Comments ranged from the sympathetic…

“How do you expect families to visit relatives overseas without flying?  The on-board entertainment is so good these days and headphones are cheap enough that a crying baby could be blocked out.”

…to the downright harsh:

“Babies should be banned from planes, movie theatres, restaurants and any other public place for that matter. The rest of the world doesn’t think your kid is as cute as you do.”

The bottom line is, families with babies have just as much a right to travel as anyone.  Like it or not, aeroplane travel is an essential part of modern life. Experts suggest the obvious:  keep a dummy and bottle handy, get up off your seat and walk around–if you’re allowed to—learn to have a little patience.

But older kids are another thing.  Every kid has a bad day, and yeah, you may just be unlucky enough to sit next to Supernanny fodder.  Chair kicking, whining…who likes that?  The first thing to do is take a look at the parents.  Are they disciplining them?  Trying to entertain them?  If mum and dad are making a concerted effort, cut them some slack.  If they’re not trying to rein in their little gremlin, call in reinforcements.  Push the flight attendant button.  Hard.

It’s just not that dificult. But that’s my take on the topic; what’s yours?

Image:  boston.com

Friends are always asking me what I bring to occupy my toddler when we’re travelling on a plane or driving long distances. TravelKiddy is a website with fun, creative ideas on exactly that; their store sells travel kits packed with mini toys and easy crafts to occupy the smallest baby to the most active kid. With several sizes for different purposes, there is a travel kit that will work for your child. The BusyKiddy was created for kids to play with in restaurants, the miniKiddy is a small pack of toys to keep in your purse for emergencies and the ToddlerKiddy is for (yes, you guessed it!) toddlers. What’s more, each pack is tested by kids and parents for safety and entertainment value.

I tried the TravelKiddy age 3-6 on my daughter and it was a huge hit. She played with the kit at home on a rainy afternoon and there were so many toys we didn’t get through all the fun stuff in the cute, colourful travel bag. She was delighted by the small plastic animals, wind up ladybug, masks to colour, stickers, magnetic drawing board, colouring books, doodle pad, to name just a sampling of the included toys (in above photo). At $US29.95 it was worth every cent.

Take a look at all the travel kits at TravelKiddy, the ticket for travel fun, and read the travel blog for tips on travelling with kids here.

Box up their stuffed animals and send them on the trip instead. They’ll take photos of the toys in front of all the hot tourist spots, then send him home.

Think of it as Flat Stanley with their favourite stuffy. It’s a geography lesson, a cool story and what with it being legal to actually place a teddy bear in a box and mail it overseas, a heck of a lot cheaper than a family vacation.

The current plans range from 40 Euros on up to 150, with a host of offerings for your child’s best friend, including daily communication via e-mail so they can ensure Bunny is doing just fine on the other side of the world.

According to a number of reports, the idea was born from a viewing of the film Amelie, but you might remember it was all over the TV last year here in America on an AT&T commercial, too:

And lest your kids get antsy, there’s good news on the other end. Toy travelling Agency promises “a happy reunion with your friend who will have rested and be full of energy which it will be more than happy to share with you.”

Rested and full of energy? That’s definitely not mum or Dad after a vacation. Maybe it’s worth it to send teddy overseas. Right now he’s only hitting hotspots around Prague, but the company is promising to increase their coverage area soon. Would you send your kid’s best friend for the ride?

Image: Toy travelling Agency

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From Health.com:

“Car seats and car beds can result in mild respiratory compromise in about 20% of newborns,” explains lead researcher T. Bernard Kinane, MD, the chief of pulmonary pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston. “These safety devices should only be used for protection during travel and not as a replacement for a crib.”

Researchers studied 200 newborns in different sleeping situations:  hospital crib, car bed, and car seat.  They discovered that sleeping in a car bed or car seat reduced oxygen levels in newborns, with oxygen saturation dropped from 97.9 percent in a crib to 95.7 percent in a car seat.

The problem appears to be the car seat angle, but even if installed appropriately — which isn’t always that case — lead study author Dr. T. Bernard Kinane believes that a better design that allows the baby’s head to fall back would improve safety.

In the meantime, here are two things that concerned parents can do right now to reduce their baby’s risk:  Have your car seat installed or checked by a safety expert.  And use your car seat only for travel, not for napping and sleeping.

Photo: jessicafm, Flickr

Before you plan a Griswald summer road trip, check out this great book for family travel.

Packed with family-friendly destinations that will create lasting learning experiences for your children, Frommer’s 500 Places To Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up is an amazing resource. In it are cities, zoos, sports shrines, museums, castles, beaches, outdoor activities, and more.

Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that vacations no longer mean romantic Caribbean getaways for two, you’ll appreciate all the suggestions that this book has to offer. I’m almost there.

Yes, perhaps my plans for a peaceful 10-day family road trip through the scenic South Island of New Zealand with a two-year-old were a tad naive.

Starting out in Christchurch, we were to make our way into the centre of the island to visit the spectacular Lake Tekapo, then back to the coast and the city of Dunedin, via Oamaru.

Then we planned to head over to the wild west coast and the mountain-ringed towns of Te Anau, Milford, Wanaka and Queenstown, our final stop.

An easy itinerary for a couple of adults, sure. But I discovered that road-tripping with toddlers is a whole different kettle of fish. While we had a wonderful time overall, here are a few tips I’d give to any brave parent contemplating a similar holiday.

TAKE IT SLOW
Been for a walk with your toddler lately? They like to try on every pair of shoes before they go, then stop every two minutes to observe a snail or say hi to the postman. Being stuck in a carseat for more than a few hours a day is torture for a busy little person. Plan your trip you can keep driving to a minimum, and stop regularly for a run around (preferably away from crowded wharves).

FORGET ABOUT THAT NICE VINEYARD
Our trip became a whole lot more pleasant once I realised that we were actually on the Playground Tour of New Zealand. (My tip – Wanaka.) You might be able to wrangle a few wine tastings or a couple of short shopping trips, but most under 3’s won’t have the patience.

Instead, focus on activities the whole family can enjoy. We found the Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum to be a surprise hit, as well as the Skyline Gondola and Kiwi Haka show in Queenstown.

Don’t forget that small children are more likely to suffer from motion sickness. Consider this when planning any boat trips or scenic flights.

SHELL OUT EXTRA FOR A SELF-CATERING APARTMENT
Sure, a roomy apartment with a full kitchen may cost a few bucks more that a motel room. But your child is more likely to feel comfortable in a home-like environment. An apartment gives you the chance to put your child to sleep in another room while you stay up enjoying that fine Marlborough Sauvingnon Blanc. Having your own kitchen means you can be more flexible with meals and cut down on expensive restaurant bills. Being able to make your own toast at 6am before any local cafes are open sure has its advantages.

INVOLVE YOUR TODDLER IN PLANNING
A busy itinerary with a new hotel room almost every night can be very confusing for a toddler. Try making a calendar for the days of your holiday and cutting and pasting images of the scenery and activities of each location. If there is a choice of activities to do in each place, involve your child in the decision and add their choice to the calendar. Having an end date to the holiday may also make your child feel more calm about being away from home.

MAKE YOUR CAR AN ENTERTAINMENT HUB
Staving off toddler boredom will require all the weapons in your arsenal. You’ll need plenty of music – try dividing the amount of CDs you have by the amount of hours driving you’ll need to do. Believe me, you do not want to have to listen to the Bananas in Pyjamas more than twice a day. If you tire easily of children’s music, consider an audiobook. (Perhaps not American Psycho as narrated by Christian Bale).

Colouring-in books and pencils are always useful to have on hand and are a great distraction while waiting in restaurants. And you just can’t go past a good, old-fashioned game of I Spy.

USEFUL LINKS AND RECOMMENDED ACCOMODATION
Kids Friendly New Zealand

Driving New Zealand

Clarion Suites Wanaka

Top 10 Holiday Park Te Anau

Breakfree Highview apartments , Queenstown

I love travel ephemera, snow domes, vintage maps and especially those old school souvenir table clothes. Etsy maker Three Little Ladies has utilised the latter not as a table covering but has transformed the fabric into an adorable little girl’s skirt. This A-line number highlights American landmarks like Niagara Falls, Old Faithful and the Rocky Mountains. Check out this handmade piece of Americana here for $US26.

Despite the gloomy economic outlook, decreasing mortgage rates and petrol prices mean that families have a little extra cash in the piggy bank to spend this summer.

Cathy Wagstaff, editor of the Holidays with Kids website and magazine, polled Australian families for a 2008 travel survey. She says that despite a looming recession, people aren’t giving up their holidays. “They would rather put off their new car or household items. They’re still going to have their family holiday. If they had already booked a holiday they weren’t going to cancel it.”

And overwhelmingly, we are still choosing the beach. Queensland’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast topped were named the top two destinations in the Holidays with Kids survey, closely followed by the North Coast of NSW.

What is it about the coastline which appeals so much to the Australian psyche? It’s a common theme running through our art, film and literature, from the photographs of Max Dupain to the writings of Tim Winton and the plots of inumrous Television soap operas.

Ever since bathing was declared the favoured recreation of Sydney in the 1834 edition of the Sydney Gazette, Australian and international visitors descend upon the coast to surf, fish, swim, explore, and relax.

And having conqured Australia’s coastline, we’ve expanded overseas, first to Bali, then Fiji and now Thailand’s Phuket, currently the number one overseas holiday choice for families.

The way we travel though, has changed. Instead of the rented fibro shack, or tent pitched in the sand dunes, we are choosing flashy resorts with lagoon-style pools and kids clubs. Instead of the long journey in the clapped-out car, legs stuck to vinyl seats, dad puffing on cigarettes, we’re booking cheap flights on the internet. Even the humble caravan park has morphed into the “Holiday Park’ , replete with in-ground pools and games rooms stocked with the latest video game consoles.

But luxury accomodation aside, there is one thing that hasn’t changed. According to Wagstaff, her surveys show that the number one thing people want from a family holiday is to have fun with their children – and thats what the kids want as well.

The obvious starting point for a Tuscan vacation is Florence, where the surfeit of art — and other travellers — is mind-boggling. Pisa, too, with its iconic Leaning Tower and proximity to Aeroporto Galileo Galilei, Tuscany’s largest airport, is an inevitable stop. But the real challenge lies in deciding where to go after everyone has had enough of shuffling past nude Michelangelos and brushing shoulders with tour groups.

Our top five suggestions include a mix of cities and villages, five-star resorts and country homes. You can plan a whole vacation around any of these sites. Or, if your family is lucky enough to have a long stretch of time, you can create an itinerary that includes all of these locales. Believe it or not, a Tuscan trip with the kids can be as good as — or better — than the one you dreamed of before you started a family.

Lucca

Travel literature likes to talk up Tuscany’s hill towns, but little Lucca, which lies in the valley of the Apuan Alps, lives up to the hype. A compact city center of a few manageable sites, Lucca’s most family-friendly feature is that it is almost entirely closed off to cars. Bicycles — albeit older, single-speed types — rule the roads here, and an umbrella stroller wouldn’t be out of place, either.

Head to the tourist kiosk in Piazzale Verdi, where, at €2.50 per bike per hour, you can rent bikes for the entire family — bicycles equipped with baby seats are also available at no extra charge. With your transportation set, pedal from one piazza to the next. Or, take a spin on top of Le Mura, the city’s medieval fortifications that do double-duty as Lucca’s public parks and passegiata paths.

Staying overnight, when the city has been drained of its tour bus crowds, is the best way to do Lucca with kids. Hotel Ilaria, located along a canal near the Botanical Gardens, has wi-fi, satellite tv, and babysitting services, as well as free bikes to use during your stay.

Hotel Ilaria, suites from €180

http://www.hotelilaria.com

Tuscany: Runners-Up

Arezzo

The genius of Il Borro, a 2,000-acre country estate just a few miles from Arezzo, is that you can physically contain your kids without containing their enthusiasm. Owned by the famous Ferragamos, who redeveloped this vast Arno Valley lot to use as a family retreat, Il Borro includes farm land, complete with orchards, olive groves, sunflower fields, and vineyards; wilderness areas for mountain biking, horseback riding, and fishing; and an entire medieval village of shops, rentable apartments, and holiday homes.

While you’re sipping the latest vintage from the Borro’s cantina, your kids can play in the swimming pool or on the full-size soccer pitch. Resident artisans provide a full roster of courses, such as ceramic making, wood-turning, painting, and cooking, so your family has plenty of opportunities to spend some quality time together. But, should you wish to venture out to Arezzo’s antique market or to the Prada outlet in Montevarchi senza bambini , you can call in one of Il Borro’s team of babysitters.

Il Borro — 3 bedroom apartments start at €350

http://www.ilborro.it

Siena

The Palio horserace, a twice-yearly event on July 2 and August 16, is Siena’s biggest — and, arguably, most kid-thrilling — attraction, pitting a selection of Siena’s seventeen districts against one another in a breakneck derby around the main Piazza del Campo. But, unless you’ve got a masochistic need to herd your group through throngs of worked-up race fans, you’ll visit at any other time, when the shell-shaped piazza is a stage for flocks of pigeons, and, yes, handfuls of day-trippers.

Kids who are into Eragon but haven’t quite moved on to D&D will dig Siena for its moody, medieval feel, while the young ones will be able to make a game looking for the mascot of each neighborhood. Each district, or contrada, is represented by an animal, such as a tortoise or owl, or by something more nebulous, like a forest, which makes a simple family stroll through Siena’s cobbled streets more like a scavenger hunt.

Although the city has several worthy hotels within its borders, a holiday here is best when coupled with a stay in the Sienese countryside. Hotel Borgo Grondaie, located about a mile outside of town, offers comfortable apartments with kitchenettes and washing machines.

Hotel Borgo Grondaie, Apartment for four people start at €178

http://www.borgogrondaie.com

Collodi

It isn’t exactly Disney World — or EuroDisney, for that matter — but the Parco di Pinocchio is the spot in Tuscany to bring your grade schoolers, if only so they can commune with other kids their age. Pinocchio Park gets its inspiration from the world’s best selling children’s book, written by Collodi son Carlo Lorenzini. The original story about the mischievous puppet is a much darker tale than Walt would have us remember.

If you think your kids can handle encounters with grotesque, bronze sculptures, intimidating topiary, and original Pinocchio characters, such as the coffin-carrying rabbits and the great whale, then you’ve just bought yourself a few hours without the kids bouncing off the walls.

Located about halfway between Lucca and Florence, Collodi is ripe for a daytrip. But if you want to keep it local, head south to the spa town of Montecatini Terme. Hotel Columbia has discounts and amenities for kids and relaxation treatments for mum and dad.

Parco di Pinocchio:
http://www.pinocchio.it/old/uk/infouk.htm

Hotel Columbia, suites from €150 (or $205) per night

http://www.hotelcolumbia.it

Forte dei Marmi

When all else fails, you can always pack ‘em up and head to the beach. Forte dei Marmi isn’t just any beach, though. This seaside town on the sandy Riviera Versilia is like the Tuscan Hamptons, with a walkable downtown, fine dining, and prime people-watching.

Within sight of the colorful umbrella-dotted beach, Hotel Il Negresco is a godsend for parents who want to soak up the sun without having to worry too much about the kids. The hotel provides children with drawing kits, bike rentals, nighttime cartoons, and kid-sized portions at dinner. A swimming pool and a supervised play area also keep them busy. Adults are treated well, too, with amenities like an outdoor Jacuzzi and discounts at the local golf club. You can even have the concierge call in a local nanny — for an extra €25 per hour. This place is like the Hamptons, after all.

Hotel Il Negresco, sea view rooms start at €290

http://www.hotelilnegresco.com/en/index.html

But, given that the oldest of my five children has autism, and is unlikely to ever be able to handle a typical kids' club, I've assumed for a while that dream will never come true.

I should never have underestimated the travel and tourism industry, however.  Not when Americans with disabilities spend $13.6 billion every year on travel.

Resorts designed for kids with special needs are sprouting up all over the place.  Alumni Cruises offers "Autism on the Seas" trips, designed to make cruising with autistic children easier and enjoyable for everyone.  Situations that might be stressful to autistic kids – such as lines, muster call and meals in formal dining rooms – are either done away with entirely or re-shaped to make them more tolerable.  Autistic kids are even welcome in the kids' club, where staff members are specially trained.

Cruising not your thing?  Adam's Camp runs summer programs for kids with disabilities in Colorado and Nantucket, and hopes to add more sites to handle increased demand.  Smuggler's Notch Resort in Vermont also offers adaptive programs for people with special needs.  Many ski resorts have lessons for autistic kids, and even Disney World has made themselves attractive to families with autistic children by offering them passes so they won't have to wait in line for rides and attractions.

So, that fantasy of mine?  It might come true after all.