With summer almost here, many families are planning a family getaway. Traveling with kids can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit trying for parents, particularly when the kids are small. Small children often have very short attention spans, and they’re not able to become absorbed in reading a book for instance, to while away several hours of a trip. Trips are hard on kids of all ages, because most kids want to move around and do fun things. Smaller kids have the most difficult time with traveling though, because on short hour can seem like a whole day to them. So keeping them occupied while traveling can be a challenge.

There are many things you can do to help make traveling with kids a more enjoyable experience though. Some things work well for smaller children, while others are usually best for kids a little older. Most of the techniques we cover here are for traveling with kids in a car, but some of the tips can be used for air travel, trains or buses too.

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"Are we there YET?" You’ve heard this for the thirteenth time in three minutes and you’re nerves are about to shatter. "No, honey – we’re a lot closer now than we were." Then you get the whines and the moans from the back seat. This is something that a lot of people have had to deal with during a vacation or other family trip. Long hours in cars and on airplanes do not mix with small children! They have short attention spans and their little brains are programmed to run, jump and climb like monkeys. They have no desire to sit for several more hours until you reach your destination.

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By Michelle Donaghey

Beaches-

For starters, a good choice is a Frisbee says Joni Jones of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This versatile toy can be used for games or just for throwing back and forth. Even one child can have fun with one, playing in the sand using it as a shovel. If it does get windy, keep away from the shoreline! Leave kites, baseballs and bats a home. A better choice for balls might be a beachball, but they have a tendency to blow away when the wind picks up.
It may be tempting to bring Fido or Fluffy, but the beach is not the place for a pet. Pets can pick up all sorts of problems if they drink the water or eat things left on the beach. Besides, most beaches have the rule that the pet must be leashed which isn’t much fun!
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Each year one thing we all look forward to is the family holiday; whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, 4th of July or Hanukah, getting the family together for a holiday is always what makes it enjoyable and memorable. With both Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner many families are thinking of traveling. While family holidays can be stressful they can also be fun and enjoyable and create memories that last a lifetime. Here are some thoughts on family holidays.

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A family vacation is a great opportunity to unwind after a lot of hard work or school. Your children will love to go on an adventure trip for the summer and you will enjoy spending some quality time with your family in a beautiful setting. However, with the increasing cost of airfares and lodging, many people feel they can no longer afford to go on vacation. The good news is that with a bit of extra effort, you can plan a budget family vacation that everyone will enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Start planning in advance.

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A Disneyland family vacation can be dream come true for almost any child. Your kid will be running from one attraction to another, playing with Disney Characters and having the time of his life. A Disneyland vacation is fun for the parents too: there are plenty of restaurants and entertainment facilities for adults.

Now with the special Disneyland family vacation package it’s easier than ever to take your kid to Disneyland. On the occasion of Disneyland 50 years anniversary, one child flies free and stays free for three days at Disneyland Resort Park.

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Here are some roles we will have for Parenting an Adult Child

I have not thought about it much, but our jobs as parents do not end when our child leaves the house. We still have our rols as parents. However, parenting an adult child does not mean babying an adult child. Parenting an adult child means that we, as Moms and Dads will still look after the best interests of their children into adulthood. Just because a son or daughter hits forty does not mean that they are to be abandoned or ignored. No matter what a son or daughter’s age may be, they still need the support a parent can provide. Read More

Editorial comment:As a child my family was too busy for an organized family vacation. In the fast paced life we have today we need to take more time for ourselves and our family. I don’t plan on letting the same thing happen to my new family. This article talks about the important of planning a trip as a whole family. That extra planning and participation can make trips more enjoyable for everyone and bring a family closer together. Well enough with my editorial comment, I hope you will enjoy the article.

A time for bonding. An enjoyable family vacation is a great opportunity to bond with your family and share some unforgettable experiences. It all begins with planning a family vacation together. The key to a perfect vacation is a good plan. If you do it the right way, the planning will be half the fun. Here are a few tips for planning a family vacation the best way possible.

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by Karen Sibal

It’s the most wonderful time of the year … and no, it’s not Christmas. It’s little Ashley’s or little Brendan’s birthday. And it’s crept up on you faster than you expected. Maybe you’re lucky and have a month to go before the big day, or perhaps you have just a few days. Nevertheless, your kid has begun the count down and has been relentlessly asking “Can I have a party, phuleeeeeese?! Read More

Editorial Comment: with summer here and families taking vacation I may be a little late in posting this article. Finding a vacation that we suite everyones needs is a daunting task indeed. Especially with a large family. I found this article that I hope will be of interest. It outline 5 places that are family friendly and have things to do that will suite a wide variety of interests. I hope you enjoy.

Planning a family vacation that will suit everyone’s taste is not easy. Generally the younger kid wants one to do one thing, the other wants to do another, while the parents have their own preferences. Keeping everyone satisfied may be difficult, but it’s not impossible.

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Local Activities For Kids 

Not every family can travel during spring break. And how many of us have truely explored our own local community. We live in Chattanooga, TN, and were amazed of all the local activities we could get involved in when we moved into the area. In Chattanooga we have great parks, a sea Aquarium, a small zoo, camping, and great views, especially from Lookout Mountain.

Like us, many parents may not be able to get the week off of work, or there just might not be enough money in the budget for a trip. But that doesn’t mean that your family can’t have some spring break fun. There are plenty of things that you can do locally as a family. These include:

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I remember when I was a kid. Life did not seem as hectic and busy as it does for my young son who is just starting school. As if the day-to-day activity of going to school isn’t enough, some children like mine will join clubs, a band, take karate, learn swimming, or join an organized sport such as soccer or baseball. Then you have to figure out a way of handling all those activities and still making sure your child gets their school work done. Here are a few tips and ideas that can help you make handling all those activities seem like a breeze, or at the very least a little bit easier.

• Make the family the priority. Yes, it’s true that as children go through their school years they will find more and more extra-curricular activities they would like to be involved in. Instead of allowing them to be involved in them all, tell them you expect them to be home to eat with the family. Your family is more important than any school activity.

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Welcome to the 37th Carnival of Family Life. Our family here at More4kids is very happy to be the host this week. Everyone is in for a special treat if you have not experienced a blog carnival before. The Carnival of Family Life is where people share their thoughts, stories and experiences on Family, Spouse, Children, Kids, Pets, Mom, Dad, or just about anything family related.  This weeks Carnival is informative, funny and inspiring. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this weeks festivities! 

Celebrations and Birthdays

We are going to start out with a very special celebration. Babylune, is an informational resource for women recovering from childbirth. It has just celebrated its first birthday this week. Remember any of these benchmarks from your own births? Congratulations as Kate celebrates Year One posted at Babylune.

Denise offers a fun family birthday tradition. A birthday present hunt. Read  I’m your birthday present. Can you find me? posted at Let’s play math!. Umm, I will have to try that on my sons fith birthday, it sounds like fun.  

Save money by making your own birthday cake. I think a homemade cake just makes a birthday celebration even more special. I really enjoyed this article. Stephanie shares her experience with making a homemade birthday cake for their daughters 5th birthday in Homemade Birthday Cake posted at Stop the Ride!. Happy Birthday! 

Family Stories

What did your family do this New Years? Laurie Bluedorn shares their story New Year?s Eve Party and a Contest For You! posted at Trivium Pursuit.

Everybody likes to talk about their family, especially if you have kids - but where do you draw the line when it comes to pictures, video, and even names? Rory presents Just How Far Should A Personal Blog Go? posted at hamelife.

Kelly, at Pass the Torch, shares the ups and downs of homeschooling after three months of the "experiment." in The homeschool experiment - three month review posted at Pass The Torch.

Does it pay to be a little bit sneaky for the benefit of your child? See what Christine did in Sometimes being a Sneaky Mom is a Good Thing! posted at arewethereyetmom.com.  

We often think about what we can teach out children, but what can they teach us? I often think about that. Looking at ways kids do things can often help us think ‘outside’ the box. That is why I especially enjoyed reading Lessons From My Daughter - Creativity posted at My Wealth Builder.  It reminded me of what our children can teach us parents if we open our minds a bit. 

While her husband does not understand why Lara likes to read and re-read books, Lara talks about her love for reading and passing this love to her children in Re-Reading posted at The Open Door.

Linda, aka TherapyDoc thinks and reflects about something that happened 14 years ago when her middle daughter cut school in Skipping School posted at  Everyone needs therapy? Lessons from a family therapist.

Tonya at There Is A Season shares with us this cute conversation with her youngest daughter in Conversations with Lu Lu 

Praveen’s son like to be read Little Bo Peep. Preveen ponders that it teaches the ideas of passivity, trust , and letting things take their natural course in Tao of Simplicity: Little Bo Peep - Taoist Nursery Rhyme? posted at Tao of Simplicity.

MamaDuck presents another episode in the life of her son Lil Duck in Why stickers before coffee are a bad, bad thing posted at Lil Duck Duck.

Activities, Arts and Crafts

So its winter, your kids are at home, bored, and going a bit stir crazy with being cooped up in the house. Melissa at Crafty Places gives us some "crafty and fun" ideas in Keeping Children Occupied During the Chill of Winter

Lori at Fun Play Dates shares a fun outdoor activity in Winter Outdoor Activity for Kids - Create a Great Angel Craft

Here is one mother’s attempt to duplicate her daughter’s imaginative time on an etch-a-sketch. Miscellaneous Mum presents Keira, artiste extraordinaire posted at Miscellanous Adventures of an Aussie Mum.  

I would have never thought of some of these uses for a sterilizer bowl! Erica Douglas presents 4 Alternative Uses For A Sterilizer posted at Littlemummy.Com.

Keeping your childs room clean and your house clean for that matter can be a daunting task for parents of young children. Hsien Lei gives us some great ideas in Cleaning Kid Clutter posted at Play Library.

Family Vacations

Darlene at Every One Loves To Travel offers some great family travel tips in her article Family Travel Tips - Let The Fun Begin

Winter vacations can be a great getaway. Silicon Valley Blogger presents her families vacation in Walking In A Winter Wonderland For $1,300 posted at The Digerati Life.

Joanne shares a ski resort vacation in About the Ski Resort posted at Vacationing With Kids.  

Health

Baby Jaundice is very important to diagnose early. Our youngest son born in June of this year had a touch of Jaundice. Everyone expecting a new one should read Lisa’s article on Jaundice posted at Let’s Talk Babies. 

Child and Family Safety

One of the biggest fears every parent has is to turn around and realize theat their child not be there. Local Girl tells about her experience which thankfully turned out ok in Where Did She Go? posted at An Island Life.

Is your family a priority and do you show it? Discover what matters most to you as Patricia presents What Matters Most: Lessons From A Tornado posted at A Better You Blog.

Laura Young presents a public service announcement to help keep you and yours safe in the New Year in her article In Case of Emergency: Cell Phone Tip for Paramedics posted at The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life.

 Our Furry Friends

This was a great post! It almost makes me want to buy some kittens to help around the house! See some photos of Chris’ kittents in Helping Out Around The House: A Kitten’s Guide posted at Author Chris Dolley’s Page.

A mom and dog lover, Karen presents The Slippers Tell All posted at Karen Shanley.

Help promote the Carnival of Family life:

In order to try and increase member participation through leaving comments, I’ll be giving away a $10 gift certificate that can be applied to a purchase of  one of our childrens personalized gifts at WWW.MORE4KIDS.COM to the person who visits (and comments on) the most submissions. You have all this week to make your rounds and the winner will be announced at the next carnival edition. Please include that you’re visiting through the Carnival of Family Life to help me keep count.

Last week’s comment contest  WINNER of a box of chocolate covered macadamia nut candy or a bag of Kona coffee is Desert Songbird (http://deserticebox.blogspot.com/index.html).

 The Carnival of Family Life has come to a close…….Thankyou from More4kids to all our readers and all the people who submited such great articles. From our family to yours have a safe and enjoyable week!

But I Don’t Know What to Say! In my childhood years, I don’t remember being touched by death. I don’t remember any classmates dieing or any of their parents dieing. Was I oblivious or were we just lucky? I guess I’ll never know the answer to that question. But I can walk through the halls of my children’s schools and see children from five different families whose fathers have died during their school years. When I take my daughter to cheerleading practice, we see a little girl whose mother recently died. And when we go to church, we see two girls whose father died a few years ago, and we see a mom whose ten-year-old son died last November. 

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by Michelle Donaghey

POOLS
Shimmering water, clear as a bell- that is heaven to dive into when the temperature is high. Whether it be the local park or a backyard, summertime is the time for these man-made water holes. Shimmering water, clear as a bell- that is heaven to dive into when the temperature is high. Whether it be the local park or a backyard, summertime is the time for these man-made water holes.Phone first and ask questions! Planning to visit a local pool? The rule is always phone-first. While the pool may have their hours listed, often they do not list when there swim lesson times are which coincide with their hours. Before your day is ruined because you went when lessons were going on, call. Besides, you can find out if they have lockers to rent or for free and much admission is. Also ask if water toys and or life preservers or water wings are accepted- some pools allow them while others may not.

At the pool
It’s a good idea to leave the purse in the car hidden from view. Buy a small money holder that hangs around your neck that you can put change in. Pin your car key into your bathing suit and mark your towel with your name with a laundry marker- your towel may be unusual to you, but at the pool, three other people may have the same towel. And don’t forget the sunblock! Diving boards are tempting to kids of all ages, but it is best for only kids who are good swimmers to use them. It also may be tempting for you to teach your kids to dive, but it is best left to the professionals. If you really want them to learn, find out about lessons. Children are not developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday according to the A.A.P. which also notes that whenever infants or toddlers are around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, providing "touch supervision." "Never leave children alone in or near a pool, even for a moment," says the A.A.P.

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