Dear Geralin,

Planning just about anything is a challenge for my husband and me. Both of us have ADHD. We want to vacation this summer with friends and family, but we can’t keep the details straight. We’re aware of a few good packing tips from articles we’ve read, but wondered if you have any out-of-the-ordinary hints for getting a family organized before the packing starts?

Sarah

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Dear Sarah,

This is such a great question – thank you for asking it. Here are some ideas that hopefully go beyond the “packing tips” that you can find everywhere else and will help make your trip run smoothly.

1) Use your mobile phone’s features. This is my absolutely Number One tip. This compact gadget has a world of incredibly useful tools at your fingertips.

• The alarm feature not only can wake you up in the morning, it can provide reminders throughout the day. For example, set it to remind you or family members to take medications, to phone for an airport taxi, or even to remind you that the Country Bear Jamboree begins at 11:00!
• Load your frequent flier numbers, airline flight numbers, reservation numbers and hotel phone/addresses in your contacts list in the event that you misplace your paper copies.
• Take advantage of the currency converter if you’re traveling abroad.
• Use the calculator to figure out tips or gas mileage. You can also add up receipts so you’ll know how much you’re spending.
• Use the camera to snap a photo of your hotel room number, in case you forget it. Pictures can also help you remember landmarks and intersections that include street signs, in case you get turned around in an unfamiliar place. You can snap a photo of a restaurant you’d like to return to later in the day (or even the menu by the restaurant door!). If you have a rental car, take a picture of it. There’s nothing quite like being in the Disney World parking lot and forgetting what car you came in! Ditto for the parking area signs – take a picture of the sign that has your section number or letter or name (are we Goofy?) as well as the number of your car’s parking space. Use your phone’s camera to record the license plate number, too.
• Use the voice mail service to send yourself reminder messages. For example, “Remember to confirm return trip home on Delta Airlines” or, “Don’t forget gift for Aunt Sue, the dog sitter, and the neighbor on the corner that brought dinner when Tom was sick.” You can also link your voice mail to your laptop, so that when you check your emails, your voicemails appear in your Inbox. One free voice mail service you may want to try is: jott.com

2) If you plan to fly, it’s no secret that the price will drop two days after you buy the ticket. I highly recommend YAPTA.com, which is an airlines fare-checker. Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant (YAPTA) is a free-of-charge website that helps you check airfares for various airlines. It will automatically send you a note if/when the fares drop. (You purchase the ticket on your own.) YAPTA.com installs free on your computer. The best news is that it continues checking the fares even after you buy your ticket, and you may be eligible for a refund. (Again, you contact the airline and negotiate the refund on your own.)

3) Create a pre-vacation to-do list that includes the following tasks:

• Stop the newspaper and mail (or arrange for someone to collect them for you).
• Arrange for someone to put out your trash and recycling containers, and to bring them back in after collection.
• Arrange for someone to take good care of your pets (feed and exercise).
• Clean out your fridge, and try not to leave too much in your freezer in case of a power outage while you’re away.
• Unplug appliances.
• Water household plants.
• Mow the grass and leave your yard, or entrance, so that your home will not appear to be abandoned for the time you’ll be away.
• Set motion-detector lights or light timers.
• Turn down the heat or air-conditioning.
• Copy your itinerary and contact information and leave it with someone you trust.

You may think of other items to add to your list that are particular to your family’s needs, or to your work, or to other special circumstances.

Here are a few out-of-the-ordinary items that I pack:

• Pillboxes for holding rings and earrings, stamps, paperclips, safety pins, even pills!
• Mesh laundry bags for hand-washing small items.
• A night-light.
• Extra-large plastic bags, like those from linen and bath stores, to use as laundry bags.
• Small plastic bags, like those from the grocery store, to put shoes in to separate them from clothing.

Again, you probably have some of your own out-of-the-ordinary items that you’ll include on your packing list.
So, start two check-lists: 1) the pre-vacation to-do list and 2) the things-to-pack list. Post them where you and your family members can conveniently add to the lists as you move towards your departure date. Before your trip, you’ll need to review your things-to-pack list and pare it down to absolute essentials.

You’ll be all set for a wonderful vacation. Bon voyage!

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Packing. And unpacking. That’s how it felt anyway.

In the past few weeks of our post-Kindergarten, first ever school-free summer (since you need to have started school to be out of school), my daughter Clare, my wife and I spent a week vacationing at the beach and took a few other day trips to places like parks, museums and zoos. For the whole summer, it seemed, we were either getting ready to go somewhere or just getting back.

It may sound like I’m exaggerating, but you parents know that packing and preparing to go out—even for a day—can just about fill another day. You know you do.

When I was single, I’d leave the house for a day with no more than the clothes I was wearing and my wallet. What guy needed anything else? For an overnight trip, I’d drop a change of clothes and a toothbrush into a backpack. Going away for a week didn’t take much more than a bigger backpack. It made getting away a lot easier and more spontaneous. Now, with only one kid, I take more going out for a few hours than I used to take for a weekend away. Going somewhere overnight with my daughter is the equivalent of packing for a week as a single guy. And a week’s vacation with kids—that’s the equivalent of moving. I’m serious. I used to move apartments with less than we take on vacation now. I could fit all of it into the back of a van—and I didn’t need one of those cartop Big Mac-type carriers for extra stuff.

The way I see it, people fall into a few different categories of packing for vacations. There are the early planners—they may or may not make a list, but they always have a solid idea of what they’re going to bring and usually start collecting it early. There are precision packers—militant organizers who (in their opinion) pack exactly the right amount into a suitcase in exactly the right configuration. Precision packers can also fit suitcases, bags, toys and beach chairs into the back of a car with all the mad skills required of an extreme game of Tetris. There are take-everything packers—they might start with a list or might not, but they end up emptying the house and squeezing everything they own into every last nook and cranny of a suitcase. I guess you never know when you’re going to need three different scents of nail polish remover or textures of hair gel in an emergency, and you can’t trust that you’ll be able to buy these things in some remote uncivilized outback in the United States where you’re taking the kids. Finally, there are the last minute packers—these procrastinators might take too much or too little, they might even just throw their things into a shopping bag or something else grabbed at the last minute, but they always wait until just before leaving to get anything together. Obviously, people can fall into a few different categories. I, for example, am an early-planning, take-everything, last minute packer. I decide early what I’ll need, but I wait until the day we’re leaving to get it together, and end up bringing a lot more than we’ll use—but not always everything we need.

To offset my last minute leanings, I try to plan ahead more and more. Even to go out for a day, I track down the backpack the night before and make a mental list of what we might need: sunscreen, camera, snacks, a jacket or umbrella if it might be cool or rainy, maybe even a change of clothes. I still wait until the last minute to stuff it all together though. And I usually forget something—like some napkins or wipes to clean up after a popsicle or donut.

Earlier this week, Clare and I met a friend of mine and her son for a day out at a museum. As I was complaining that I should have brought something to wipe a chocolate milk mustache off of my daughter’s face, my friend offered me one from her bag. I guess this is where I should apologize to more organized dads for furthering the stereotype that mothers are better prepared for anything than fathers are; it probably comes a woman’s experience with packing anything she’d need into a purse or handbag. My friend also offered a suggestion. So they can get out quickly for a day, she said, she keeps a bag packed and always ready to go.

A bag always ready to go? This is my first summer as a stay-at-home Dad, but I probably should have thought of that myself. It could make getting away a lot quicker and spontaneous. And I’d spend less time packing and unpacking. Not very clever of me to not think of that myself, was it?

Maybe I watched JAWS once too many times and as a result I have a curious love/hate relationship with these animals. At the beach, I incessantly scan the horizon for fins and constantly try to get my kids closer to shore, yet every time a shark/human encounter makes headlines, I obsessively tune in!

The good news is shark attacks are rare and infrequent. Sharks are generally not bloodthirsty maniacal killers. Considering that tens of thousands of people come in close contact with sharks each year while swimming, surfing, or boating, numbers of shark attacks are negligible. Still, if you are concerned about your kids in the ocean, here are some simple tips to avoid a ‘close encounter’ with a shark:

• Avoid sandbars and sharp drop-offs where fish congregate. Most shark attacks occur on the inshore side of a sandbar or between sandbars because fish congregate there and because sharks can become trapped at low tide. Sharp drop-offs also attract lots of fish and, therefore, sharks.
• Keep close to shore.
• If you venture out into deeper waters, do not splash a lot, since it attracts sharks. Seen from below, swimmers or surfboarders are often mistaken for seals or sea lions, whose fatty bodies are a favorite treat for sharks. Human splashing creates irregular ripples in the water below, which to a shark may indicate an injured seal or fish.
• Stay out of the water at night, dusk, or dawn. Sharks are most active at night.
• Swim in a group. Sharks prefer to attack lone victims.
• Contrasts attract sharks such as bright swimsuits and uneven tanning. If you intend to swim in deeper waters, you might want to bring along a dark, nondescript swimsuit to slip over your highly visible one.
• Stay out of polluted or murky water.
• Be wary of feeding birds, or porpoises, which indicate the presence of fish.
• Do not throw food scraps into the water.
• Do not swim if you are bleeding. Sharks can detect tiny amounts of blood.
• Do not wear shiny jewelry. Shiny jewelry that gleams like fish scales, multi-color swimsuits, and irregular tanning, especially on the bottom of the feet, could also confuse a shark into thinking a person is an animal.
• Keep pets out of the water. Erratic movements attract sharks.
• Avoid areas being used by fishermen.

Now you can enjoy the ocean even more, knowing that your children most likely will not be swimming with sharks!

With summer in full swing, it’s time for road trips and that means trying to keep the kids entertained in the car for long chunks of time. When you’ve had all you can take of the Wheels on the Bus and Nemo, be the hero when you pull out a cool activity pack from Four Peas.

Parentrepreneur and owner of Four Peas, Casey Basa, is a former teacher and the mother of four girls. The idea for the activity packs came to her because she needed something to keep her children busy when they were out and about.

“When it came to going out with the kids (as we do for something everyday), I found there was a void in the market,” says Casey. “I needed something to keep my children busy while in the car, going out to dinner, or sitting in a doctors’ office for an hour waiting oh-so-patiently for the doctor. So I started buying as many exciting and fun products as I could find before a trip, and I would package them together so that it was always appealing to my children. The activity packs quickly became appealing to other mothers because they eliminated any work or running around trying to find lots of things to keep your child busy.”

The packs come in two varieties: Mini Sports Fan and Girly-Girl. The blue mini sports fan pack comes fully equipt with Melissa and Doug Doodle Tablet, activity pad, silly putty, crayons, make-a-race car sticker sheet, assorted stickers, irridescent sticker sheet, mini porcupine ball, pull back neon race car, sports ball (or race car) notepad, stamper, squishy frog, and magic springs. The Girly-Girl pack has about the same contents, but the race car and sports items are exchanged for things like a make-a-horse sticker sheet, beaded braclet, wiggle eye notepad and linking shapes.

Supplement the packs with items when supplies run low and use the case long after the initial activities are gone. While you’re at Four Peas, be sure to check out their cool backpacks like this toddler size Funky Monkey pack.

Shop around at www.fourpeasonline.com

You’re trekking over what seems like miles of unforgiving sandy terrain, hauling pounds of gear and apparatus, your arms start to tremble from the strain, your knees begin to buckle, your voice is hoarse from yelling at the kids to slow down and then…you see it. The perfect patch of sand that is not too close to the water, not to close to other people. You call to the rest of the family with undue excitement, “This is our spot! Drop everything here!” Blankets, umbrellas, coolers, beach bags, shoes, shirts all tumble into a pile and everybody bolts to the water. But, wait. You’ve not only missed your chance to slather everybody with sunscreen, you’ve missed your best opportunity to stress to your kids that in the event that can’t find you, they should look for your stuff, head there and stay put. In the myriad of supplies that you’ve toted, you should bring items that will easily distinguish your area from the hundreds of other sunbathers on the beach. Here is a list of very visible markers to choose from to mark your spot:

· Pick a spot near a lifeguard tower. This serves as a visible landmark as well as keeps you close to help, if needed.

· Choose a bright-colored beach blanket with distinctive markings. Or, instead of a beach blanket, use a Queen sized flat sheet. They’re lighter to carry, easier to clean, and bigger than most beach blankets. Also, distinctive, bright colored designs are easy to find on a flat sheet (we bring along my daughter’s old Hello Kitty sheet – the brilliant pink kitty faces are easy to see and the only one on the beach!)

· Select a florescent orange umbrella with a happy face hand-painted on it (this is my family’s favorite – as the kids painted the umbrella themselves, they always remember to look for it)

· If you choose to lighten your load and rent an umbrella at a nearby beach store, tote along a thick ribbon and tie it to the top of the umbrella. Or throw your garish tee shirt with the dizzying logo over the top. This will distinguish your umbrella from the dozens of others just like it.

· Tote along a bright-colored beach chair with a flag affixed to the back (gives it height to ensure it can be seen from a distance over other chairs and people).

· Large, freestanding pinwheels can be found at any garden center and will distinctively mark your spot as well as entertain toddlers.

· For rented beach chairs, drape a florescent towel over the back for visibility

· When not using them, prop your boogie board or surf board up so that it can be seen from a distance

· Wagons – When my kids were toddlers, I found it convenient to stuff swim diapers, extra clothes, toys, bottles, snacks, juices, etc., etc., into our red plastic wagon that seated two kids comfortably and came equipped with cup holders, seat storage and foot rests. You know these modern-day versions of the little red wagon we had as kids – the Lexus models of today compared with the ancient models of our youth. While the wagons are nifty for transporting kids and apparatus, they also serve another useful purpose – they are visible. When you’ve emptied everything out, prop the handle upright and drape a bright-colored towel over it. You’ve made yourself a flag that can be easily spotted.

· Strollers – For smaller children, it’s sometimes easiest to tote them along for a day of beach fun in their strollers where they can readily be shielded from the sun and take naps comfortably. If you’ve gone to the immense effort of dragging a set of stroller wheels (bending and locking every few seconds) through rugged, rocky sand, use it to mark your spot. Tie a red scarf, handkerchief or towel around the handle and let it flap in the wind.

· Toboggan or plastic snow sled – These may look unusual on the beach but are so much easier to cart stuff over sand than anything with wheels. Toddlers are also eager to jump aboard, keeping them from running off as you deal with getting set up. In addition, the plastic surface can be easily rid of sand for a non-gritty place to play or snack.

Summer is quickly approching and hopefully you’ve got some fantastic getaways planned!!! Need something the kids can carry all their distractions in? Check out Zid Zid Kids, Airplane Backpack at Black Wagon!

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.

At this time of year, many families are off to the mountains to ski. Here are some creative parent-to-parent tips on skiing with your kids safely:

· Be visible – Dress both yourself and your kids in bright jackets, but NOT red or orange. These are typically the colors of ski patrol employees and will make you and your child blend into the masses on the slopes. Choose a bright green or pink or purple. If this isn’t possible for your ski jacket, invest in bright-colored gloves, hats and scarves.

· Identification – Place your business card or a note with the cellphone number you are carrying into the pocket of your children. If your child gets lost or hurt, the number to reach you will be immediately available.

· Slope etiquette – Inform your children that people ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them – not for them to jump out of your way.

· Ski to your child’s level – It is tempting to encourage your child to try the bigger slopes with you, but make sure they are ready. This winter my son dropped off a twenty-foot cliff because he wasn’t ready to navigate the more difficult slopes (he was unharmed, thank goodness!).

· Chair Lifts – Make sure your child’s back is pressed up against the chair lift and they are sitting up straight (ski wear gets slippery and you don’t want a slouching child to slide underneath the safety bar). I always hook onto some part of my son while on the chairlift: arm, ski jacket, waist, to keep him secure. Don’t raise the safety bar too early when exiting the lift; keep your firm grip on your child until his skis safely touch the exit ramp.

One of America’s top outdoor destinations and the country’s fifth largest city, it is not an accident that Phoenix is home to several of the best destination resorts located in the United States. Explore desert parks and lakes, tour archaeology ruins and historic gold mining towns, or visit one of the many the museums and state-of-the-art sporting facilities.

From Surprise to Apache Junction, the twenty distinct communities that make up the greater Phoenix area offer visitors everything from the slow-paced rural southwest to a bustling college atmosphere. Whether your interest is sports or archaeology, history or hiking, biking, horseback riding, or bird watching Phoenix offers something for everyone not wanting to venture beyond the Valley of the Sun.

Enjoy hiking, biking and horseback riding at the many area parks such as South Mountain, McDowell or Papago. And if quintessential southwest is your goal, explore Hohokam Indian ruins and participate in a simulated excavation at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center or pan for gold and tour a gold mine in Goldfield Ghost Town.

On the chance that it does rain or the kids simply need a break from the great outdoors, take advantage of Valley’s cultural side. Children of all ages will enjoy exploring a re-created Zuni Pueblo and participating in hands-on activities at the Heard Museum, discovering science and technology at the Arizona Science Center, or taking in a performance at one of the children’s theaters, Childsplay or Valley Youth Theatre.

While you will need to do a fair bit of planning if you intend to take advantage of the many activities unique to Phoenix, there is no need to venture very far. Many child-friendly activities are less than an hour’s drive from anywhere in the Valley.

So if you are looking to escape the bitter cold of winter or an overcast rainy spring, plan a trip to Phoenix and once you’ve pulled your kids away from the numerous activities offered at your destination resort, explore a few of the many fun things to see and do in the Valley of the Sun.

Getting there
The Sky Harbor International Airport is conveniently located in the heart of Phoenix. Direct flights to/from most U.S. locations. International flights to London (UK) and several cities in Canada and Mexico. City of Phoenix

Getting around
Your mode of transportation will greatly influence your options. While shuttle services will get you to and from your hotel and public transport will get you around downtown, families wishing to venture beyond their resort should consider renting a car. A light rail system is scheduled to begin operation in 2009.

Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau

Valley Metro

When to travel
The best time to visit is from November to April.

Weather Underground

Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau

Health & safety
Car seats are required for children weighing 40 pounds or less. Booster seats are required for children under the age of 8 or less than 4 feet 9 inches (144 cm) tall. Children under 12 should sit in the back seat and buckle up.

Arizona GOHS

Things to keep in mind
Distance! The greater metropolitan area covers nearly 2000 square miles.

Copyright © more2explore S.r.l. All rights reserved.

About the author
Ann LoCicero is the founder of www.kidscantravel.com an emergent website for families intent on making the most of their leisure time together.

Car travel can be a flexible way to get your brood from point A to point B. Though you won’t score points for eco-awareness, road trips offer families added flexibility to make stops and visit areas that are poorly served by public transit and pack more gear. And aside from your partner, there are no impatient passengers wanting to eject you or your kids from the vehicle.

While long distance car travel with young children may not evoke images of carefree adventure, recent restrictions on hand luggage and the increased wait time at airports, particularly in Europe, may make it more practical to travel by car than by air. The following tips will ensure that your next road trip with infants and toddlers is fun (or at least less painful than you may imagine) and help you deal with a resounding “Are we there yet?” from the biggest kid in the car.

Plan your trip to coincide with your child’s nap or bedtime

• Motion may lull some children to sleep, but even infants are unlikely to sleep through an entire 6- or 8-hour trip unless it coincides with their regular sleep pattern.
• Maintain your child’s bedtime rituals, such as reading a book together, even in the car.
• Recreate your child’s bedroom environment as much as possible with a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.

Keep the kids safe and comfortable

• Make sure your child’s safety car seat is properly installed.
• Dress your child in his or her favorite pajamas or other soft outfit.
• Recline the child safety seat (NOT the passenger seat) as outlined in the owner’s safety manual.

Kids’ stuff

• Pack toys, snacks, wipes, paper towel and at least one change of clothes in your diaper bag or other luggage that is close at hand.
• Keep milk and refrigerated snacks fresh. Pack them in a cooler bag with ice packs or try a portable electric cooler, which plug right into the cigarette lighter.
• Compact bottle warmers, which again plug into the cigarette lighter, will ensure your child’s milk is the right temperature no matter how far you are from the nearest gas station or other roadside shop.

High and low-tech fun

• Rotate books, toys and games as you would at home and on a plane.
• Don’t over stimulate. Studies show that toddlers can happily pull the same small surprise out of a gift bag all day long yet retain the same delighted surprise each time.
• Even snacks can provide hours of fun. Cheerios, for example, are as fun to eat as they are to pick up and push around.
• Children’s music and audio books can be used to establish quiet time as well as relieve a toddler’s pent-up energy. Lead a sing-a-long or play their favorite stories and bedtime music.
• DVD players and in-seat tv monitors may be helpful in the event of a meltdown.

Sit in the back seat

• Move to the back seat for bedtime rituals and when your child is tired of playing solo.
• Manage adult expectations
• Use free mapping sites like Mapquest to help plan your route. Double the estimated travel time suggested by these sites.
• Plan to make a 10-minute stop every hour your children are awake.
• Expect to clean the car when you arrive even if you did so before departing.
• Break the trip into smaller, one-day or half-day segments. End each drive at a mini-destination such as a special meal stop, tourist attraction or park. You’ll add fun as well as instill a feeling of progress.

The key to car travel with kids is to take it slow and easy. Have fun – you’re on vacation.

Copyright © Nicole F. Feist. All rights reserved.

Nicole has successfully completed 27 home exchanges. She is the author of HYPERLINK “http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/” \t “_blank” Home Exchange Travels an informative blog on home exchange travel and travel with children and seniors. Nicole is a frequent contributor to HYPERLINK “http://www.kidscantravel.com” www.kidscantravel.com.

Resources

Travel Songs and Sing-a-longs
WeedTracks.com
My Kids Tunes
FreeKidsMusic.com

Audiobooks for Children
LibriVox
AudioFile

Travel Games
MomsMinivan.com
Carschooling

At age two, my son has now completed 11 home exchanges. My six-month old daughter has two exchanges under her diminutive belt. Some of these swaps were as short as a weekend. All were wonderful ways to introduce the children to new places and lifestyles.

Before our first exchange with our then 7-week old son, friends with children warned us, repeatedly, that traveling would be a nightmare with a baby. They claimed that his schedule would be disrupted and a new environment would frighten him. They forgot that, at age 7 weeks, the baby’s environment is the caregiver. Find me a 7-week old baby on a “schedule” and I’ll show you a frustrated baby.

A home exchange makes traveling that much easier, and not just for the infant. Unlike a tiny hotel room with no kitchen or laundry facilities, the experience is very similar to being in your own home with your baby.

Our son’s first exchange home experience was in California. Our exchange home was set in a redwood forest overlooking the wild ocean. He traded a sweltering New York City that kept us inside all day for a fresh sea breeze on his cheek. We traded our chic neighborhood’s fabulous shopping and restaurants for the expansive isolation of the exchanger’s forest retreat. There was a wrap-around redwood deck and a different bedroom for every night of the week, as long as you spent the weekend out of town.

By the time a baby is about six months old, s/he can sense that a new environment is not home and become agitated accordingly. We avoid this problem by bringing familiar toys and a play mat or play yard. We establish and maintain a bedtime routine (bath, prayer, song, rocking to sleep) and follow it at home and on the road. The Peapod, a toddler-sized pop-up tent with a tiny air mattress and matching comforter, is the one piece of equipment we’ve found to be indispensable. It serves as our son’s “bedroom” in every home exchange. Because it is familiar and enclosed, the room in which it is placed is immediately “home”.

And the advantages of a home exchange don’t end when your child begins to walk. Children love to explore new environments and see new things. On the last exchange, our son saw a deer and bunny for the first time, right in our exchange partner’s back yard. Our children will learn and grow from home exchange travel in ways they never would in a resort or hotel. We’re glad we ignored the nay-sayers and launched our children on a lifetime of appreciation for new cultures and places. Our family travel adventures continue “en famille”.

Copyright Nicole F. Feist. All Rights Reserved.

Nicole has successfully completed 27 home exchanges. She is the author of Home Exchange Travels an informative blog on home exchange travel and travel with children and seniors. Nicole is a frequent contributor to www.kidscantravel.com.

Resources

Home Exchange Agencies
Home Base Holidays
www.HomeExchange.com
www.Digsville.com

Home Exchange Blogs
Home Exchange Travels
California Dreaming

Additional Reading
Poyeen Publishing: The Home Exchange Guide

More on the PeaPod Travel Bed
Kidco, Inc

Photography is a great way to get the kids involved in the family vacation. And the benefits exceed a newfound sense of responsibility. Taking pictures provides children with means to share an adventure, places visited and new things discovered, and helps kids observe what may have gone unnoticed as well as recall their travels with greater ease and spontaneity. It opens up a new world to explore.

Yet it is important that photography remain a game, and not become a bore.

The right equipment
Simple means can result in interesting photos. The single use or disposable camera has several advantages:

• They are light and easy to use and can be worn, on a string, round the neck or carried in a backpack.
• They are not as delicate as their parents’ semi-professional model and thus facilitate freedom of use whenever and wherever they decide to play. They come equipped with film and many have a built-in flash.
• High sensitivity film, 400 asa and up, and a flash will ensure a result even in a setting with little light.

What to snap
A few suggestions may help children spot an opportunity and provide the necessary stimulation to get them started. But refrain from making choices for them: A strange hat or curious animal may hold more appeal than a static scene.

Suggest they capture their story on film, a story through images to recount to their friends back home. Help them establish a time frame, for example capturing the family adventure from take-off to landing.

Propose photographing everything that is different. A unique building or habitat can teach children much about people, places and foreign culture.

Place value on their personal interests and you will spark their curiosity. Animals, children, musical instruments, strange geographic shapes and colors are a great way to begin.

Allow them to record the world as they see it. This will ensure they weave a personal tale.

Ready, set, click
A few simple tips and soon even the wary will be engaged each and every time an image sparks their interest to click.

• Avoid fuzzy photos.
• In low light situations, set the camera on a flat surface such as a rock.
• Keep your back to the sun and the light will fall directly on your subject rather than the camera’s eye.
• Keep your eye on the horizon, it can give shape and add quality to the story.
• Get close to the subject, it will ensure others are able to follow the tale.
• Center the photo. Avoid chopping off mom and dad’s head!
• Keep your fingers away from the lens.

Resources
Additional Reading
eHow.com
YouthLearn
RLROUSE Directory
The Academy of Natural Sciences
CDS Project

Disposable Cameras
Kodak
Fujifilm

Copyright © more2explore S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Nicoletta Marconi is a photographer and regular contributor www.kidscantravel.com an emergent website for families intent on making the most of their leisure time together.

After a week in the bush we were ill prepared for the long lines and heightened security that awaited us at the airport in Mombasa, Kenya. We had too much hand luggage and it was packed completely wrong. And if it weren’t for a delay, we would have missed our flight home.

While the recent carry-on restrictions do not affect travel to all countries, they do apply to more than just flights to and from the U.S. and UK and could well be extended without advance notice. India and Canada have adopted similar policies and EU leaders have agreed, at least in theory, to harmonize their approach.

The following tips will ensure you’re not repacking your luggage curbside and that you are prepared for long haul travel without your child’s well-stocked bag of toys.

• Check both the airline and airport’s website for policy changes before your outbound and, if possible, again before your inbound flight. If neither site offers information, call the airline or airport.
• Arrive at the airport at least 2 hours in advance.
• Keep your hand luggage light and simple.
• Check or ship rather than carry large and oddly shaped souvenirs.
• Pack all liquids and gels in your checked luggage.
• Ensure your single carry-on does not exceed 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (including wheels, handles and external pockets), the equivalent of a small rollaway, even if you are not flying to, from or transiting through the UK. Please note that you may be asked to put your handbag inside your hand luggage as it is considered a carry-on.
• Be prepared to remove your laptop and all other electronic items from your carry-on and take off your shoes for x-ray.
• Consume any drinks you may be carrying (except the contents of your child’s bottle, which can be carried through) prior to arriving at the security checkpoint. Drinks can be purchased and consumed in the departure area but cannot be carried on flights in or to the U.S.
• Revisit your repertoire of travel games. Age-old car travel games such as I spy, scissors, paper, rock, hang man, tic tac toe and knock, knock jokes can provide hours of fun even on a plane.
• Get creative with the material onboard. Make puppets out of airsickness bags and put on a show.
• Snacks such as Cheerios take up little room and can keep younger children occupied for quite some time.
• Relax screen time rules for older children. In-flight entertainment programs on most intercontinental flights offer music, videogames and more.
• Be flexible.

Resources
Authority Websites
UK Department of Transportation
U.S. Transportation Security Administration
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority

Low Tech Travel Games
Moms Minivan
Epinions.com

Copyright © more2explore S.r.l. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Ann LoCicero is the founder of www.kidscantravel.com an emergent website for families intent on making the most of their leisure time together.