https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:47:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915326 Wed, 13 May 2020 09:45:04 +0000 krispi 2915326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We hired a part-time babysitter who started this week. Today is her 3rd day. So far, it's been nice being able to close the door and concentrate on work. Due to my job responsibilities, I'm going to have to do that a lot more in June. Yesterday was kind of a wash because my daughter had a huge meltdown over her zoom session with her class from school. She was really upset, so my husband and I had to spend time calming her down vs. the babysitter who is really new to her. But Monday and today have been much better. (And no zooms today!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915304 Tue, 12 May 2020 18:45:30 +0000 erinbaderin 2915304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: Oooh, that’s the article I was referring to, thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915302 Tue, 12 May 2020 16:40:55 +0000 MrsADS 2915302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone. I think we've decided to stay put for now, may reevaluate in a few weeks. We are going to have to hire a part time babysitter, I think- this is just untenable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915296 Tue, 12 May 2020 15:18:11 +0000 foodiebee 2915296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry I don't have time to read through the thread to see if someone else has given you this info, but this has been helping me think through tough decisions/situations. It's an article that went viral a week or so ago from an infectious disease professor: </p> <p><a href="https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them" rel="nofollow">https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them</a></p> <p>He goes over various scenarios in really easy to understand detail: flying vs. grocery stores vs. offices, etc. I found it very helpful to understand how the virus moves through places to help me think through the scenarios my family is being faced with now in the midst of reopenings, etc.</p> <p>ETA That while driving may seem less risky, I'm not sure he'd agree based on the info in his article. It's about enclosed spaces, which are fewer with the majority of your time being in your car on a drive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915288 Tue, 12 May 2020 13:02:17 +0000 alphagam84 2915288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would not go unless driving, it is too risky to fly. We are probably going to my parents house (NC to FL) in a week or two. We are going to drive and make minimal stops for bathroom breaks and gas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915283 Tue, 12 May 2020 12:36:26 +0000 erinbaderin 2915283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn’t fly right now. Did you see on Twitter the other day somebody posted a photo of their American Airlines flight? There was no social distancing, every seat was full. And I read an article (I think it was actually posted here on another thread) that talked about various risks of exposure and some of it was time - I wouldn’t want to be shut up on a plane for 2 hours (once you factor in boarding, etc) when you have no idea if THOSE people have been social distancing. I think you’d be way safer doing rest stops, especially if you ate outside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915267 Tue, 12 May 2020 08:53:07 +0000 ShootingStar 2915267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Last month we moved from MA to FL (a move planned pre-pandemic). We had some debate between flying and driving and I strongly felt flying would be better for us. At the time, I wasn't sure how safe eating food from drive throughs would be. I also wasn't comfortable staying in multiple hotel/motels (since we probably would've needed to do the trip over 3 days). On top of that, 20 hours of driving with kids and a dog was just a no-go for me.</p> <p>So we made the choice fly. I figured a 3 hour flight had less touch points than the drive. But then after we'd made the choice Delta kept reducing their flights and we were left with only the option of connecting flights through Atlanta. We didn't change carriers because I was worried Delta would be the only one to let our dog fly in the cabin. But at the time I was really upset about it.</p> <p>The Boston airport was pretty empty of people. DH and I wore masks and gloves, and had the kids wear gloves. The flights both offered hand sanitizing wipes when we got on, we also wiped down everything with our own clorox wipes. The Atlanta airport was much busier, but we were still able to spend our short layover in some chairs that weren't close to other people.</p> <p>The flights were both busier than I expected, at least what I could see of them. We had bought our tickets early and then they kept reducing prices and moving our flights around so we converted them to first class for the same price. The first class cabin was full on both flights, but luckily it's less people than coach. I couldn't really see how full coach was because we were pretty much last to board on both flights. </p> <p>We've now been here for 3 weeks and no sign of having gotten sick. I'm guessing some of it is luck and some of it is the precautions that we took. </p> <p>I think it's really up to you to decide what you want to do. I am dying trying to do it all - parent two kids, WFH full time (in a management position), and then all the other stuff associated with moving. Travel is not an automatic way to get the virus. But it is stressful and it takes time to feel like you're in the clear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915246 Mon, 11 May 2020 18:03:34 +0000 Miss Ariel 2915246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a friend that bought an rv when this all started and drove cross-country to stay with their parents for the time being. Not something I would do myself but it’s worked for them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915242 Mon, 11 May 2020 16:29:19 +0000 periwinklebee 2915242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally there on it being so, so hard to juggle work and young kids who demand constant attention. I'm feeling so worn down already after two months, and it seems like it's only just begun... </p> <p>I personally wouldn't be comfortable flying to see my parents though. It's so crazy contagious, and as someone who used to have to fly all the time for work, have definitely experienced that planes are petri dishes, no matter how careful you are... I would never forgive myself if we caught it on the way and someone in our family got seriously ill or worse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915241 Mon, 11 May 2020 16:22:09 +0000 JCCovi 2915241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We drove across country (Ca to VA) back in mid-March when things were first shutting down. My kids are older (5 and 6) but to us there seemed no question that it was safer then flying. We stayed in hotels and they were almost completely empty (5-6 cars in the parking lot late at night) so we didn’t have to interact with anyone beyond the front desk (equivalent of grocery store checkout but where the cashier sees a fraction of the people everyday). We pumped gas and did some drive thru food but mostly relied on our camping potty (which we would’ve relied on anyway because there are some long desert stretches along the route.) When we stopped for stretch breaks we stopped and played in open fields or rode scooters around big parking lots. </p> <p>For us the difference was outdoor space but it 100% paid off for us in terms of workability of Shelter-in-place. We are struggling with the same things everyone is but honestly we’re pretty happy and comfortable. I don’t think it would’ve been the same if we stayed in our apartment with tiny outdoor patio. </p> <p>If driving 13 hours straight shot is going to make your next few weeks or month easier I say do it no problem. Even with a 2 year old I think it’s reasonable. And if you’ve been totally quarantined for 2 weeks the risk to your parents seems slim. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915240 Mon, 11 May 2020 16:03:17 +0000 Anagram 2915240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in a similar situation, in terms of feeling a little "over it" here on day 57 of family isolation, with 2 kids doing online school and 2 parents working full time (mine is more like part time work at home--thank god, but I still have to hold zoom classes and have zoom meetings and have to grade work). Anyway, with 2 kids and a husband with a stressful job (therefore, he doesn't help much from 8:30-6pm) it's been a challenge.</p> <p>But--for us, going to either side of grandparents is not really a great idea, because of the travel time to get there. If it were 2-3 hours of straight driving, I'd be all over the idea (since I know they've been social distancing and so have we). His parents are in Canada, and 8 hour drive away, The border crossing could be an issue, but also, his parents are super high risk and our numbers here in the NYC area are high. Just the small risk that we'd pick something up on a potty/gas break and then bring it to them--we'd never forgive ourselves.</p> <p>My mother is 75, so she's high risk because of age but has 0 other health issues and is super fit/works out all the time. She keeps telling us to come to her in Georgia. But again, that's a 14-16 hour drive and with 2 kids we'd have to stop for several potty and gas breaks and even though my MOM feels like she isn't as much at risk, I personally don't want to risk it.</p> <p>If I were having some kind of personal mental health emergency and we had to do this, I'd probably rent an RV (but I've actually looked, it's not all that cheap when you factor in the insurance and the gas and most of them can't be dropped off another place, they expect it back where you pick up) or we'd get really crazy and attempt to do a 15 hour drive straight through and buy a baby travel potty and all use that and only pump gas, and take all precautions when doing that--but we'd have to find a way not to enter in public restrooms, just in the small chance someone has been there right before us, sneezing or whatever. </p> <p>I googled covid and flying, and it still seems so risky--basically they just don't know enough at this point, so it's a risk that someone else on the plane has Covid, and you get it. Airlines are hemorrhaging money, so their party line is that the air is recycled and purified and it's totally safe; but past research of sicknesses on flights (not covid, since it's new, but they've tracked flu type illnesses before), show that planes can be the perfect environment for the rapid spread of viral illnesses. The air is recyled throughout the cabin and the purifiers don't completely clean the air, plus, if a person who is infected sneezes or coughs, the particles can spread several rows from them. They've had international flights where 1 person was sick getting on; be the end of an 8-9 hour flight, half the people on board were infected. Flying to me is a hard no until there's more research (when there's a grandparent receiving us on the other end).</p> <p>I actually already had a covid test and an antibody test--I haven't had it. So I can still get it/spread it.</p> <p>If you are just wanting help, how about renting a place for a month somewhere right between you and your parents, and you all meet up there and drive the 7 hours straight through (with 1 gas stop, but no getting out otherwise). </p> <p>My sister's wedding is labor day weekend in Georgia, and I'm worried about how we'll get there. It's a small wedding, and it's still on. I hope we don't have to pull out of attending, but I guess the dramatic question is, could we forgive ourselves if we caught it while traveling and infected everyone there? Her wedding is why I've been mulling over all the options, myself. </p> <p>I guess a flight would be safer with adults who don't touch surfaces, and somehow have a properly fitting N-95 or k95 mask, and who change clothes and everything before getting into the car/house of the people receiving them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915235 Mon, 11 May 2020 14:56:00 +0000 Rocker2014 2915235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Tough situation all around. I'm not sure what I'd do, but I will share that my ILs flew from Florida to the NE this past weekend and the plane was FULL. No blocked rows or seats, and minimal social distancing available in the airport. Due to a variety of factors they had no choice but to fly so they went, but it was stressful for them. We were all shocked by how irresponsible it all seemed, and it was definitely contrary to what they had been told when they bought the tickets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915231 Mon, 11 May 2020 13:07:14 +0000 ALV91711 2915231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel for you. I’ve been working at home full time with two kids going on two months now and DH works out of the house. Just this weekend I told him we need to get help if we are to keep this up much longer. All of our family is a 12+ hour drive. </p> <p>In your case even though your house is small I’d have your mom come out for a short period of time. I think that would just be easier than you trying to get there on your own with the kids. Maybe she could come to you for 3ish weeks and then assess. You could even drive back with her and spend a few weeks there then. And that way you wouldn’t have to drive on your own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915229 Mon, 11 May 2020 12:38:39 +0000 BadgerMom 2915229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Oh yes, if it’s just you that adds a whole other level of risk and complication to diving. I can definitely understand your hesitation.</p> <p>Just to throw this out there. I’m not trying to convince you one way or another. We’ve been separated from my husband for 4 weeks now. He is having a REALLY hard time being alone and that is with us still able to see him a couple times a week at a safe distance. We may go home sooner than maybe we “should” in order to preserve his mental health. So do consider that aspect of things leaving your husband alone and being so far away. This all sucks so so bad. There are no good answers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915227 Mon, 11 May 2020 12:23:00 +0000 Foodnerd81 2915227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: oh you driving alone does make it harder and make driving vs flying seem like more of a wash. You’ll have to pee at some point and you can’t leave a 2 and 4 yo in the car at a rest stop. And distracted driving trying to entertain them or ignore screaming alone is probably as risky as flying. I understand more why you lean towards flying now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915225 Mon, 11 May 2020 12:20:02 +0000 MrsADS 2915225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you everyone for your input. It's a very tough decision. If we go, I will likely travel with the kids by myself and my husband will stay home. It's harder for him to work at my parents for a variety of reasons. And me traveling solo with the kids will make driving tough. I'm not sure what I will do. We may just have to suck it up and continue trying to work at night and stuff. IDK.</p> <p>We have discussed having at least my mom come to us, because I do agree it would be safer, but our house is pretty small. If she comes, the 2 year old will have to sleep in our room. It's fine when she is here for a short visit or even a week, but long term we would all be miserable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915222 Mon, 11 May 2020 12:09:56 +0000 Foodnerd81 2915222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t think it’s crazy or irresponsible. But i agree with everyone else that the travel itself is the riskiest part. It seems like you would be more in control of the risks if you drive than if you fly. Would the kids use a free standing potty thing (like a training potty)? Then they could stay entirely outside and only you and your husband would go into rest stops to pee. And I think you could get the whole drive done in one (horrible) day. </p> <p>I think you can also do your best to minimize risks while you fly too. In short i don’t think it is crazy it will just take a lot of thought to do it as safely as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915220 Mon, 11 May 2020 12:07:37 +0000 DesertDreams88 2915220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely go. Even though NORMALLY I would totally fly in your situation, in this case I wouldn't. I think you could drive overnight and not have much to worry about. </p> <p>But if it was a choice between flying and not going, I would still fly.</p> <p>What about the idea of your parents driving or flying to be with you? They could be more hygenic / socially distant on planes than kids would be, and/or maybe easier for them to drive than the family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915218 Mon, 11 May 2020 11:54:31 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2915218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it would be ok because of what others have said but I would be extremely hesitant to get on a plane. Just this past weekend there were several instances posted to social media of airlines who said what you said (every other seat blocked, etc) and they were not. So people showed up expecting those precautions and ended up on totally full flights with no other choice but to fly or go home. One high profile one was a group of doctors who spent the last weeks treating patients with Covid then ended up flying on a totally packed plane home. I would be terrified you would be exposed and then you all would get sick potentially. But I don’t know how you could possibly drive that far nonstop either as that would be a safety risk too. Ugh everything is so much harder now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915214 Mon, 11 May 2020 11:09:53 +0000 luckygirl 2915214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another option to look into, if you haven't already, is to rent an RV to make the drive. Then in theory you wouldn't need to stop anywhere (except maybe for gas).<br /> I hope you can find a way to get to your parents and find some help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915212 Mon, 11 May 2020 10:56:51 +0000 ElbieKay 2915212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can your parents come to you instead? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915210 Mon, 11 May 2020 10:33:47 +0000 annem1990 2915210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think everyone has their own risk tolerance level. None of the sounds crazy to me (including flying). None of this is ideal and there just is no perfect way to successfully do this long term. We do not have to fly to see family, but I’d imagine we’d consider it if we had to. Whatever you choose, it sounds like you are doing your best and making responsible decisions overall. It’s so easy to get into a cycle of guilt and judgement of others during this. Give yourself some grace and do whatever is best for your family as a whole. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915209 Mon, 11 May 2020 10:30:46 +0000 SteelerGirl 2915209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it sounds like a good idea. Take all the precautions you can, obviously, but I think you shouldn't be afraid to fly. You have to weigh the risks and benefits. In this case I think it's totally plausible the benefits outweigh the risks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915206 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:52:20 +0000 BadgerMom 2915206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We separated from my DH who works in the ER and moved in with my parents a couple weeks ago. But they live locally, so there way no travel involved. Like others, the flying would be a giant no go for me. I look at that as an assumed exposure and need for quarantine. Too many people in close contact sharing air that you have no idea where they've been. I wouldn't even do it without kids because there is just no possible way to truly effectively social distance on an airplane, which to me is where the risk lies. I don't see the majority of risk lying with the touching/licking aspect. I think driving you CAN make work if you have to. Drive straight through, only get drive thru, figure out alternate ways to use the bathroom. Yes it would suck but I can see driving being done with little to no person to person contact. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915205 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:46:38 +0000 gotkimchi 2915205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bluemasonjar: I agree I’d drive overnight. @MrsADS: Flying I think is such a risk because you don’t know who was on that plan before you or where they were etc </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915204 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:37:14 +0000 MrsADS 2915204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluemasonjar hmm, yeah maybe doing it at night is a possibility. Idk if the kids would sleep, maybe. It could well or be a total disaster. My almost 2 year old doesn't do well in the car and is usually screaming after an hour, so I can't imagine a 14+ hour drive with him. The 4yo would be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915203 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:28:45 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2915203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is totally rational to want to get support for your family. The current way of working is not manageable long term. How long do you realistically think you will be able to stay with your parents?</p> <p>To be honest flying freaks me out a bit since you are sharing the same space with other people and even though you have been quarantined it would totally expose you. The drive will be long but doable. We drive 11-12 hours to go visit my family 2x a year and do most of it at night so the kids can sleep. We typically only stop 1-2 times and push through. Ultimately you have to do what you are comfortable with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915202 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:27:39 +0000 MrsADS 2915202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mama bird you don't think a 90 minute flight where every other row of seats is blocked off is less dangerous than a 2 day drive with a hotel stay and tons of stops? I don't know. Neither is a good option, which is why I'm still kind of not sure we'll go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915201 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:18:09 +0000 Mama Bird 2915201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It doesn't seem crazy per se, I assume all of you have been social distancing for some time so the risk is pretty low. But the flying. That would be a giant, big fat red "no way" in neon letters for me. I guess airports and planes don't have as many people as they used to, but they're still enclosed spaces where you're spending a ton of time with who knows whom. And your kids are too young to understand the importance of not licking their fingers or the seat in front of them, especially the two year old.</p> <p>Is your husband coming with you? Can you tag team driving? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/traveling-during-the-covid-pandemic#post-2915200 Mon, 11 May 2020 09:13:38 +0000 MrsADS 2915200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebit7 that's kind of where we are. We need to either hire a babysitter, which... you have no control over what they're doing in terms of quarantining/social distancing, or something. I just worry maybe I'm being unnecessarily reckless. But the current situation (us both trying work and take care of a 2 &amp; 4yo full time) is unsustainable.</p> <p>@karenbme I think because of the length of the drive with small children, we would be more exposed than if we flew - we'd have to spend the night on the way to break up the drive, stop often to let them run around and pee at rest stops/gas stations/etc. Flying - it's a nonstop flight. We only leave the house for groceries right now. </p>