Child Health
Pediatrician-Approved Tips to Conquer Holiday Travel with Little Ones
The holiday season is a time for joy and togetherness, but it can often bring stress for parents of young children with the amount of “newness” in each experience, particularly when it comes to seasonal travel.
Last Updated on November 16, 2025 by Rod Washington
(Family Features) The holiday season is a time for joy and togetherness, but it can often bring stress for parents of young children with the amount of “newness” in each experience, particularly when it comes to seasonal travel.
To help make holiday travel with little ones more manageable – whether traveling by bus, train, car or plane – Dr. Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, pediatric medical consultant for Gerber, offers this guidance for families.
Travel Light
Especially if traveling by plane, pack as light as possible (or check most of your luggage) so you have less to maneuver through security gates and on the plane. However, for longer trips, packing small, developmentally appropriate toys and snacks can provide perfect entertainment for little ones.
Prepare for Ear Pressure
Babies often scream during takeoff and landing on flights because they can’t easily equalize the pressure in their eustachian tubes, the connection between their ears and the back of the throat. When you’re ascending and descending, give your baby something safe to suck on, like a pacifier, to reduce the buildup of pressure in the ears. Taking small sips of water, breastmilk or formula and yawning are also ways to help babies and toddlers experiencing ear pressure during flights.
Plan for Time Adjustments
For long trips that include time zone changes, expect children to take several days to grow accustomed to their new schedules. Plan an extra day or two for that time adjustment, if possible, when mapping out your trip and make time for stops to stretch, snack and take bathroom breaks.
Pack Convenient Snacks
Having easy-to-access snacks that don’t make a large mess can make travel easier and less stressful. For example, Gerber Plant-Tastic Banana Berry & Veggie Smash with Oats Organic Pouch and Plant-Tastic Lil’ Crunchies White Bean Hummus are nutritious snacks for toddlers that come in resealable containers that are easy to pack for on-the-go families.
Bring Sanitizing Products
Having your own sanitizing wipes on-hand makes it easier to freshen up often-touched surfaces in public spaces like seatback trays, chairs and tables. While safe on most hard surfaces, check the label before using the wipes then allow the area to dry completely before letting your child touch it. Warm, soapy water can also be used to clean toys and other personal products.
Maintain a Consistent Schedule
Keeping your child on his or her normal schedule during the holidays isn’t always feasible and a few imperfections are to be expected during the busy season. However, if your baby’s feeding or sleep schedule does get thrown off by holiday events, try to return to a consistent routine as soon as possible. Be patient with yourself and your little one as you both adjust.
Be Mindful of Anxiety
While attending holiday gatherings, your child may become overwhelmed when meeting new people, including family members. Babies start to develop separation anxiety and apprehension to strangers at about 6 months old as their brains start to understand the concept of object permanence (that something still exists when it is not present). Educating loved ones about this developmental stage can help you feel less anxious about big family gatherings with your little one. If your child is particularly sensitive, try introducing new people in smaller cohorts, as opposed to introducing him or her to the whole group at once.
Take Time for Yourself
While traveling with little ones can be a “bumpy road,” it’s important for parents to also try and enjoy the holidays as much as possible. Making some time for yourself – taking deep breaths, listening to a meditation on an option like the Calm app or playing a favorite song, for example – can help you recharge and relax ahead of a big event.
To find more expert tips and resources to help conquer the holiday season, visit Gerber.com.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
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Gerber
Child Health
Pediatric Cancer Goes Beyond a Victory Bell: How Research and Innovation Improve Survivorship Rates
(Feature Impact) For every tear-jerking video found online of a child ringing a bell that signifies a cancer journey victory, there are dozens, if not more, people working behind the scenes. From leading minds in cancer research to doctors, nurses and support staff, a vast network of people and decades of medical advancements make those moments possible.
In fact, in the last 10 years, the FDA approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Those breakthroughs – and the children they impact – come with a cost, which is why Hyundai Hope on Wheels has served as a pioneer in increasing survival rates by investing $303 million in pediatric cancer research over nearly three decades.
Those funds have supported more than 1,600 grants to 210 institutions, leading to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials and new drug development while bringing hope at all stages of a child’s cancer journey.
However, there remains work to be accomplished. According to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that. In fact, more than one-third of respondents said they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard the term but don’t fully understand what it means.
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment, including planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy.
Survival rates continue increasing with scientific and technological breakthroughs, up from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing roughly 40,000 more children surviving their diagnoses. More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by that progress.
For survivors, treatment is just the beginning. Research, follow-up care and long-term funding determine what comes next, and every grant funded and every survivorship program backed means more children reaching adulthood.
According to the survey, more than 80% of adults said they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, creating opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer. Collaboration among leading minds, made possible by funding from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels, has led to the development of comprehensive approaches to help children thrive during life after cancer, including enhanced medical records, AI integration, socioemotional support and combatting long-term side effects.
Find more information and ways you can join the fight by visiting HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Child Health
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
Cancer Bell: A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits.
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
(Sheeka Sanahon) A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. In the last 10 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits. Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which has funded pediatric cancer research for nearly three decades, commissioned a survey to understand how much Americans know about that journey.
As September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, what that journey actually looks like is worth understanding. According to the survey, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that.
When cancer survivorship begins
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. Understanding survivorship this way helps recognize that a child’s cancer journey is about more than reaching the end of treatment. It also includes managing long-term physical, emotional and medical needs that may continue for years to come.
More than a third of U.S. adults say they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard theterm but don’t fully understand what it means.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment. Children could face planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation, or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy. Every child’s medical treatment plan is different based on their specific needs, but one thing is clear: Pediatric cancer survivors need ongoing support as they navigate long-term health challenges.
Supporting children to live long, full lives
More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by the progress in pediatric cancer, up 5 points from last year. There’s good reason to be hopeful, too. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate among pediatric cancer patients has increased from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing 40,000 more children surviving their cancer diagnosis.
Survival rates continue to increase thanks to breakthrough science and technology, and higher standards of care. Pediatric cancer research has led to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials, and new drug development.
More than 8 in 10 adults say they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, which creates more opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer.
Methodology
Hyundai Hope on Wheels commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,005 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%. Fieldwork took place March 19-26, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Family
The back-to-school haircut is more than hair: Survey finds 94% of parents say their son’s appearance affects their confidence
(Sheeka Sanahon) Parents spend years styling their children, picking out just the right outfits for special occasions, choosing a haircut that suits their sweet little faces, and doing their best to keep up with how quickly they outgrow their shoes. Just as parents begin to master all the moving parts, a new variable gets thrown into the equation: the opinions of the child whose every style decision they once made.
According to survey data from Sport Clips Haircuts, a sports-themed haircutting franchise specializing in haircuts for men and boys, 84% of parents say that by the time their son reaches middle or high school, he cares significantly or somewhat more about his appearance. According to Psychology Today, physical appearance is important for adolescent children as a means to express identity and to fit in with the norms of their peers. What has changed is the amount of pressure on today’s generation of children to present themselves well; 71% of parents surveyed by Sport Clips say boys today face more pressure to look put together going into a new school year than they remember from their own school years.
Preteen and Teen Boys are Developing Their Own Sense of Style
The surveyed parents report that in the coming days and weeks before the new school year begins, more than a third of their preteen and teen boys ask for a back-to-school haircut. Another 22% of parents say both they and their boys bring it up around the same time. That’s more than half of boys already thinking about how they’ll show up on the first day.
If you thought mom and dad’s opinions mattered regarding the type of haircut they want, think again. More than half of boys ages 11 to 17 know exactly what haircut they want to get before the school year begins. Parents report that many of them are inspired by celebrities, athletes or people they follow online.
The Confidence Connection
As children get older and express more desire for choosing their style, giving them the choice to pick what’s right for them can be a great opportunity to boost their confidence. Ninety-five percent of parents say there is a connection between how confident their son feels about his appearance and how he shows up at school, in sports and social activities. Young boys and their parents are thinking about more than just the haircut. Finding clothes that their son feels good in, as well as talking through what he’s most excited and most nervous about for the new school year, are all part of the preparation.
The Back-to-School Checklist
This checklist creates an important set of traditions to get the school year started off on the right foot. While 71% of parents say getting their son a fresh haircut or new hairstyle has become a reliable part of their back-to-school routine, 20% notice their child shift back into school mode when they pick out their first day outfit. For 19%, it’s when he packs or organizes his bag.
The Styles Middle School and High School Boys Are Asking For
So what styles are boys most likely to ask for to start this school year? According to the survey data, 30% of boys want a tapered fade like the haircut U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese wore during the 2026 World Cup. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said their child wants a classic cut, like the kind of style YouTuber Caylus Cunningham tends to wear. Only 10% of boys are requesting a longer or shaggy style, like actor Jacob Elordi, and even fewer are looking for fringe bangs, the broccoli cut (which is short on the sides and curly on top) or a buzz cut.
A few parents aren’t sure what kind of look their child is going for this school year. Eight percent say they’re not even sure what to call the hairstyle preferred by the boys in their lives.
Methodology: Sport Clips Haircuts commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,000 adults throughout the United States. The sample consists of U.S. parents of boys aged 11 to 17. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between July 9 and July 15, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (children on school bus)
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