Jaunted

Travel

Lullaby for Seat 13B

April 20, 2006 at 11:45 AM | 0 Comments

Despite the paper's general reputation for being dry, the Wall Street Journal is a fount of salaciousness this week. Never mind the coverage of theme parks; today the WSJ tackles the divisive issue of sedating children--mostly infants and toddlers--when they travel.

Yes, some parents give their children antihistamines, like Benadryl--which counts drowsiness as a side effect--so that they'll be calm during a plane ride instead of turning into the screaming, seat-kicking monsters seated directly behind us. Other parents find this tactic reprehensible, preferring to distract their kids with DVDs, coloring books, and whatever else works.  Anyone who has ever watched a Baby Einstein DVD can attest to sedative properties as least as strong as Benadryl.

We wholeheartedly endorse sedating not just infants, but all children, up through the age of twelve. And Bendadryl doesn't go far enough: what about a little bit of whiskey in their milk? Maybe some children's chewable Xanax? Whatever gets you through to your destination with a quiet kid is alright by us.

Related Stories:
·   Work & Family [WSJ]
·   Theme Parks Tone Down the Excitement [Jaunted]