Finally, a Solution for Kid- AND Parent-Friendly Travel: Parentography

Trips and excursions with the kids can be a ton of fun and the basis for great family memories. They are also potentially stressful times for mom and dad. Nobody wants to be the parents of the kid who screams the whole flight or throws food at the restaurant; you also don’t want to waste your time with a vacation or day trip to someplace that isn’t going to be fun the whole family. While we can’t help with the in-flight tantrum or food fight, we can suggest a great website for making sure your excursions are kid friendly.

While there are countless websites, TV shows, and books for just about any demographic of traveler, it’s a challenge to find advice on family related travel fare. Fortunately for you, Noelle Ludwig ran into the same problem while planning a family trip to Hawaii. She wanted to find “advice and ideas for places to stay and things to do that would be fun with her one year old daughter. Which hotels had kiddie pools and cribs? Was there a beach nearby with calm surf? Were there any playgrounds around? and where could they go out to eat at night and not have to ask for a seat in the kitchen away from other diners expecting a quiet meal?” Not finding much, Noelle and husband, Tim, decided to build an online community where parents could swap information, tips and reviews for family excursions—across the country or across town.

The result of their efforts is the very cool and informative Parentography. Launched this January, Parentography is a community site that lets reviewers (Parentographers) post their two cents for all to see and comment on. Topics include Restaurants, Kids Services, Activities, Lodgings, Parks and Playgrounds, and Major Attractions. The site is very well put together and easy to navigate. (Tim quips that Noelle’s extensive experience in online shopping proved invaluable in designing the site.)

So other than checking out Parentography, what advice doe Tim have for other Clever Parents when it comes to traveling with kids? Relax. “Also, keeping children entertained during the ‘getting there’ phase of a trip is essential and makes for a more pleasant trip for everyone, so plan ahead with ways to occupy your children.”

We should all be able to enjoy our travels and one of the reasons we started Parentography is to alleviate some of the stress involved with trying new places. Making a bad guess on a new activity or outing can waste precious time, not to mention money, and getting verified reports from other parents who have already been there is a great way to help make sure that the place you’re going is right for your family.

We here at Clever Parents would also add humor (and adult beverages) as advice for parents traveling with kids.

While trips to the in-laws take up the Ludwig’s vacations now, Tim and Noelle are pining away for a family trip to Asia. Before taking off, you can be sure he’ll be checking out what parentographers have to say about hotels in Thailand with cribs and which restaurants in Shanghai have a kids menu.