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Community Corner

See The World But Don't Forget to Pack The Kids

Summer is over, which just may mean great travel deals for your family

You might think that now that summer is officially coming to a close, it is time to pack away any thoughts of traveling with the family, at least for a while. But actually, it is a great time to think about getting far far away.

According to a recent poll conducted by Travelocity and TakingtheKids.com, if money were no object, families would take their kids farther from home. Of the 1500 people polled, more than a third of those said they wanted their kids to experience a foreign city and 27 percent said they’d go to Europe.

Nearly as many want to go to Hawaii. Eleven percent wants to see exotic wildlife, though only 5 percent said they’d take the kids to Africa, even fewer to Costa Rica or the Galapagos Islands.

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What people don’t realize is that traveling in the fall or at other times of the year could save them enough to make the trip more doable than waiting for traditional travel times or when school is out. According to Travelocity, families can save as much as 40 percent when traveling to Europe over Thanksgiving than over the summer.

Using home exchange programs is another great way for families to save on their lodging. Websites like www.luxehomeswap.com or www.homeexchange.com make home swapping simple.

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Hawaii, still struggling from the drop in Japanese tourism over the past year because of the tsunami, has many deals going right now especially for people traveling before Christmas or after New Year’s. Maui’s newest luxury resort the all-suite, Honua Kai Resort & Spa has just announced 50 percent off published rates and a fifth night free through December 22 (excluding Thanksgiving week).

Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen in Mexico offers all the amenities of a resort in a fun Riviera Maya beach town. They are offering half-off deals through Oct. 31 and up to 35 percent off up through December 22nd.

But for many, it isn’t necessarily just the cost preventing them from traveling with the kids to far away places. It’s not having the know-how to navigate the logistics of doing so. Keeping children occupied on long plane rides are amongst the highest of the anxiety-producing thoughts that parents encounter when considering a trip with their kids.

Slow Travel website contributor Kathy Wood recommends making travel fun for children on long trips. She put together a “fun bag” for her daughter on long airplane trips or car rides. The bag included several books (related to the area they were visiting), coloring supplies, music and earphones.

Wood also recommends choosing outings that will intrigue children like local zoos, riding, taking different forms of local transportation, and avoiding long tours or extended stays in museums and churches. Wood has found that some museums or historical sites especially in England offered a special children’s guide or children’s activities.

Local Petaluma Mom Ashley Dileo-Salazar and her husband, Carlos, have traveled to places such as Brazil and Vietnam with their son, Mateo, who just turned five.

"We love traveling with our kids.  I would never not go somewhere because of my kids. Just today, Mateo was telling me how he saw Ho Chi Mihn and it was so cool because it looked like he was glowing.  They (children) add to the adventure!" said Dileo-Salazar.

Dileo-Salazar also recommends the following tips to keep travel with little ones a positive experience for all:

Packing

  • Pack light- no more than one week's worth of clothes.  While in Brazil for a month, Dileo-Salazar had one large bag for her, her husband, and son, plus two carryons, a backpack, and stroller.
  • Carry on bags- be prepared for worse case scenarios (stranded at airport, sitting on tarmack, etc). Carry the following kids meds:  tylenol/ibuprofen, benadryl, band aids, neosporin.  Also extra wipes, diapers and formula.  For older kids, let them pack their carry on bag- it's part of the adventure, but remind them, they have to carry it.  
  • Wrapped airplane presents and special treats.  
  • Leave the carseat- Dileo-Salazar believes "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"  and didn't pack a carseat when traveling to South America or Asia.  If renting a car, perhaps you'll want one, but if not, skip it. 
  • Lightweight stroller and backpack.

Flight

  • DVD player only if plane does not have personal entertainment system, which most do.  Check the airlines.
  • For babies, make sure you have something for them to suck on during take off and landing.  Older kids, teach them how to pop their ears, or gum.
  • Benadryl- depending on how your child reacts, this can be a life saver.  A little bit can calm them down, soothe their ears, and help them sleep on long flights.  A 15 hour flight over the pacific is really no time to let them scream it out.
  • Get up, walk around, go visit the pilot if you can
  • Bottles with disposable liners

Trip

  • Get your kid pumped up about the trip. Show them on a map where you are going!
  • Remember they are on vacation too!  Eat ice cream everyday afterall, it's vacation!
  • Be flexible- strollers/ carriers are great places for naps.  Kids can rest but adults can keep going!  
  • Check with tour companies for family friendly options, for example, shorter or less treacherous hikes.
  • Keep the memory alive- take LOTS of pictures.  Remind them of their experiences.  They remember more than we give them credit for.  
  • Get something special that they will always have.
  • Let them explore, but watch them like a hawk.  Don't be afraid to scare them a little about what can happen if they do not stay with you.
  • Food- encourage them to try local foods.  chances are, there will be something they will like.
  • Check with the CDC and your pediatrician for any special vaccinations.
  • Drink bottled water.  Always.

For families like the Salazar's traveling and planning a next trip hasn't stopped with even with a baby. Having just returned to Petaluma from a trip to Hawaii, the Salazar's are already thinking about China.

"We had planned to go to Nepal for our 10 year anniversary. Now with the baby, we've decided to postpone mainly because of immunizations and altitude in the Himalayas but will still go one day. We may do China instead."

She says she was inspired by a European family she met in Asia who were traveling with three small children.

"I think they have a very different mentality about including kids than Americans do. Bottom line, with good planning and flexibility, it's a blast." 

The savings are out there, the how-to information available, so while summer may be over, the fun of seeing the world with your family can just be getting started. 

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