|
Vacationing, with Children Traveling with children will be a memorable event ? the question is "What kind?" Your chances of a lifetime memory you will cherish increase significantly with some advance communication and preparation. The book, Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever, outlines a five-step process you can apply to organizing any area of your life ? including traveling with children of any age. Make the children a part of the trip by letting them help you plan. Your children will enjoy the trip more if they feel they have some say about the agenda. Get books from the library, or do an Internet search, on the area you plan to visit. Give them some options of what to do and actually use some of their suggestions. Who knows? You may enjoy their suggestions more than you think. Portugal 2010: summer holiday booking guideTelegraph.co.uk - - Jan 27, 2010 Gill Charlton reveals the many charms of Portugal, one of the best-value countries in the eurozone. By Gill Charlton A number of Mediterranean specialists ... Portugal 2010: accommodation guide Telegraph.co.uk Explosives cache discovered at ETA hideout in PortugalEarthtimes (press release) - Feb 6, 2010 By : dpa Madrid/Lisbon - Around 500 kilogrammes of explosives have been uncovered at a suspected ETA hideout in the Portuguese holiday town of Obidos, ... Portugal suspects ETA moving in euronews ETA hideout discovered in Portugal Earthtimes (press release) Best for family breaks: PortugalIndependent - - Feb 5, 2010 We'd come to the Algarve to look for another side of Portugal's most popular holiday destination. For us, the area's traditional image – of men and women of ... WIN! A weekend for two in LisbonIndependent - Feb 6, 2010 ... national holidays of the UK and/or Portugal or traditional carnival celebration dates and is subject to availability of flights and hotel accommodation. ... Hamish McRae: Europe's weakest states will be bailed out, but we'll all pay ...Independent - Feb 5, 2010 Your interest holiday is about to end. We sensibly stayed out of the Euro which has helped us. Our big problem is that by an unhappy coincidence we hav ea ... Video: EU to monitor Greek debt measures 
Al Jazeera
TheFXSpot:Job Gains Prospects, ECB/BOE Decisions Keep Dlr Bid Market News International Portugal, China and Venice: Carol Smillie's dream holidaysDaily Mail - Jan 24, 2010 Our holiday home in Portugal. My husband Alex and I, plus our three children, visit as often as we can and know many of the families who have villas there. ... Europe's debt woes may leave D-St volatileEconomic Times - 5 hours ago This is because foreign institutions, which have been selling in the past couple of weeks, were largely absent because of the weekend holiday. ... Flames keep hope alive on 1000th missing dayLeicester Mercury - Jan 28, 2010 An emotional ceremony marking 1000 days since Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Portugal took place in her home village of Rothley ... NEVER GIVE UPMirror.co.uk - - Jan 29, 2010 It's that long since Madeleine McCann was abducted while on holiday in Portugal. It's that long - though it must seem like an eternity - that Kate and Gerry ... SLEUTH: I CAN FIND MADDIE Daily Star Madeleine McCann: Jack Dee, Harry Potter, Fiona Phillips And Danie Krugel's ... Anorak.co.uk (satire) Europe is still most popular destination for UK holidaymakersPR Web (press release) - Feb 6, 2010 ... further in countries such as Spain and Portugal this year. Sarah Munro, Post Office Head of Travel Money said: "The Post Office Worldwide Holiday Costs ... Portugal 2010: summer holiday booking guideTelegraph.co.uk - - Jan 27, 2010 Gill Charlton reveals the many charms of Portugal, one of the best-value countries in the eurozone. By Gill Charlton A number of Mediterranean specialists ... Portugal 2010: activity and specialist holidays Telegraph.co.uk Portugal 2010: accommodation guide Telegraph.co.uk Portugal 2010: getting there and around Telegraph.co.uk WIN! A weekend for two in LisbonIndependent - Feb 6, 2010 ... national holidays of the UK and/or Portugal or traditional carnival celebration dates and is subject to availability of flights and hotel accommodation. ... Taiwan not affected by Greece, Spain, Portugal debtsRadio Taiwan International - Feb 6, 2010 The market opened Saturday for a special session to make up for the Lunar New Year holidays. The market will close from Feb. 11 to 19. Portugal, China and Venice: Carol Smillie's dream holidaysDaily Mail - Jan 24, 2010 Our holiday home in Portugal. My husband Alex and I, plus our three children, visit as often as we can and know many of the families who have villas there. ... You're not alone if travelling aloneWinnipeg Free Press - Feb 6, 2010 I would like to go on two-week holidays to sun spots and extended holidays to Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand in the future. ... Why beans, gold and gun stashes make senseTimes LIVE - - Feb 6, 2010 It was as if, after their holidays, the big money managers sniffed the air and decided that last year's relief rally had run itself into the ground. ... PRECIOUS-Gold steadies near $1110, dollar and data eyedReuters - - Feb 3, 2010 Traders expected trading to remain lacklustre ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays. Spot gold XAU= inched up 0.1 percent to $1109.55 an ounce as of ... Gold steadies near $1110, dollar and data eyed Reuters South Africa Cheap Holidays to Turkey Risk Reputation with Price HikesHoliday News - Feb 2, 2010 With countries in the eurozone fighting to attract holidaymakers with price drops in important destinations in Spain, Portugal and Greece, Turkey risks ... Successfully juggle motherhood with a profitable MOLLY MAID franchiseThe Franchise Magazine - Feb 5, 2010 ... the MOLLY MAID travel incentives for three consecutive years. I have been rewarded with three all expenses paid holidays to Crete, Portugal and Antigua!" China vs Greece: Global economic threats to BritainDirector of Finance online (blog) - Feb 1, 2010 In a pre-euro world, the drachma would have been devalued, foreign holidays there would have got cheaper and the few companies that trade with Greece would ... Here is a guide to vacationing with children, using the 5 steps: 1. Design your vision. The first step to happy memories is good communication. Start scheduling family meetings to plan ? the earlier the better. At the first meeting, ask each member of the family to describe what he or she would like to have in order to have a wildly successful vacation. It's a great idea to put some structure into this discussion. Use a flip chart and have family members take turns recording answers. Subsequent meetings can be used to work out each of the next steps. 2. Eliminate your obstacles. Mark Twain is credited with saying "Progress starts with the truth." Certainly that applies in this situation. For example, some teens simply do not think it's "cool" to travel with mom and dad. If you want your teens to enjoy their travel experience, make sure you understand what they like and dislike. With young children, keep in mind "less is more." A swim in the hotel pool may be a much better choice than another two hours at the theme park. 3. Commit your time. There could be several issues here. If your teens are working, they may resent having to miss work ? or they may be delighted. In either case, find out their preferences, and see what you can do to accommodate them without jeopardizing your own needs. One of the issues likely to come up is the daily travel schedule itself. Young children need naps, teens may want to sleep late, while parents relish the idea of "getting an early start." Compromise is probably the best solution here. 4. Select your tools Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, one of the things my daddy taught me was "Half of any job is having the right tool." While you may think it's ridiculous to think about "tools" for a vacation, it is really essential. For example, if it is impossible to reach a compromise about the music on the car CD player, headphones for individual players could be a godsend! Tools can also include systems for the way you handle situations. One of the major keys to success in organizing any activity is focusing on individual strengths ? if one child is particularly adept at photography, make them the official family photographer, while another might be a great navigator. 5. Maintain your success At the end of each day, take a few minutes for a "Check-In" session. What was the best thing that happened that day? Why? How can we make sure we have more like it? What didn't work? Why? How can we eliminate the situation in the future? Make sure you use this process at the end of the vacation ? make some notes and put them in your GO System File (LINK HERE to http://productiveenvironment.com/index.asp?name= GO%5FSEMINARS&new=true&leftnav=true&lid=66) for next year's planning. Here are some general tips you can use to ensure a great vacation: ? Choose age appropriate destinations. This doesn't mean every trip has to involve a theme park or sports event; it simply means keep the trip's educational value at a level they can comprehend and appreciate. If your children's ages span a wide range, have at least one activity geared to each child. Picking a hotel with a pool can make a big difference! ? Lay the ground rules early. Before you even leave the house, make sure your children know what is and isn't acceptable behavior on the road. As elementary as this may seem, if you don't tell your children what you expect, how can they oblige? ? Let the children pack their own suitcases as much as possible. Make sure each child has a small carry-on bag for which they are responsible. Include things they can do on the road or in the air--a walkman and tapes, comic books, handheld video games, etc. ? Decide ahead of time about seating arrangements and make contingency plans in case requested seats are not available. ? Establish a meeting place at each stop. Nothing could be worse that having a child get lost in an unfamiliar environment. Whenever you visit a location, identify a spot where the family can meet if you happen to get separated, or carry cell phones or pagers. ? Carry current photos of your children. That way others can help you locate your lost child. If your child can tell time, make sure they take a watch! ? Pack a first aid kit. Face it. Kids will be kids. That means scraped knees, bug bites, and cuts and bruises. When traveling with children, always keep a first aid kit handy. ? Check for children travel specials. Pre-planning can save you lots of money. Many airlines, restaurants, and hotels offer discounts for children, whether it's a "kids stay or eat free" deal or a "half-off children's rate." Let Internet-savvy children put their mouse to work for a happier vacation. The most important thing to remember ? flexibility. Traveling with children of any age is always a challenge. Spend more time enjoying the precious memories you will be creating and less time fretting over what could go wrong. Keep your sense of humor in full swing and happy traveling. © Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com |
||
©2005 - All Rights Reserved