Friday, December 13, 2013

toddler friendly holidays/vacations?

best travel toys for toddlers uk on Memoirs Of The Life Of David Garrick, Esq: Interspersed With ...
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BAMitsABII


just want a list of a few places and what attractions they have, i don't want a 10 page travel guide please :l
live in the UK, preferably wanting to go abroad



Answer
well if you want to stay in the UK, try glynn barton cottages in cornwall by newquay. there cottages designed for toddlers, which have a cot, high chair, bed guards, monitors, toddler beds, child friendly crockery etc. the site also has things to do such as a indoor swimming pool, indoor soft play barn, play room full of toys, tennis court, childrens play area and climbing frames, animals to feed and eggs to collect etc
and theres loads of things around like a beach in a 30 min drive, riding stables 8 miles away, and within 15 miles theres dairlyland farm world, crealy adventure park and within 20 miles theres a newquay blue reef aqaurium, newquay zoo and water world
http://www.glynnbarton.co.uk/fun_the_toddlers.htm

lapland - only a 3 hour flight and loads to do, such as see santa, snowmobile rides (children can ride in the things that trail behind tho i dont know what there called) reindeer rides, husky rides, tobogganing etc and im sure if you wrap your toddler up warm he/she will love it and love the snow
loads of websites for holidays in lapland although i recommend http://bookings.firstchoice.co.uk/lapland/

paris - i think its only a 2 hour flight and loads of stuff to do too, a main one is disneyland, theres another theme park like parc asterix (all designed for kids), sight seeing such as going up the eiffel tower although i hope your toddler isn't afraid of heights! go for a cruise on the river seine, kids science museum called cité des sciences et de l'industrie or maybe a zoo called parc zoologique de paris

or again just stay in the uk and go to butlins which has swiming pools, free fun fair, golf, go karts, shows and entertainment on all the time etc

hope i help and have a nice holidayy x

Advice for taking our 19 month old son on a long-haul flight (30+ hours)?




Steven Jen


Hi, later this year my partner and I are taking our son who will be 19 months old on his first ever flight but I for one am dreading it as it is a long-haul flight going from New Zealand to the UK (via Australia/Singapore and possibly Dubai - depending on which airline we finally decide to book with) for a 3 week stay.

As most boys probably are, our son is very energetic, won't stay still very long at all and gets very bored easily so needs lots of entertaining.

The trip will be well worth it when we do get to the UK as our son has never met any of my side of the family who are all over there. So knowing that alone will help us cope somewhat with any stresses of flying with a young child.

Any advice/tip's/experiences shared etc to help ease the journey will be very much appreciated.

Thanks



Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly transatlantics alone a lot with my three children.

This is a long flight and you're going to need to be organized. I wont lie to you and I have to admit that this was probably the worst age for air travel. They love to move but don't have the reasoning to talk about the fact that sometimes they have to be seated, etc.

I recommend that instead of a diaper bag, purse, etc. you opt for a large backpack. Mine goes up to my knee when placed on the ground. Bring at least two changes of clothes and way more diapers than he usually goes through in the same time frame. He will need more than usual. Take out packs of 10, straight from the pack so that they're really flat and put in a plastic bag, Bind with rubber bands and this will make space. Clothes are rolled, placed in plastic and also bound with rubber bands. Split the supplies between both of you in case you're separated or just so that one can take him somewhere without having to fuss with the gear.

My kids at that age were too active for portable DVD players, although they were useful later. You actually have a number of options as far as gadgets that play movies so find out what works for you and if you think it'll keep him occupied. One tip I got was to burn the movies on to your hard drive if you're bringing a computer to save battery time while watching. Make sure he wears the headphones. Practice at home if necessary.

I found simple toys worked best; toy trucks, toy cars, plastic animals, coloring things (magadoodles as well as old fashioned pens and paper), chunky books with openable flaps, pinwheels, plastic rings that click together, pipe cleaners, play dough, etc. Nothing that makes noise. Even a quiet noise played 10,000 will drive your fellow passengers batty. Make sure some of the toys are new (or at least never seen before) so you can "present" them at critical times, like to offset a tantrum and after the plane pulls away from the gate and everyone is supposed to be seated.

Try to get him off of bottles and on to a sippy cup if possible. But if he's like my son, good luck! Chances are he wont so opt for the bottles with disposable plastic liners. Get the flat liners (not "pop-ins"), premeasure the powder in each, roll it up and put in a ziplock.

I really recommend that he have his own seat. This is a LONG time to be on your laps and he's going to be big and heavy. If you opt to save money, try to get an empty seat on the plane beside you. They often do this for families. Be really nice at check-in.

I always fly with a car seat. This is a whole, big subject. Babies are quieter and more comfortable in their own familiar car seat, as well as much, much safer. It's not that big a deal to take it along. I simply strapped mine to a metal luggage cart and pulled it behind me with the carry-on bags. You do want to check your car seat's compatibility, before you book. Make sure you can use it on board. Different airlines have different rules.

Be sure not to check it as luggage. They often get lost and/or broken en route so either use it on board or gate-check it. You may want to arrange a car seat at your destination but please never use one from a rental car company. Have relatives ask around and make sure it's not too old.

I really recommend a good baby carrier. It is the secret to successfully flying with children. He's far too big for one of those dire "front packs" (like the Bjorn) but something comfortable and perhaps with a back carry is good. If you don't already use a sling or wrap, you may want to get a Mei Tai, Ergo, Beco or similar carrier. They're soft, easy to take along and are magic for calming overtired babies on flights (experience speaking!) Also, in big scary airports, toddlers don't always sit nicely in their strollers and want to be held. As a Flight Attendant, I saw far too many parents trying to get through airports with clingy and sleeping babies over their shoulders. Don't be one of them!

Please don't fret over ears. It's actually a myth that babies have to suck on something for take-off and landing. Sure, if you want to offer a cup to drink, not on landing but at the top of descent (landing is too late) when everyone's ears have to reverse pressure, do so. This is about an hour before. What I do recommend is that you schedule a doctor's visit and make sure he doesn't have any ear blockages or infections. These are dangerous and painful to fly with so just have someone look in his ears. We "caught" one in my toddler son once. But on the flight itself, there is no reason to unnecessarily wake up your child or force him to drink if he doesn't want to.

For more information, nine years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed;
http://flyingwithchildren1.blogspot.com

Have a great tr




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