Parenting Blog

...best job in the world

Travel

Choosing a Child Friendly Hotel

By

Traveling with children or even just one of them can be a real challenge to any parent. Yes, it can be fun as it provides an opportunity for you to spend quality time with your child but at the same time, the experience can test a parent’s patience and skill in handling their kid’s issues while away from home.


A top priority when you’re planning to take a short vacation with your kid such as in the beautiful islands of the Carribean is to find a child friendly hotel. You can turn to allinclusiveresorts.net as one of your reliable sources of travel information. Michelle Powell from AllInclusiveResorts.net said most resorts in the Carribean are child-friendly with some of them even offering activities for children in the afternoon.

[Read more…] about Choosing a Child Friendly Hotel

Originally posted on September 4, 2012 @ 10:00 am

Why Choose Cancun for your Next Family Vacation

By

Mexico is a popular tourist destination that attracts millions of visitors each year, notably during the summer season. This country boasts of beautiful cities one of which is Cancun.

Cancun is situated on the southeastern part of Mexico off the Caribbean sea. It is home to some of the world’s most amazing white sand beaches.

One of the major factors why this place is frequented by tourists is its tropical climate. But although it may be warm there, the sea breeze makes the temperature more moderate and thereby bearable. As the city enjoys much sunshine throughout the year, people from the different parts of the world often choose to vacation here.

While in Cancun, visitors can check out various interesting places not found anywhere else. One is the underwater art museum known as MUSA in the National Marine Park. This tourist spot created by English sculptor by Jason deCaires Taylor features life-size sculptures. They’re not there merely as art works but they serve as a reef structure where marine creatures can live.
[Read more…] about Why Choose Cancun for your Next Family Vacation

Originally posted on September 26, 2012 @ 5:00 am

Packing Lists For Kid Travel: 3 Years Up

By

Packing

Continuing from my last post, here’s the second installment, packing for preschoolers and grade schoolers. Traveling with this age group is actually a lot easier than with the younger ones. For one thing, they can carry their own bags (yay!) and they don’t need the cumbersome items like the bottles, formula, diapers, jars and so on. Phew!

If your kids are above age 3, then all you need are a few things for your carry-on. The rest, your kids can carry themselves. If you do have a baby or toddler, then see the previous post.

Your Carry-on
Aside from my stuff (toiletries, cosmetics, extra shirt, book) here’s what I usually take for the kids:

– 1 change of clothes for each child, including underwear (plus one extra top for preschoolers)
– 1 diaper for the preschooler (only for evening or longhaul flights)
– Ziplock bag of snacks
– Small plastic cutlery for each child (no knives in the plane)
– Baby wipes, tissues, small hair brush
– Small pack of crayons, markers and 2 pens – extras in case the kids lose/fight/need extra.
– small pad of paper
– 1 book
– Bottle of water (if flying, get this after the security check)

Kids Carry-on
– 2 small toys (boys tend to go for cars/trains, girls a “Polly Pocket” type of small doll)

– 1 “lovie” like a favorite doll, stuffed toy, mini-pillow or blanket
– 2 snacks – like a small box of raisins, biscuits
– 1 book
– 1 jacket or cardigan
– Small notebook/pad/ coloring book
– crayons / pen, pencil and eraser (neatly in a case)
– Video game (like a Gameboy or DS) – Useful for long airport waits, but keep it handy for airport security.

The Kids Suitcases

– 2 outfits for each day
– 1 “smart” outfit for a party or dinner out
– 1 pair of underwear for each day
– 1 pair or shoes, smart or closed
– Sandals or slippers depending on season
– Swimsuit, goggles, water wings (if needed)
– Winter essentials if needed, like gloves, thermal undies, boots etc.
– Hat or cap
– Cardigan or sweater (depending on season) – 1 every 3 days of trip
– 2 books
– 2 extra toys per child – puzzles, small action figure or car sets, barbie etc.
– Toiletries – 2-in 1 shampoo, 1 bar dove soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brush

And Don’t Forget In Your Luggage!

– Small bars or pack of laundry detergent and rubber gloves
– Medical Kit – digital thermometer, first-aid supplies, medicine for both kids and adults, moisturizer, rash cream, mosquito repellent (if needed).
-More snacks, food if necessary (I take a few boxes of organic macaroni cheese if we’re going to a place with cooking facilities. Easy to just add veg for a healthy and quick meal)

Photo via catd_mitchell

Originally posted on July 4, 2009 @ 7:40 am

Mom is Home!

By

beach

First of all, I have to tell my dearest husband: Honey, I LOVED your post! Only you could have come up with reasons that make such brilliant sense…..and I agree with all of it, except that the idea of our children glued to the television screen (wii remote in action or not) for HOURS on end just doesn’t sit well with me, whatever the multiple benefits are. But because you were the Superdaddy while I was away – keeping our three angels happy, entertained and relatively healthy (I heard about the monster-size cones at Dairy Queen) while I lazed on the beach and drank cocktails, I won’t argue with you on this one – for now at least 🙂

But back to my absence – going off with your girlfriends for a few days is one of the best things a Mom can do, and I highly recommend it. I am speaking of my best friends from high school, who I only see about once a year (if we’re lucky) as we live on opposite sides of the globe. To be honest, I wasn’t raring to go – they practically forced me on the trip, while I worried and hesitated, nervous that my little family couldn’t survive without me, or me them. Especially as I am still nursing Wills, the youngest. The answer to that one? f.o.r.m.u.l.a (I brought my breast pump too, of course) and some gentle (and unselfish!) encouragement from the hubby.

[Read more…] about Mom is Home!

Originally posted on January 12, 2009 @ 8:01 pm

Christmas Holiday Travel With Kids: Sapporo, Japan

By

SapporoOk, I know it’s only August, but in my book it isn’t too late to start planning our Christmas holidays. Actually, it makes a lot of sense because it can get really booked practically everywhere in the world that time of year, and booking early can mean saving $$$. We just bought a new house- well, a new “old” (80’s built) house, and after going through all our renovation plans, we were told by our contractor that there was pretty much no chance that we would be in there by Christmas. So we thought we’d get creative this year and take the kids somewhere different, somewhere interesting for Christmas. The only pre-requisite – SNOW!!

The first contender on our list is Sapporo, Japan. It’s a lovely city in Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, and known to be a very child-friendly place (like the rest of Japan is), with family skiing and LOTS of fun activities. My husband and I love Japan, the Japanese culture and especially the food, so Japan was a good choice. Plus, it won’t be as crowded like a lot of Western places over the holidays because of the Shinto/Buddhist religious aspects.

One more good thing is that the hotels and resorts in Sapporo are pretty affordable and often have great deals. Christmas is apparently a good time to go, because aside from the snow, there is fab shopping (for Mom) and interesting things to check out, like the Sapporo White Illumination and the German Christmas Market – cool! Check out the photo above, which was taken during the Sapporo Snow Festival, which happens in February.

Originally posted on August 5, 2009 @ 2:59 am

My Top Packing Lists For Kid Travel: Baby & Toddlers

By

Carry on

Since I have three kids below 8, and given that my husband and actually enjoy taking them traveling (yes, we’re crazy), packing is something I take very seriously. Of course, unless you are Bree or Martha, you are bound to forget some things, so the best advice I can give you is START EARLY, keep the list handy in a place at home where you can tick through it as you go along.

Packing For Babies and Toddlers

Hand Carry – I suggest you purchase a bag that is the right size for you to carry, and not too bulky that it won’t be allowed in an airplane or will give you a backache for the rest of your trip. Pockets and compartments are all good, and even better if there’s is an insulated bit. Backpacks are a good choice!

The Top 14 Essentials For The Carry-On Bag

1. Snacks – “o” shaped cereal, biscuits/cracker (I like organic/low sugar kinds), cheese, fruit pieces, small cartons of juice (not for airplanes).
2. Change of clothes and a cardigan or jacket – 2 outfits
3. Disposable diapers – 3
4. Baby wipes
5. Burp cloth – handy for mopping up any mess on baby
6. Sun hat for hot weather or bonnet/cap for cold
7. Blanket – handy for naps or to lay on a floor to crawl/sit on or as a cover-up for breastfeeding.
9. Formula in container and pre-boiled water in a bottle.
10. Water in a sippy cup or bottle
11. 2 small toys/books/ teether.
12. Band-aids and antiseptic wipes/cream
13. 2 Pacifiers
14. 2 Bibs
15. Baby fork and spoon
16. 2/3 Plastic bags – to dispose diapers, for dirty clothes.

* Don’t forget any medications if your child is taking them and always keep it in the carry-on bag! Ditto with anything else your child can’t do without, like a favourite stuffed toy or “lovie”. Heaven forbid your luggage gets lost and poor teddy is never seen again!

* If going on a long haul flight/train journey, pack enough diapers and an extra outfit for an overnight stay, just in case. Most airports have drugstore/pharmacies now, but it’s still better to have your own stash of necessities.

In The Suitcase

*Some of these things depend on the age of your baby.

1. 2 outfits for every day of the trip
2. 2 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of socks
3. Bibs
4. Summer essentials: sun hat, sunblock, swim suit or trunks, swim diapers, mosquito repellent
Or Winter essentials: warm clothes, mittens, boots, etc.
5. Toys and books (only bring favorites, new ones can be bought at destination)
6. Toiletries: Dove soap (I use it on both baby’s hair and body), baby powder, baby toothbrush, hairbrush or comb
7. Medicine Kit: antibacterial cream for wounds, small rubbing alcohol, band-aids, thermometer, nasal drops, water replacement powder, antihistamine, paracetamol, Lacticare , Cetaphil cream
8. Diapers – 3 diapers per day, plus 3
9. Formula (I buy enough for the trip, just in case I can’t get the brand we use)
10. Baby food/ snacks – I always bring a small supply of food I know he likes, just in case. Baby jars, instant oatmeal, organic macaroni cheese etc.
11. Baby monitor and universal adaptor – it can be cumbersome to pack, but I’m always glad I did.
12. DVDs – Just a few of your baby’s faves as most places have DVD machines now, even computers. Alternatively, an iPod loaded with the vids works too.
13. Ziplock/ plastic bags

*Stroller – An absolute essential! If travelling by air, don’t check it in, take it all the way to the gate. It’s also handy for hanging duty free shopping and the hand-carry bag!

*Website tip: This site does customized packing lists. Good for grownups.

Photo via _Fidelio_

Originally posted on June 26, 2009 @ 1:30 am

The Perfect Beach Holiday

By

Beach Holiday

We just got back from a perfect beach holiday over the Easter break. Well, it was nearly perfect as holidays-with-kids go if I don’t count:

1. Squabbling between my 4 and 7 year old over so many things I can’t remember anymore.
2. My accident prone 4 year-old’s scraped and bleeding big toes – where he scraped it, we have no idea.
3. 1-year-old Wills getting cut on the lip a grand total of 3 times. He learned to love ice and I found a “cool” way to distract him for a while on the high chair (pardon the pun) – a cube of ice!
4. Our “Marley-esque” Basset hound Wendy going on a destructive spree and chewing 3 bedspreads and a chair, not no mention several toys and my husband’s favourite sandals.

But that aside, my husband and I both agreed that it was one of the most relaxing and lovely holidays we’ve ever had. The kids were outside most of the day, swimming and playing – happily NOT on the DS, Wii, Gameboy or logged on to Nick jr.. Dad had real quality time with them as did I, and we had several family games (amazingly no cheating occurred) of Star Wars Monopoly, Guess Who and The Game of Life, Moms fave which, to my disappointment was too long for my kids (for now). They loved Guess Who, another one of my sister and my favourites. We discovered it on holiday in Paris when we were kids, and I think it was called “Qui est-ce?”. Gosh, how we loved that game, and I think the French did too. Here’s a hilarious video I found of the “Guess Who International Tournament”.

Photo via rycat

Originally posted on April 13, 2009 @ 11:58 pm

Traveling with My Kids

By

I love traveling with my kids. Some parents shirk at the thought of it – and with good reason considering the amount of gear (snacks, toys, diapers, medicine, extra clothes, bottles, strollers etc) you have to take along for the journey, not to mention the pressing need for child-friendly accommodation, food and activities at the destination. But call us crazy, because since they were very little, my husband and I have taken our kids everywhere, from the Costa Brava to Bali, where we went last year when little Wills was just 5 months-old. Ok, so we have a LOT of luggage, and are lucky if we get any rest on the plane/train/car, but what we do have are great memories for the entire family.

Admittedly, with three children now, it’s not easy as it was when we just had Nat. It was a breeze with her alone (Paris), and not too bad either when Ollie came along and we took them both to Koh Samui. But now with Wills a toddler, things have gotten more challenging. Take our widely anticipated trip to Disneyland in February to celebrate Nat and Ollie’s birthday. In a terrible twist of fate, a week before the trip, I got a letter from Nat’s school, saying there was an epidemic of gastro going around the school. The next day, she promptly had the worse case of gastroenteritis she ever had, and although she got better just in time for the trip, both boys had caught it just as we left. Which meant an extra stroller, re-hydration drinks, extra sets of clothes and lots and lots of diapers. Not a big deal compared to the tears we had to deal with when they couldn’t have the creamy Mickey-shaped ice cream or french fries at Disneyland. But in spite of all that, the kids never remember the bad bits (like when our flight was cancelled on Boracay island and we had to spend the night in a really really dreadful hotel), and get very excited when we tell them we are planning our next trip.

In two weeks, we are going on our next family holiday to visit my husband’s elderly Father in Sri Lanka. He moved to the picturesque town on Galle in the South (far away from the war, thank goodness). He’s a great man, eccentric and full of amazing stories, but does not have the most child-friendly set-up – so it should be interesting!

Next- my top packing lists!

Photo via Activities4AllKids

Originally posted on May 19, 2009 @ 2:30 am

School Germ Alert!

By

germsTwo weeks ago I got an ubiquitous letter from my daughter’s school warning of a mini-epidemic of gastroenteritis going around. It listed the symptoms and how to keep it away (washing hands, etc) – okay, thanks. As if you can say that to a 6-year-old and expect them to remember to wash their hands in between the playground and lunch break! Unlike us Mums who have a keen awareness of germs and potential carriers (if I see someone coughing at the bank I immediately run for cover and whip out the antibacterial gel), kids just don’t notice these things and find it extremely difficult to stop touching things and (horrors) put their hands in their mouth.

Well, I did what I could. I gave them spiel about the germs and the hand washing, pumped them with vitamin C and hoped for the best. As fate would have it, on the night of baby Will’s 1st birthday party, Nat came to our bedroom at midnight and promptly vomited. It wasn’t too much birthday cake, cookies or lasagna as I hoped, because she couldn’t hold down anything for the next 24 hours. She then came down with a fever, had diarrhea, and for the next few days just lay on the sofa, totally miserable. Classic symptoms of gastro.

What’s worse is that we had planned a trip to Disneyland for their birthdays and it was just a few days away. And just as we were considering canceling the whole vacation, she got better. But then her brother got it, then the baby got it. And this was after I had lysol-ed my house like a madwoman! Luckily, the boys had a much, much milder version, and were pretty much their normal selves apart from a bit of runny tummies for a few days.

Now back from our great holiday (boy, did we narrowly miss disaster because of these school germs), my daughter came home from school today with ANOTHER letter, this time saying that there is a cold virus going around the school. HELP!!

Apparently, some schools and parents have taken the matter into their own hands, with things like the Germy Wormy and the Sniffle Sleeve. Good on them. Worth mentioning at the next PTA meeting I think.

Photo via Gotta Be Mobile

Originally posted on February 13, 2009 @ 7:39 pm