Reader Question about travel to Canada and Parent Letter

Melissa wrote the following question to us that I thought may be handy information for others:

I am wondering if you could tell me if I can use a birth certificate to take my baby to Canada by bus and also where I may go to get the letter notarized from the other parent not traveling with us. Thanks, Melissa.

The rules regarding bringing a child to Canada have been a little unclear the past year. I believe that parents now need a passport while babies can get by with a birth certificate but you should check on line with the US passport agency. Check this page for information: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html To get the letter from another parent notarized, you can usually go to places like Mail Boxes Etc. and other places that ship packages . If you can't find something like that near you, you can ask any law office, accounting office, mortgage office, real estate office etc. if they can help. They often will for a small fee. Sometimes there are listings in the phone book yellow pages under Notary. Good luck!

Finally An Answer on Social Security Number for U.S. Passport

One reader left this comment for us about the question we were trying to resolve about whether or not you need a social security number to apply for a U.S. passport. Her answer confirms one point we have been making along the way- it seems the answer is a bit different depending on whether you apply in the U.S. or at an embassy....

I applied for my daughters US passport in February when she was only a few weeks old. I was confused as well and made a few calls as I needed that passport asap and I learned her social security number wouldn't come to us for another few months. But it turned out you do not need a social security number for your baby just fill in zero's. We applied for it in person in San Francisco and got it without any problems the same day. Not sure where you will apply for it, but at the moment I am in the process of getting her an Dutch passport as well. It turns out that 'the rules' are not the same of where you apply. Either in the country it self or at a consulate in another country. It even differs per consulate the paperwork and proof you need. Make contact with the place you are going to go to get the passport to make sure you got the right papers with you when you go in. Hope this helps.

Reader Question: Time Zone Changes for Babies / Infants

Mary from the U.S. sent us the following question regarding time zone changes:

How do you/ does she cope with the time zone changes? We had only a 2-hour time difference and it was brutal. Our daughter never really settled into the new time zone- until the last night - and now that we are home her clock is all out of whack again! Any suggestions form your experience? Thanks!

For me, I have found that my one year old does pretty well with the time changes. She is so exhausted from our trips that usually I just let her stay up until she is tired that first night (sometimes she is tired early and sometimes she is wired so she stays up later- (that depends on what the time change is) and then she sleeps (hopefully) at night. I think that it is harder for me because I actually know what time it is and what time I think it should be. On our last trip, she did wake up at 5am the first few days but I just kept it dark and quiet and tried to keep it low key. That wasn't easy but I guess after the lack of sleep from pregnancy and her first year it didn't bother me too much and after three days she was into enough of a routine. I did not try to force the normal times for bed on her but I did follow the same routine when she was ready for bed. But this is just my experience so I went online to do a little more research and I can't say that I found anything earth shattering about helping babies / kids adjust to time changes. Some websites suggest to start adjusting the child's schedule a few days before they leave- i.e. if you are going back two hours, start putting them to bed a little later each night. This may work but it won't make a big difference if your time change is significant- say 5 or 6 hours. What I read the most and what I agree with the most- is that you just need to keep your children as hydrated and feed as necessary- pay attention to their moods- and do your same routine at bed time, whenever that is. And most say that it's the parents that have the hardest time- and I agree with that.

I would love to hear feedback from other parents who have been through time changes to learn what worked, what didn't and what you agree and don't agree with- so send it our way: babyjetsetter@gmail.com

Thanks for the question, Mary, and I hope that your daughter is back to sleeping her normal shedule.

Question from a reader- Do you need a Social Security number for a U.S. passport?

Today I received an email from one reader who mentioned that perhaps you do not need a social security number to get a U.S. childs passport. This question has come up before and the answer is not black and white. I looked on the U.S. State Departments website and although it is not that clear, it does mention 2 items on the general information page- the first is "Your Social Security Number does NOT prove your identity" but then at the bottom of the page, at the very end, it reads: "8. Provide a Social Security Number If you do not provide your Social Security Number, the Internal Revenue Service may impose a $500 penalty. If you have any questions please call your nearest IRS office." But what is not clear is whether that is the parents social security number or the childs. So further investigation is needed.

The strange thing is that you can use the child's passport as proof of identity to get the social security number- so does that mean you don't need the social security number? Is this a chicken and egg thing? I kept looking- the US Embassy for New Zealand lists the social security number as something you must provide to apply for a minors passport. But the U.S. embassy in Japan does not. So next I called a friend here in Spain who just applied for her son's U.S. passport and asked her the question- and she said she applied for them together and they came together. So maybe that is the answer. I looked online at the actual passport application http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html and it does show the social security number clearly needed, right at the beginning. But perhaps if you apply for them both at the same time then they take care of it?

Crazy and confusing so I am looking for other's input. Thanks for the question, anonymous poster and stay tuned....

Email question about carseats overseas in taxis and rental cars...

Christy from Virginia wants to know more about dealing with the carseat issue in taxis and cars in foreign countries- "Do taxis have carseats? " "How do you know which countries have which requirements?" "What about rental cars?"

Safety is always the most important factor for all parents, and to be safe when traveling with a little tot often takes planning. As we travel around the world, we have decided to haul our carseat with us and use it when we can.

TAXIS
There are countries, like Sweden that have strict rules about car seats. Many of the taxis do have carseats in their taxis, but they are not required to carry them, so if you do not have your own, you will have to wait for a taxi that has one (and even then, they are often more like booster seats), and often drivers in Sweden won't let you in without one. London also has taxis with carseats but it best to call for those taxis in advance. However, other countries like Spain, don't worry as much about the carseat issue. Although the occasional taxi will have a carseat, most don't. In other countries, such as Thailand and China, cars may not even have seatbelts in the backseats which makes the car seat installation impossible. So you just have to do your best and assess the area you are going to. A lot of places will be shocked that you even have a carseat. For our family our rule is, if we have the carseat with us and we can fit it, then we use it. If the car rides are longer than 15-20 minutes, we try and make a plan so the carseat can be used. That doesn't always work but it gives us a basis to start from.

RENTAL CARS
Rental cars are often a great way to go. You can put your carseat in and leave it, you know that it fits from the beginning, and most major rental companies have car seats available for a small fee. Always make sure to check ahead of time, but we have found this to be a good option for us.

The carseat thing can be tricky. I think the best thing to bring is your street smarts- if you cant use a carseat, try to pick a safe driver, etc. etc. I have seen comments that you should not put seatbelts around the parent and child as this can be very dangerous. I have been told that it is best to put them in the Baby Bjorn and then put the seatbelt just around the parent. I have also seen portable carseats and seatbelt extensions available for sale. Of course none of this is recommended as the liability is too high- but

Do you have information about carseats overseas that you want to share, or other questions concerning this topic, send an email to babyjetsetter@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.