Article by Debra Fortosis
I know. When you did that wild jaunt through Europe after college graduation, you never dreamed you’d be lugging kids on a family vacation a mere ten years later. But here you are facing the daunting task of planning a family vacation during which no homicides or accidental deaths will take place. Great family vacations exist but they require some wise and careful planning. Here are a few tips that should help.
1. Attitude is important. If you’re walking around irritated, mean, and stressed out, your kids are likely to catch the same feelings. It’s simply the nature of life on this planet for things to go wrong. Expect it and see it as only another obstacle to overcome in your great travel quest. If a crisis, small or large, develops, let one adult work on solving the problem while the other keeps the kids happy. I repeat, do not panic.
2. Be prepared. Baby wipes are invaluable, even with older kids, to wipe up messes. Bring a small container of mild laundry detergent to wash out clothing stains in the hotel sink. There are a hundred uses for Ziploc bags of various sizes. Bring medications of your choice such as children’s Tylenol, cough syrup, pepto bismol, or prescribed meds. If you don’t mind using Benadryl, it can be useful in enabling the kids to sleep while traveling. Choose toys that tend to keep kids engrossed for long periods in a limited space. Also, bring crayons, non-messy markers, and coloring books or paper. Bring books the kids can read or that you can read to them. If possible, bring some great kids’ audio books or a miniature video player.3. A peaceful journey. If possible, consider the kids’ schedule when planning the trip. Plan the trip so that an hour or two into it the kids’ naptime arrives. That can give you at least an hour or so of peace. Even better, if you don’t mind the red-eye, book your travel or plan to drive overnight so that the kids will sleep most of the way. As you may know, amazingly light and compact strollers are available. So if you have toddlers, bringing a stroller can be an incredible time saver and prevent you from pulling out whatever hair is left on your head.
4. Resign yourself to the fact that family vacations must be designed, not primarily for you, but for the kids. Until the kids grow up, your chief satisfaction on vacations may be to enjoy the excitement and fun your kids are having. So forget the boring museums, art galleries, cathedrals, quaint architecture, majestic landscapes. These will have your kids either bored stiff or wailing within minutes. If you do a little research, you’ll be amazed at how many kid’s attractions there are besides Disney World. I’ll save the long list for a future article but here’s a short list of kid-friendly activities from two cities on opposite coasts. New York’s Central Park: Horse-drawn carriage rides, Heckscher Playground, lake boating, Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, Central Park Zoo/Tisch Children’s Zoo, Belvedere Castle Nature Center.San Francisco: Hands-on Bay Area Discovery Museum, Zeum Museum for kids, Hershey Factory, Morris Planetarium, Underwater World, San Francisco Zoo, and Alcatraz.
5. As your kids grow older, even young teens will hate trooping around everywhere with their younger sibs. Try to take vacations that have attractions for both younger and older kids. Also, you may want to choose a well-behaved friend of your older child to come along. Believe it or not, one vacation that sometimes has programs for both younger and older kids is cruise lines. Check out the different cruise lines. Some of the programs are quite good and keep kids busy for large chunks of the day.
If planned well, family vacations can produce some of the greatest memories and the funnest times of all. Hope this article helps to that end.
About the Author
Debra Fortosis is a professional travel agent. You can book travel on her user friendly website. She can even help you easily launch your own turnkey e-travel business.Book Travel: http://www.mndgetaways.comContact Debra: mndgetaways@comcast.net
Kids by a Flooded Road
Image by uncultured
In August, Dhaka City experience some heavy flooding. The worst affected were on the outskirts of the city – slum and rural living conditions meant many people’s home were flooded. I was taken these photos from a wet sandbag – parts of the road were already flooded. Some kids came to see what I was doing and stood up on the sandbags next to me.
tinyurl.com funny show clip, from wkuk
Diya07 says:
wow!!
March 14, 2011, 9:21 pmC00LMotion says:
Slavery gets shit done.
March 14, 2011, 10:18 pmgfhnk says:
@luisitogangster THATS FUCKING DUMB BRO, REALLY DUMB!!
March 14, 2011, 10:21 pmshredtildeath777 says:
@luisitogangster Its proven that 53% of african slaves came willingly too,because the difference between slavery in the U.S and africa was we housed and fed them.not the best treatment f course it was better.
March 14, 2011, 10:39 pmluisitogangster says:
@hanson611 its not my fault niggers are the way they are
March 14, 2011, 11:22 pmSayonaragahajimaru says:
First of all, it’s a joke. They’re not being serious in this video and if you can’t tell that, you’re dumb. Second, the Enlgish stole the idea of slavery from the Africans. They did exactly what they were doing to each other, dominating. So, little history lesson there. Third, you’re not slaves, you never have been. You weren’t alive when slavery was around. Stop complaining about what your ancestors went through, because just like me, you have no idea. It’s a joke, nothing more.
March 15, 2011, 12:04 amallykat69 says:
guys guys dont fight thats what the niggers want, we already own them its good enuff just let them kill themselves so wecan watch on 1st 48 and i guarentee all your lawnmowers will be in the same spot you put it yesterday. anyways as for you fuckin monkeys dont act tough on here cuase ill do to you what my family before me did and just fucking own you,and i dont fucking hide from u apes it would be my pleasure to get hair on my fists but im too lazy to post pics and yadda yadda
March 15, 2011, 12:11 amhanson611 says:
@luisitogangster You should be shot in the eyes
March 15, 2011, 12:51 amTheMegaJuniorC says:
No lawnmower for daddy
March 15, 2011, 12:52 amThrashEagle says:
Hahahahaha!
“Dear Danny….. SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
March 15, 2011, 1:46 amkungfuguy12345 says:
- I’m black this is funny as hell, they’re my favorite people and who ever racist on here has no life =/
March 15, 2011, 2:29 amAyyoItsJayBro says:
@luisitogangster Seriously? That’s you’re excuse for slavery? “You’re welcome black people for the decades of slavery, but look at it this way, now you can watch TV whenever you want!” Fuck you, you ignorant fuck. I’m sure you want to extend your best wishes to them for torturing and killing all the blacks that could read and write? Before you decide to leave a useless comment on youtube while hiding behind a computer screen at least try to self edit yourself.
March 15, 2011, 3:09 amminahminah15 says:
@luisitogangster what makes you think black ppl wanted to be shopped in disgusting slave ships then put throw 200 years of slavery then be freed only to suffer racism and discrimination and live in the modern world wth inequalities
March 15, 2011, 3:30 amfirmclock says:
What does a Black man and an ambulance have in common? They both get loaded from the rear and go whoo-whoo!
March 15, 2011, 4:26 amdancingrl212 says:
@luisitogangster i think that black people would have been happy with their own selves in Africa.
March 15, 2011, 4:53 amjxadger says:
@He101A he gay pussy ass bitch fck ur dumbass honkey
March 15, 2011, 5:36 amHe101A says:
Hahahahahahaha, lol. A nigger will always be a nigger.
March 15, 2011, 5:56 amnewfieballer1 says:
we will kick your ass so fucking hard candy will come out of it
March 15, 2011, 6:36 amwalker4651 says:
@luisitogangster what ethnicity are you?
March 15, 2011, 7:06 amerrolroug says:
@luisitogangster lmaothis is officially the most ingnorant comment i have ever seen
March 15, 2011, 7:30 ampsward23 says:
this is the whitest kids u know. it’s a joke. chill out and quit being so sensitive
March 15, 2011, 7:56 amMecaDope says:
Lo-fuckin-L is the only way to describe this video
March 15, 2011, 8:02 amjdawgy87 says:
Black people.
March 15, 2011, 8:25 amCaelanDJones says:
@svensvensvensen honestly bro? Get over yourself the world would in all seriousness be a better place without you.
March 15, 2011, 8:51 amCaelanDJones says:
@luisitogangster sthu
March 15, 2011, 9:11 amluisitogangster says:
black people should be greatful of white people because if it wasnt for them, you would have never been here in the us, they were the ones that brought you here, was slavery long ago worth it today now that you have everything. just saying
March 15, 2011, 10:06 am