My Benadryl Adventure (Or How I Learned to Get Over The Fear of Flying with My Kids)

Going into this summer's vacation, I'd never given my kids Benadryl to make them sleep on an airplane. Trust me though when I tell you the suggestion has been made to me more than once... usually by complete strangers. Those are the moments of motherhood I treasure.

Like many moms, the very thought of flying with small children makes my blood pressure start to rise. As I started to pack for our upcoming trip, I heard those strangers' voices in my head again – could Benadryl really make it all better?

Being a firm believer in the theory that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, I've been living in a bit of mommy fear on the topic. Scared that the Benadryl would have the exact opposite intended effect and hop up my kids more than a trip to Toys R Us. Or worse, that they would fall so deeply asleep that a trip to the ER would be necessary upon landing. You know, the usual paranoia.

As the date for our red eye departure grew near, my kids were getting more excited about the trip. I just had to think: why would I drug them for the plane flight? I mean, it's a real-life Dream Day when they get to go to the airport, like they've actually turned into Little People. Why rain on that?

Now I've heard the argument both ways - a dose can't do any harm (the cool moms are doing it) and drugging your child for your own peace and quiet is tantamount to child abuse (the cool moms are definitely not doing it). So I looked a bit into the whole Benadryl thing before our flight... Do I or Don't I?

In the drugstore Cold & Flu aisle, it was pure confusion. I could only find some Walgreens look-alike Benadryl that had warnings all over it that it was not for kids under age four and should not be used to induce drowsiness. That definitely did not pass my "would I be okay doing this if a story about it ran on the front page of The New York Times" sniff test. (Sometimes having a background in marketing can be good, right?) Then I moved on to the Walgreens Bennie meant for infants age two and up, obviously a different cocktail, that happily proclaimed "Compare to the ingredients in Zyrtec!" Like that's a good thing, to be giving toddlers Zyrtec? Well, no mommy folklore had ever told me to slip my kids a Zyrtec on a flight. So that box was out too. By then I was just kinda creeped out by the whole Big Pharma-selling baby medicine-to-parents thing. I left Walgreens empty handed.

Driving away from the store I had an idea though. Maybe I already did have a drug of choice for my kids. One that I was not afraid to dispense if needed... yes, it's called television. Moments before we left for the airport we loaded up our iPods with $1.99 episodes of Team UmiZoomi and Bubble Guppies, and off we went.

You know what? The TV shows worked like a charm during some interminable terminal time and in the rental car post-flight for the long four hour drive. On the flight itself, they weren't even needed.

That's right. My kids don't need no stinkin' Benadryl. They slept like champs on that plane. To all the parents on Delta LAX to Detroit that evening, in my mind every kid on that plane was an angel - even the ones that were screaming (yours!). We did it! To the woman in front of my two year old who had her seat kicked fifty times, you're a saint and I'm super sorry. To the guy next to me who thought having his overhead reading light turned on for the entire red eye was a good idea, you need your head examined. But that's the joy / curse of traveling with wee ones... and adults. We're all a bear to deal with at times. That's why drink coupons were invented for the big kids, I guess.

My name is Beth, I love my kids, and we flew Benadryl-free. This was my story.

Reprinted from the MOMS Club of Monrovia's Newsletter (Sep 2011)

Why Match When You Can Contrast

Want to give a room in your house a mini-face lift for the end of summer? Just add a few accessories in contrasting colors to your overall decor. So in my family room, which has lots of warm tones like browns and orange, I chose these teal blue curtains (the opposite of orange on the color wheel is blue). Other basic complementary pairings you can try are yellow + purple and green + red.  You can do these colors together in pastels (think pink and lime green) or in their darker versions (like burnt yellow and eggplant).  I really like the pop this creates. If you do add a contrasting color, it helps to include a few instances of it - like curtains, a vase, a pillow - to draw your eye around the room. This will connect it all together and help it visually feel right. 

Crap, I Broke A Curly Lightbulb.

Okay, so it's going to happen  to you if it hasn't already. You will break one of those compact fluorescent light bulbs and probably start to freak out about how to clean it up. These bulbs release mercury vapor when broken and can be tricky to recycle ... even illegal to just toss in the trash. So what's the right way to cleanup one of these broken CFL bulbs? Here's the official EPA website method. In short, get out of the room for 5-10 minutes to let it air out (shut off your A/C to stop circulating any vapors). Then use sticky tape or wet paper towel / wipes to sweep all the debris and powder onto a stiff piece of paper. Funnel the broken shards into a sealable container, like a glass jar. Finally, put the container outside until you can dispose of it properly according to your local rules. Two other good tips I found: always screw the bulbs in and out holding the base (not the curly glass part) and put a beach towel under your lamp when changing the bulbs, just in case one falls.

Put Your Stuff In One Place

Guys, this is the #1 mantra you should be living by... 

"Put your stuff in one place."

When you come home from work or wherever, don't leave a debris trail behind you. A cell phone on the dryer. A wallet upstairs in the bedroom. Car keys outside on the patio table. That is why you feel like you can never find anything... you can't. Find one place in the house, and put it all there. Maybe it's a basket, maybe it's a drawer. You decide. The significant others in your life will love you for this. You will love yourself for this. At the very least, put your stuff in one place the night before you have to go to work in the morning (see pile pictured here). Make the morning exit peaceful. Repeat after me... put your stuff in one place. Kiss kiss.

Your iPhone as Mirror

Sometimes in a pinch you need a mirror in your purse or bag. But if you're out and about and don't have one - use your iPhone or iPod. Go into Camera mode and flip the viewfinder (see icon in picture here) so you appear on screen. That's it  - you're looking at yourself. Touch up lipstick and go.

Swipe (Don't Swap) Your Wipers

If your car's windshield wipers aren't doing their job, don't run out and replace them. First, try washing them. Grab your kitchen dishwashing soap (like Dawn) and suds up a rag with the soap and some water. Swing up your windshield wipers away from your car and wash off the rubber strip that meets the glass. You'll be surprised at how much oil and grime washes comes off. That's it... your windshield wipers will be like new, assuming they are otherwise in good shape. Thanks to Bob, my father-in-law and a Chrysler retiree, for this one!

Playing With Abandon In Skirts

LOVE these! I recently went school uniform shopping for my daughter and discovered these cute under-the-skirt shorts called Monkeybar Buddies. They are meant to be worn underneath skirts and dresses instead of bulky shorts and leggings. Here's the blurb on the back of the package: "Designed to allow girls to play with abandon. No bunching. No sticking. No bulk. Just pure, worry free play. Go ahead, swing from the rafters." They come in a rainbow of colors and patterns to match any outfit. Take a closer look at http://www.monkeybarbuddies.com/