Jet With Kids

I smile when I think of all the mothers across the world awake at all hours of the night- taking full advantage of the quiet, uninterrupted time when the rest of the family sleeps.  This time is filled with a variety of tasks and maybe even a bit of relaxing (well - not usually).  Motherhood demands sacrifice.  Sure it is filled with rewarding moments- but let’s be honest about the other part of it.  I notice that the word mother includes the word “other” instead of “me”.  And that is true of so many aspects of parenting.

 I look at how this has applied to my passion in life - travel. My husband and I were world travelers before we met.  Then we joined our “itineraries in life” and decided we better make a “list” of places we wanted to visit before we had kids, since so many people told us we wouldn’t travel once we became parents. So we made the list.  Fun, exotic and adventurous - the list was my security blanket ensuring that life was still about “me” or now “us”.

Thailand, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Australia - we lived for our next trip.  And that trip meant freedom to me.

As I was preparing for a trip to Japan and Singapore- the unthinkable happened.  A positive pregnancy test.  For most people married 7 years, this would have been a natural progression.  But I hadn’t finished my list! With an international trip in my near future, I realized something.  I already was a parent! As a pregnant woman - this baby would be accompanying me to Japan, stopping in China, and going on to Singapore.

Then it hit me.

I was soon going to be the passenger that nobody wanted on the plane. 

And I didn’t want to be that passenger - the one with the screaming baby or tantrum throwing toddler!

Yet, I was not going to give up travel for children. And I was committed to this baby from the moment I discovered I was pregnant.

So the long nights of research began. Could I travel when I was pregnant? Was it safe? What could I eat? Were there any precautions I should take while flying? What if I needed medical attention while overseas?  Was sushi off limits?!?

And then for the future trips -

Should I buy a seat for my infant? What stroller was the best to travel with? Could I breastfeed on the plane? Does my baby need a passport? How do you get a baby to sit for a passport photo? What should I bring in the carry on? Oh my - how do you get through security with all the “stuff” and a baby?

I began to look up my old contacts at the airlines (I used to fly multiple times per month commuting to Mayo Clinic in MN as  a CA nurse). I called Vicki, the airline gate agent here in Sacramento.  I asked her for any little tip to make it easier to fly with a baby or toddler.  I asked her what parents did that drove her and the other gate agents crazy?  I then asked her for her contacts who were flight attendants  - and asked similar questions.  What did parents bring on flights that seemed to work well to keep kids happy?  What advice did they have for new parents?  This led me to pediatricians - asking what I needed to know about taking a child on an airplane. I wanted to know the reason for ear pain and what I could do to help a screaming baby? I then asked parents who traveled with kids what their best tips were - what the best products were and if they enjoyed traveling with their kids?

One piece of advice cemented my future.

One couple said, “Don’t listen to those who tell you that you can’t/won’t travel with kids.  You CAN travel with kids - AND enjoy it.  However, it is a different kind of trip and this is what you will have to prepare for.  As for those who are negative about traveling with kids- you will find that those same people do not travel themselves!”

And that is exactly how my life as a traveling parent began.  With these tips, experience, and preparation - I can tell you that my husband and I have enjoyed every single trip that we have taken with our son who was born almost 4 years ago.  In fact, we enjoy it so much that I have chosen to make it my career!

With all my research and experience, I discovered so many little details and products that make it easier, more convenient and safer to travel with children.  I decided long ago to make a difference for other parents who also were unwilling to give up their “list” but were overwhelmed by the many changes the addition of kids added to travel.

With this information- I began parenthood.

As a mother, I was not willing to give up my passion for travel. Instead I learned to mold it to fit my role as a mother.  What is amazing about this “adventure” is how it led me to what I believe is my calling in life. Combining my roles of a mother, nurse, and traveler- I now meet with travel experts, inventors of travel products and services, medical organizations, media, and attend travel shows as well as teach travel classes to help parents and grandparents to prepare for successful travel with young children.

The best realization came when I realized that traveling with a child does not limit us - it instead has made our travel more meaningful as we meet more local people. 

The Italian gelato workers who called my son by name and the waiter who blew bubbles in the pizzeria to the delight of my 2 year old son- these people are one step past exploring the museums and tourists sights of a foreign country. 

Becoming familiar with Italian baby food or German diaper cream has led to some great finds! I also never realized what great parks there are in Heidelberg, Germany or Vienna, Austria or how much fun it can be to explore Hyde Park in London with a toddler. 

Traveling with children forced us to slow down and really immerse ourselves in the culture- we lived daily life there and had access to the culture on a personal, family level. 

On this Mother’s Day - I am thankful for the opportunity to explore the world with this new, unique perspective.  Yes, there is sacrifice to motherhood.  However, through this sacrifice I was blessed with the keys to a richer, more fascinating level of travel  I had been unaware of prior to parenthood.

Happy Mother’s Day -

May your parenting journey be blessed with enriching experiences and a unique outlook on the opportunities motherhood is presenting you!

When I packed (wearing shorts in Sacramento) for this trip to Minnesota last week it was SNOWING and 27 degrees at our Midwest destination.

We arrived - it was cold and windy.  Then we had a huge wonderful thunderstorm.  Today it is 80 degrees and sunny. Thank goodness for layers.

My 3 year old is having the time of his life getting dirty on my parent’s farm and in my mom’s  garden. 

He is learning more than a book could ever teach him as he sees the night sky light up with lightning and hears the cracks of thunder (and asks if that is “rocks” making that noise).  It was better than a story book, when he watched the electric company workers fix the transformer that was actually hit by that lightning and knocked our electricity out (and half of the county!).

Today the sky is so clear and the birds are singing like they cannot believe it may finally be spring!

My son has sat in every farm tractor and truck three times and pretended to be a “worker” as his eyes lit up with imagination.

Our trips to Minnesota are always sentimental for me. Great memories of my childhood - and now observing my “city kid” son as he learns volumes of information about farm life and growing up in the country and becomes acquainted with his 6 cousins who live in the area.

Giving a child the gift of travel means opening their eyes to other aspects of life and then helping them adapt to it as another acceptable way of life. 

It also means spending more quality time with my child as I realize that the dial up connection at the farm is not worth the agony it will cause me as I compare it to DSL.  This translates into less time at the computer and more bonding time with my son!

These trips are memorable in many ways for me. From snow to humidity to thunder and lightning, this “education” is more than I could ever provide for my child in a classroom.

You may not hear from me for a few days again - heading back to the farm (had to work a few hours “in town”  at the University with DSL access). I am anxious to see what stories my son has to tell me today as he is spending the day with “Oma” (grandma in German) and “Gramps” as a “worker”.  His smile was huge as I drove out of the yard waving goodbye. And I am sure he will sleep good tonight after all that fresh air, physical work, and hearty meals.

This is why I love travel. And why my career is to help make travel a reality for parents with small children.  The trip doesn’t need to be extravagant to be fantastic and memorable. And putting off travel until the kids are older means missing out on these incredible moments.

Yes, the economy is on people’s minds.  So maybe that big trip is going to be postponed. How about enjoying some simple family time in a unique environment? Get away from life as you know it and you may be surprised at how rewarding vacation really can be!

Today is Take Our Daughter and Sons to Work Day.

As you may know, my son is at my side when I am working at 37,000 feet.  We fly multiple flights per month to review products, services, and tips, to meet with travel gurus and writers, doing media stuff, attending travel shows, and meeting with vendors and touring manufacturing facilities - researching all that has to do with traveling with kids!

As you can see in this photo, he is “serious” about our work - and studies the safety cards intently!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24243774/

Here are 6 tips from Jet With Kids when combining business and family:

With all the changes lately with the passport, it’s not surprising that many people are intimidated by application/renewal process.  Here are two helpful tools for figuring out what forms or what type of passport are needed. Yes, that’s right - there is now a passport card and a passport book.  http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/ppt_pptCard.pdf

 However, if you are reading my blog - let me make it really simple - you need the passport book.

 The passport card is NOT allowed when traveling by air across US borders.

 If you are in the process of applying for a passport book and are confused about what forms are needed - check out the passport wizard! http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html

 Just a reminder - ALL passengers leaving the United States (crossing the border by air) are required to have a passport book to board the plane. YES, this means even the youngest infant.  My 3 year old son flies with a passport photo that was taken when he was only 6 months old and the passport is still good for another two years.

 An Itinerary For Everyone

A few years ago as I packed for our European vacation, my sister reminded me of a valuable tip. She said, “Make sure that everyone traveling with you and someone at home has a copy of your itinerary.” She then told me about how her and her husband were almost separated when their train in Germany departed before she was completely on board.

I thanked her for the tip, reassuring her that everyone in our traveling party did indeed have a copy of the itinerary - printed small enough to fit in a wallet and a full blown copy in my folder.

Arriving in Munich after dark, we were greeted with a blast of cold air as we took the train into the city of Munich to our hotel. Prepared every year for the cold, beautiful wintry scenes of the German Christmas Markets, I had packed all that was needed to keep us warm and cozy.

Right before we got to our station, my husband grabbed my backpack and said he would take care of the luggage if I got the stroller. (The trains in Germany don’t wait for anyone - this is why they are wonderfully on time and dangerously efficient!)

Thinking that was a good idea, I jumped off at the stop and quickly got the stroller down with my sleeping 18 month old son all bundled up with blankets. Wow - that breeze in the train station was cold!

 I turned to mention this to my husband and our friend - and gasped as I saw the doors closing and an elderly woman with her luggage in the way of them getting off of the train! Disbelief sunk in as a I watched the train take off at high speed and the quiet of the empty, cold station sunk in.

Well - what to do? I knew that somehow they would make their way back to me - but when? It was getting later and it was our first time in Munich.  Should I go to the other side where the train comes in? Should I go to our hotel? Wait a minute - I don’t have any idea where our hotel is - because my itinerary was in my backpack! The backpack my husband lovingly wanted to carry for me…. and now that was with him as well as all my money, my passport, and any hope I had of making it alone in a foreign city!

Deciding to stay right where I was, I looked enviously at my bundled son and tried not to shiver (I had left my gloves, hat and scarf in my backpack). Actually, I tried not to cry.

When you arrive in Europe, you have already traveled far and long.  Between the cold and the tiredness seeping in my bones, came the realization that I had not a clue how long it would take for them to come back to me. I was glad that before we got off the train, we all knew what station it was that we wanted - that way I knew my husband at least knew how to get back to me!

 On my husband’s end - he knew that I was independent enough to be ok, so he did not panic.  However, the next station was a dark, outside platform and he wasn’t sure that the train would be stopping at that one going the other direction - so he chose to go to the next main station.

Lucky for us, it was the very next stop and he quickly was on his way back to me. (Well, it didn’t seem very quick to me standing in the cold - trying to polish up my German enough to ask for help if needed.)

SO - lesson learned. I share this lesson so it won’t happen to you.  Yes, everyone needs a copy of the itinerary - and they need to carry it on their person! NOT in a bag that can be handed over to someone else without thought.

And good idea to carry small amount of money in the correct currency for immediate use in situation’s like this or if my husband needed to take a taxi back to me.

Keep everyone in your traveling party aware of what hotel, what train station, etc. Have an emergency plan for situations like the above. Where will you meet?

It is quite common for one person to navigate and the other to care for the kids and follow. However, it is essential that each adult and even children in their teenage years to be aware of their surroundings. This is another reason I like everyone to carry cell phones (which we now do)! Many international countries are not as convenient as ours - keep that in mind when planning and making an emergency plan. Many small European villages do not have taxi service in the village or late at night. And there are not 24 hour stores like we have here around every corner.

OK - getting off topic on that one - but just keep that itinerary lesson in mind!