About a month ago my family had big plans to travel to the Grand Canyon for Spring Break. Our one obstacle in the process seemed surmountable: finding the time to research and book the travel plans. But there’s a new hitch in our plan: our dog is sick. She has cancer and there’s nothing that can be done for her except to keep her happy and comfortable. We have no idea how much longer we have with her, so we will enjoy being with her as long as we can.
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When I unzip my suitcase, I feel thankful my boys don’t surround me chanting, “What did you bring me?! What did you bring me?!” Instead, they have started asking, “Did you get me some socks? Did you find me any cool socks?!” This may seem like a strange question, but they ask it for a good reason.
My schedule can get pretty packed when I’m traveling, leaving no time for shopping for a treat for my kids, but I inevitably find myself waiting around airports with long layovers. To pass the time I wander through the shops and think about how many neck pillows are needed on the planet. I also look for socks. Yes, socks.
I found the perfect gift for my boys is a simple pair of socks. Well, actually, the ones I choose are anything but simple. I select socks decorated with the name of the state I’m in, the state bird, the local sports team, native plant, or famous attraction. The socks themselves are usually detailed and decorative, but the idea of arriving home with a pair of special socks seems simple to me. And my boys love them.
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For my family, Thanksgiving means the three Ts: turkey, togetherness, and travel.
Fortunately for me, I have only experienced preparing the first T (turkey) once. All other years since I became a parent, I prepared for the last T (travel). I've done a lot of holiday driving as we traveled between 200 to 500 miles to visit family each Thanksgiving.
To help you this year, I created my Top Ten Tips (three more Ts!) to help you arrive at your destination still speaking to each other.
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With the holiday season approaching, many of us are in the process of planning big family trips. Whether you’ll be driving a few towns over to spend Thanksgiving with your in-laws, or flying across the country to visit grandparents, getting kids prepared for travel can make the difference between a smooth trip and a big headache.
I surveyed a few moms in our office find out what makes traveling easiest with little ones.
Pack for the worst and hope for the best
You never know what surprises you’ll run into on the road, so prepare yourself by packing an emergency kit, filled band-aids, tissues, medicine, a garbage bag or two, and a change of clothes. You’ll appreciate having the essentials on hand, if a bumpy ride ends with a messy, wet shirt or you discover that your little one gets carsick.
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Setting out to see the sights, no matter where you visit, comes with loads of historical background, trivia, shopping, and places to eat. If your family is anything like mine, without a plan we end up wandering for well over an hour arguing over which attraction to see or at which restaurant to eat. Since we’re on vacation, our time has to be perfect and memorable! As we’ve traveled more, I’ve wizened up and learned to get the most out of my trip.
Do your travel research
This may seem like “Travel 101” but I find knowing ahead of time things such as the layout of a museum, the hot shopping area, hours of an attraction, or which district to eat, saves time and allows you to see the attractions that most interest you and your family while avoiding endless wandering. While tour guides are a viable option, they might not be best for younger kids or impatient know-it-alls like me.
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From flight delays to complex baggage regulations to enhanced security issues, international travel presents a real challenge to any traveler, much less those traveling with kids. Last spring, I crossed the pond for the first time with my eight-year-old daughter in tow. We came home with incredible memories, a little bit of jetlag, and a few mom-friendly travelers’ tips:
1. Don’t get hung up on direct flights. I can’t remember the last time I had a direct flight, so I didn’t flinch when we had a layover at Heathrow before we pressed on to Portugal. We teed up a Harry Potter movie for the London flight and scheduled sleep for the next leg. We also ate two seriously fabulous meals at Heathrow – coming and going – so changing planes resulted in a memorable dining experience, despite the venue.
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It was one of my worst nightmares. I’ve already admitted to being afraid to fly and flying on my own has never been fun for me. I couldn’t even think of traveling on my own with my sons. Then it happened. I really had no choice in the matter and in March I flew with the boys and my nerves. We survived and it wasn’t quite that bad.
However, I was sure that I wouldn’t want to do it again – until I had to. Only four weeks ago. Not only did we fly on our own, but my sons and I also navigated our way through customs and security through two countries without incident. This is how we survived.
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In addition to doing a lot of moving as a family, my husband’s job also has him traveling solo frequently. It’s not always easy, it often seems impossible, but each time has given me an opportunity to grow as a parent and learn to rely more on myself.
There have been missed holidays, like my first Mother’s Day and Easter, and missed milestones, like the first day of kindergarten and finding out we were pregnant for the second time. Through it all I’ve learned what I can do to make the separation easier and how I sabotage myself.
Here are a few suggestions for how to make your survival through one of these travel separations a bit easier.
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For my first two pregnancies, travel meant loading up our Jeep and heading north from Virginia to New York and Rhode Island to visit family. This pregnancy it has meant traveling from New York to Mexico and then back again with an unplanned flight to Rhode Island instead.
I’ve picked up a few things to make the trip a little less stressful and easier on the expectant mother.
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