Use Travel to Connect, Not Ignore

WebMD has an article with some advice on travelling with kids.  Most of it is pretty standard advice: bring new toys and books for long car trips; if you're flying, have your child drink something during take-off and landing to equalize ear pressure; and stay relaxed and keep your expectations on par with you children's ages and abilities.

All good advice.  The only thing in the article I really object to is the idea of giving your kid Benadryl on a long flight to 'help them sleep.'  Let's call a spade a spade here, folks: that is drugging your child.  Not right.  I have to say, that's also pretty disturbing advice to be written by a medical doctor.

Anyway, my suggestion to families this year for spring break: leave the technology at home.

Stranded in the Airport

I am now safely back home, but I happened to be travelling internationally by airplane shortly after the recent terrorist attack at the end of December.  As a result, several hundred other travelers and I had the joy of sharing a terminal over nearly 12 hours of delays.

This is never a pleasant circumstance, but I have to say that it was made easily tolerable by the very kind people we met in our various lines and hours of waiting.  Nothing brings people together quite like a common problem.

But now to the issue at hand: with 12 hours of observation time, how did the behavior of parents and children hold up in these unexpected and stressful conditions?

Making Thanksgiving Travels Memorable, In a Good Way!

Many families will pile into cars this week and throughout the holiday season to make the trek to visit grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends.  Whether your trip is an hour or three days long, it can be a powerful time to bond with your family.  Don't let those lovely, silent, closed-in hours slip away in monotony!  Put away the iPods and headphones, stash the cheap romance novel, turn off the built-in DVD player and talk to your kids and spouse.

A little out of practice?  A lot of us are.  But car trips with my family during the holidays always brought us closer in the end, and we all learned a lot about each other.  Try out some of these tips if you're stuck.