Sitio de Mata, Costa Rica – Travel days are never easy, and yesterday was no exception. But I am pleased to report that we survived two airplane flights and a two-hour drive and we are now comfortably settled in our (first) “Costa Rica house”.
Based on a recommendation from a neighbor, we tapped our local library for the DVD Shae By Air. It’s basically a step-by-step overview about what happens at the airport and on the airplane, including reminders about appropriate behavior (wearing seat belts) and inappropriate behavior (kicking the seat). We watched it several times during the week before we left. The twins loved the video. They were really excited about going on the airplane, and I think it was probably useful for them to know what to expect, as I’m not sure they can remember their last airplane experience. Also, Shae (the little girl in the video) is very well-behaved and she sets a perfect example, so that can’t hurt either!
We also sucked it up and purchased the CARES Airplane Safety Harness (two of them, of course) in hopes that they would keep my squirmies in their seats on the plane. This is the only child seat belt that is certified by the FAA. It is very easy to install on the airplane. And I think that the over-the-shoulder straps (reminiscent of their car seats) went a long way to keeping the kids on their butts. At least for the first hour. The harness is supposed to fit kids from 22 to 44lbs. I actually could not adjust it small enough for my petite 27 pounders, and they probably could have escaped. But they could not undo the buckle by themselves, and they didn’t realize that they could slide out the bottom. So even though they complained, I think the harness served its purpose.
