Stuck on a plane with a bored toddler?  Stave off a meltdown with these tips for amusing toddlers with things you can find on a plane (or in a restaurant).

1. Cups:  Ask the flight attendant for 2 cups.  Fill one of them 1/2 full of water and let your toddler practice pouring back and forth.  Getting wet just adds to the fun!
2. More cups:  After the water is gone, ask for a third cup and play shell games.
3. In-flight magazine:  Find the crossword puzzle and color designs in the squares.
4. In-flight magazine:  Flip to an ad with lots of big letters and go on a letter hunt.  Draw a letter and have your toddler find it on the page.  Continue the game by counting how many times you can find it on the page.
5. Make paper airplanes out of subscription cards or scrap paper (dig those old receipts out!)
6. Skymall Magazine: There are always a few pages of puppies or toys.  Send them on a scavenger hunt through the magazine to find them.
7. Teach your toddler how to play rock, paper, scissors.  Be flexible with the rules and see how fun their logic is.
8. Play I Spy using pages out of SkyMall or colorful ads.
9. Make funny faces and/or play peek-a-boo.
10. When all else fails, never underestimate the power of a sock puppet!

Happy Travels!

Flying with Kids · flying with toddlers · tips for traveling

I recently read an editorial extolling the virtues of child-free dining.   I immediately got defensive – what is wrong with kids eating out in an establishment that has table service and real silverware?   So I paid attention the last time we ate at a nice restaurant and I still disagree with the editorial – it isn’t the kids, it’s the parents!   In a restaurant of about 60 tables, about 16 had children under the age of 10 and half of those had misbehaving children.  And WOW were they bad.  They were screaming, running around, throwing food and crawling under the tables (and yes that is plural!).   Every child has bad nights but I suspect this was routine behavior especially given the practiced way the parents ignored their children!

So what makes a good dining experience?  I discreetly observed the other tables and we all had a few things in common.  While these tips can’t guarantee a successful night out, they can help!

• Make reservations or go at a slow time.
• Request a table large enough for your entire party.  I have noticed a trend of seating families with small children at undersized tables -  sitting a family of 6 at a four-top table, for example.
• Check the menu ahead of time.  A nice dinner is not necessarily the time for trying new things.  What if there is nothing the kids will eat?
  • Discreetly bring a sandwich from home and ask the waiter to plate it for you.  I generally offer to pay a plating fee (it has never been charged but the waiter seems to appreciate the offer).
  • Feed the kids at home and order them dessert while you have entrees – this likely means that you will not be getting dessert.
  • It is NEVER ok to take food from another establishment into the restaurant (especially fast food!) – if this is your only alternative, leave the kids at home.
• Be ready to order for the kids when you order drinks or appetizers.
• Set very clear behavior expectations and consequences for misbehaving and stick with them.
• Bring entertainment.  The BusyKiddy was created first for my kids – we always bring small activity kits to restaurants.  Crayons, activity books, stickers, and small toys will work wonders toward a peaceful meal.
• Too much energy?  Take a walk after ordering but walk to the lobby or outside the building.  Do not wander through the tables and no running.
• Pay attention to what the kids are doing – no one likes to have an intimate dinner with the 2 year old from the next table staring at them!
• Recognize that kids have a finite amount of patience.  This may not be the time for a 6 course meal.  Watch for the signs of kid melt down and act appropriately (eat fast, get it to go, or ask for the check!)
  • One melting down?  Have a parent take them for a walk while the others eat.  Trade places and have the kids head to the car.  Personally, I love this option -I eat second and enjoy a peaceful 10 minutes finishing my meal and paying the tab.
• Be prepared to leave the minute your child starts to create a fuss.  Crying, loud whining, and screaming are not ok – one parent should be ready to take the offending child outside until they calm down.

What works for you?  Any other suggestions to add to the list?

Eating out with kids · Kids Activities

Movies and video games are great in-flight entertainment – let’s face it, sometimes they are life savers!  What I am going to propose next will sound crazy, but hear me out… Turn off the electronics on your next flight. That’s right, turn them off.

In today’s hyper-stimulated world, it is hard to find quality time to connect with your kids without the distractions of everyday life.  The plane is the perfect place to spend a few hours engaging with your kids.  Spend the time playing games, reading, and talking.  It will be a better flight for both of you.

Flying with Kids · unplug

Tips & Tricks for Getting the Kids to Sleep in a Hotel

Sleeping on vacation can be a real challenge – strange places, new sleeping arrangements, and too much excitement combine to make even the best kids hard to settle down at night.  My 4 kids are masters at staying awake and until we get all of them calmed down, there is no chance anyone is going to sleep!  Here is what works for us.

The wind-down starts at dinner – discuss the day – favorite parts/least favorite parts and lay out the plan for tomorrow.  I try to give our kids a reason to go to sleep by setting the expectations for the next day. For example, “Tomorrow is going to be a busy day at the beach – you don’t want to be too tired to enjoy it.”   I used to wait until everyone was in bed to start this conversation but found that the kids would get ramped up and we would be starting the bedtime process all over again.

When we return to the hotel, I pull out coloring books and activity books and let the kids color for a few minutes while I get ready for the bedtime ritual to begin – pjs are laid out, clothes for tomorrow are selected, the room is tidied, and hopefully I have taken off my shoes and changed into comfy cozies.  Before everyone loses interest in the coloring, I start the bedtime ritual.  While it is impossible to do everything exactly like at home, keep it pretty close.  Young kids crave routines and it can help ease the transition into sleep.

I cycle through the baths (using lavender sleepytime soap) and teeth brushing and all the girls go to bed at the same time.  We end every night with stories and I take a mix of old favorites and new ones to read aloud.  We also include a family chapter book that everyone will enjoy and read a chapter or two a night.

With 4 girls, things tend to dissolve into a slumber party atmosphere the first few nights.  If we don’t have an early morning planned, I let them enjoy being together and have fun for a while.  If we do have early mornings and everyone needs to sleep, I put down two at a time.  Once they are asleep the other 2 can go in and join them (with severe warnings on the consequences of waking their sisters)!

There are evenings when nothing seems to work – on these evenings we divide and conquer.  In our family, we have 2 night owls that tend to sabotage the sleeping.  We pull them out of the room for a while and settle the others down.  If they aren’t sleepy we head out for an evening walk, read books, or play games in the hotel lobby – we have sat in the hallway outside the room or even in the bathroom in a pinch!

Lastly, a few nighttime things to remember:

• pack a nightlight or two
• give each child a mini flashlight to sleep with
• if prone to nightmares, bring their safety items (we have dreamcatchers that travel with us)
• always bring a favorite stuffy/blanket – vacation is not the time to wean them off it
• need binkies (pacifiers)? – pack extras
• bring booklights so older kids can read later without disturbing the younger ones

What tips do you have to help sleep while traveling?  Comments are always welcome!

Happy Travels!!

bedtime rituals · bedtime while traveling · General Travel With Kids