic tray table so your child has a clean surface to eat, drink and play on. Handy storage pockets keep headsets, books and crayons at the ready. Even more important from your child’s perspective, the cloth has a host of fun activities on it for a little unplugged in-flight entertainment, and with dry-erase markers they can wipe and play again. Grown-up and disposable versions are also available.
Not to be confused with the stylish Yak Pak line of designer bags, the YakPack is – hard to sugar coat this – a clean-up spill kit for vomit. Kids seem to find the most inopportune times and places to spew forth, but with a handy YakPack in your purse, car or carry-on bag, you’ll be prepared to erase the evidence as thoroughly and hygienically as possible. The kit contains things like non-latex gloves, absorbent powder, odor neutralizer, a scoop and scraper, anti-microbial wipes and a biohazard bag. There’s also a motion sickness sac and protective lap pad to help contain the mess if you have an inkling that someone’s tummy isn’t quite right.
Like the company’s tag line says, yak happens – at home or away. You might as well travel prepared for the worse.
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The TRAYblecloth looks fantastic – thanks for the tips! I agree that during these times, keeping the little ones healthy is a top priority. I’ve been finding the travel-sized handiwipes to be a useful tool as well.
