With the CARES safety harness, this is an alternative to the carseat and the parents won't be required to hold the child for takeoff and landing. The safest place for the infant, in fact, for take and landing, is actually in the restraint device!!! However, a parent may hold the infant for take off and landing if they choose to do so in the case of breast feeding, for example, but that is not part of the briefing we give the parents.