10 Traveling Sleeping Tips for Tots in Tow

(and their parents)

Our relationship with sleep is as complicated as some of its idioms we use to describe this covetous pastime: Catching some zzzz’s, grabbing a little shut-eye, siesta time, crashing out, out like a light, hitting the sack/hay, catch 40 winks, a cat nap, zonked out, etc.  I think it is obvious our obsession with sleep runs deep.  I have yet to meet a parent that isn’t sleep deprived or doesn’t longing talk about to the time before their precious dreaming state was interrupted.

When the Sandman is no where in sight, what do you do?  Especially when you are away from home or suffering from a killer case of family jet lag.  Being a seasoned traveler with a tot in tow, I have come up with a few tricks for kid’s bedtime that will keep you sane on your family vacation.

#1 Try to book a suite, connecting room, or rent a home/condo for your vacation.  More space, various bedrooms and closing doors are crucial for night-night time.

#2 If staying in a single room is the only option, bring a book light and headphones (with a splitter) for post-bedtime moments (reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to music).

#3 Keep your sanity and arrange for a room with a balcony or patio to avoid nap-time or bedtime cabin fever (even a large window with an unobstructed view can help).

#4 Recreate at-home nap or bedtime rituals while away.  Make your new digs feel familiar with your kiddos favorite bedtime stories, sleeping music, beloved ‘stuffies’ and/or special blanket.

#5 At bedtime, talk about the day’s traveling adventures and your family’s plans for tomorrow.  Remind your little ones that they will need their rest to have the energy for the next day’s adventure.

#6 If you are jet lagged, go to sleep with your little ones.  Catch those zzzz’s when you can, especially since they will most likely wake with devilish energy.

#7 Use the Do Not Disturb sign!  The worst is when your tiny traveler is awakened by the doorbell or knocking of housekeeping or mini-bar attendant.

#8 Naps-on-wheels.  During naptime, do some sightseeing or get some exercise.  Use your vacation time wisely by planning strategically timed scenic drives, walks or jogs that will induce nap-on wheels.

#9 Keep your kiddos nap and bedtime schedule intact as much as possible!  Plan your day with nap in mind.  When it just doesn’t work out, don’t stress out.  Hey Budda, live in the moment.  Simply adjust your expectations, adjust your schedule and adjust your attitude!

#10 Take advantage of your child’s shut-eye and add some romance to your vacation.  Take your mom and dad hats off, pour some wine, and slip into husband and wife again.

On that note, enjoy your vacation and….

“Good Night, Sleep tight;

Don’t let the bed bugs bite;

If they do, hit them with a shoe,

Until they turn all black and blue.”

The Ultimate Field Trip!

I am currently writing my book, but have been struggling with the title for sometime now….until recently.

I have been trying to distanced myself from ‘what I do’ and the evolution of my own career as a teacher to see my writing with new insight.  I no longer teach 150 students a day within the walls of my classroom, but travel the world with one inquisitive tot in tow who experiences the world with the eyes of a veteran traveler.

The truth is… I love my job and opportunities of learning that happens during travel and that is why I started writing this book.  Being a former public school teacher, travel education has forced me to break away from the traditional, fixed model of the four-walled-classroom and embrace knowledge uniquely gained through experience.  Instead of teaching from books in a fixed position, I now find myself on the beach in the Seychelles learning about the reproductive cycle of sea turtles hand in hand with my student.

Then it hit me….I have simply extended the model of a school field trip.  As a travel teacher, I am fortunate enough to have the world as my classroom and extend learning beyond the borders of the classroom.  Through Charles’ untraditional and mobile lifestyle, I have witnessed the advantages of a traveling, ever-changing ‘classroom.’  I have left my chalk, overhead, and bulky textbooks behind and embraced the idea of an ultimate field trip.

And, thus, my title was born: Layovers, Laptops and Little Ones:  The Ultimate Field Trip

Hooray for personal epiphanies!

The Beach at the Guanahani Hotel

Our trip to St. Barths (Saint Barthelemy) has come and gone.  10 days in paradise wasn’t a bad life at all.  Travel school in the morning and after lunch the island was ours!  We usually stay in the Hotel Guanahani and Spa, but it was under construction, so Le Sereno Beach Hotel became our home.  Both hotels share the same intimate cove (the Grand Cul-de-Sac) great for windsurfing, kite surfing, paddleboating or getting on that jet ski and exploring the rest of St. Barth’s coast.

St Barths Grand Cul-de-Sac

Le Sereno was beautifully elegant in it’s decor, designed by famed Parisian designer Christian Liaigre, with dark stained wood and white linens.  The food (unbelievably fresh as the local fishermen would pull the boat right up on the shore with their daily catch) never missed the mark, especially the kitchen’s specialty, the fish en croute de sel (whole fish baked in a sea-salt crust), which would be chiseled out of it’s crusty shell right at your table.  Yum!

Minutes Off the Boat: the Local Fisherman's Daily Catch

The question is….which hotel do I prefer on St. Barths Grand Cul-de-Sac?   Hands down…the Guanahani!  For a few reasons…

Although I preferred the white simplicity of Le Sereno’s cottage decor to the Guanahani’s ‘colored cottages’ (from yellow to indigo or purple to bright green), I liked the overall property of the Guanahani better.  The Guanahani’s ‘shared space’ seems bigger, giving you more opportunities for intimacy.  The pool was bigger, the beach was longer, more sand, and simply more space.  There is something great about walking up to a beach bar and ordering a smoothie or margarita with your feet still in the sand.  The hotel has a tennis court and the gym faces the beach, instead of having no view (like the one at Le Sereno).

Guanahani's Swimming Pool

Needless to say, I am anxious to return to the Guanahani Hotel and see what changes the construction brought to the property.  Although, I may still walk down the way to the Sereno Hotel and dive into a plate of the baked fish en croute de sel.

My shot of the Le Sereno's Infinity Pool Overlooking the Grand Cul-de-Sac

My View From My Room at Le Sereno

Charles' Cinquain Poem Completed on the 6th of March

In school (located in NYC), Charles’ classmates learned about cinquain poems this week and created their own.  Even though our ‘classroom’ is being held in Paris for the next 10 days, we learned about these five lined poems as well.  There are technically are 3 versions of cinquain poems, but we only focused on two of them:

#1

Line 1: One Word

Line 2: Two Words

Line 3: Three Words

Line 4: Four Words

Line 5: One Word

#2

Line 1: A Noun

Line 2: Two Adjectives

Line 3: Three ‘-ing’ Words

Line 4: A Phrase

Line 5: Another Word for the Noun

As Charles’ travel teacher, I try to incorporate location-inspired material and themes with Charles’ classroom curriculum.  This lesson was easily adapted to our travel experience, since the content of the poem was up to the writer.  We simply inserted the travel theme.  During lunch, we brain-stormed some ideas and came up with our first poem together.  Of course, food was the topic and Laduree macaroons were our inspiration.

Macaroons

J’adore you

chocolate, pistachio, caramel

Come to my mouth

Laduree

2 days later, 3 poems, a rough draft and an illustrated final draft, Charles came up with his own cinquain poem about travel.  If you are having trouble reading the photo above, this is Charles’ poem completed on March 6, 2011:

Travel

fun, adventure

exciting, flying, learning

in the forest, city or log cabin

Planet Earth

Simply put, I love what I do.

For your viewing pleasure....the infamous Laduree Macaroons

Joseph's Picture of His Traveling Circus Story- written in Polish

I know it has been awhile since I posted another kid interview.  Fortunately for you, this one was worth waiting for.

Charles and I met young Joseph in NYC (his mom is a model and had a job in the city with Charles’ parents).  I was struck by how mature Joseph seemed and how easily he took to both Charles and I.  The boys hit it off and we planned to meet up in Paris (his home) when we were in France.  Today, the boys were elbow deep in Lego, and during a lull, I snagged Joseph for a brief chat.

Joseph is 6 1/2 years old.  He was very concerned that I included the half, since he is no longer simply six.  He lives in Paris with his mom.  He speaks French, Polish and English fluently.  Oozing with confidence and never short on words, he loved our little ‘research’ moment and was pleased that we had something in common: we both were writing books about travel.

Do you like to travel?

We travel a lot since my mom is a model.  It is very cool to see new places and I get to visit my dog and dad in Poland and my friends when we go to Los Angeles.

Where is your favorite place that you have traveled to?

The Grand Canyon!  It was so beautiful.  We went up in the biggest helicopter I have ever been on–it had 8 seats, not just 4!  We also went up to see it in a hot air balloon.  It is the most interesting place I have ever been to.

What kinds of things do you learn when you travel?

When I fly by myself, I get to meet the captain and ask what all of the buttons are for in the cockpit and how the computers fly the plane.  I learn a lot about airplanes this way.  Also, when I wait, I look out the window at the airport and watch the people put the bags in the planes and driving around important things.

What advice do you have for other kids who are traveling?

Pack light.  Do not try to put too many toys or things to do in your bag.  The problem is: it is too heavy and you spend more time playing with the things that you already have at home and can’t enjoy the place where you are.  Spend less time on your computer or iPad and learn about the place you traveled to.

What advice do you have for parents who plan to take their kids traveling with them?

Don’t lose your kid.

How is traveling similar or different to a school field trip?

On a field trip, you can’t do anything you want or go to another museum if you don’t like the one you are in, so it is less fun than traveling.  But a field trip is more fun in some ways because you are with all of your friends.

What has traveling taught you?

Travel has given me an idea for a book my dad and I are writing.  I want to show it to you, but it is on my dad’s computer in Poland.  (Joseph runs to his room to find his sketchpad/journal to show me pictures of his characters.) It is about a boy named Nulils.  He and his parents work at a traveling circus.  His dad is a clown and his mom is a tightrope-walker.  Nulils has a trick.  A matchbox full of lice (not sure with the translation if he means fleas, but it is his story, so I say nothing) that he uses a magnifying glass and a projector to show the audience on a big screen the lice doing their tricks (Joseph laughs at this thought). There is also a cat named Madame Miau Miau and then the nasty Maestro Abra Kadabra.  (Joseph goes on and on about his story and shows me so many sketches of lice and characters.  He is so proud of his work.  And, honestly, I’m impressed.)

The Matchbook of Lice and Magnifying Glass

Madame Miau Miau and the Cat Pyramid

From the NY Times Article on Reading in Private Schools

On February 14, Sarah Maslin Nir wrote a New York Times article entitled, “Reading at Some Private Schools Is Delayed,” which hasn’t left me all week (of course it doesn’t help that I have been at an Orton-Gillingham Reading Training Conference in NJ since Monday).  Reading philosophy and approaches has been my lingo for 5 days now, so this article really resonated with me.

In my opinion, Steve Nelson says it perfectly: “Those who get anxious think that education is like a race and you’ve got to get running fast, and if you don’t you’re going to fall behind and then you’re going to lose the race…That’s not the right way to look at education.”

Pushing a child early academically could be really wonderful for some kids but not ALL.  We are all uniquely different and so are our brains.  The process of how we learn is unique for every child, who has various strengths in specific learning styles and multiple intelligences.  The trick is to know your child and not project your own apprehensions, insecurities and failures onto them academically.  It’s great your child can read chapter books at age 3, but it says nothing about his intellectual curiosity or social-emotional development.

If you have chosen to put your child in a private school who emphasizes process versus product, fostering a joy of learning through child-centered, emergent curriculum, you must sit back and see the whole picture.  For most, this kind of education is new to them and differs greatly from their own educational experiences.  Trust the process.

It is hard not to worry as a parent. Worry that you are doing the right thing for your children.  Worried that you are giving them the right opportunities.  Worried that they will flourish in the academic environment you choose for them.  But the simple fact that you are a concerned, involved, and supportive parent, ensures that your child WILL learn how to read.  Reading is simply 1 component that your child learns K-3 and the speed at which they pick this up is not directly connected to the success of your child in future academic endeavors.

As educators and parents, we want the best for our children and feel learning should be a positive, inspiring and motivating force in their lives, unlocking their intrinsic desire for knowledge.  I was a drill and kill, whole-language taught child, but I would choose a more unconventional approach for my own future children.  Any approach that emphasizes the process rather than the product sounds like a winner to me.  Education isn’t a sprint….it is a marathon.

Charles has had difficulty being able to read independently.  His phonemic awareness and word attack is weak.  It became clear that he needed additional help outside of the classroom.  A couple of weeks ago, we found a Reading and Literacy Specialist in the city trained in Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes who is now working with Charles 3 days a week.  Happily, Charles likes the program and we are already seeing improvements in his decoding.  I thought…I want to learn to do what she does!

Flash forward to now–Mirroring the falling frozen flakes outside the window, my brain is swirling with new procedures and reading techniques that I want to use with Charles.  Every night I return to my room on the 21st floor to read and review the manual and my notes.  To be honest, I’m amped.  I can see how this program can work and I’m excited to integrate the process into my lesson plans and other ‘teachable moments’ on our travels.

I was impressed that the workshops are available for PARENTS as well.  How wonderful!  If your child is having difficulty reading, check out the Lindamood-Bell website and see if any of the workshops are in your area.  Highly recommended!

Before I can even try to implement these new reading procedures–I must make it back to NYC.  My focus now is to escape the clutches of this icy storm and make it back to Charles unscathed.

Here’s a quick recap since I blogged last:

• Stayed at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica in mid-November for work.  Biked along the pier, held travel school in the morning, made what Charles called ‘mud-pies’ out of sand, ate at my favorite restaurant on the planet, Capo, AND hugged and visited with my family.
  

  Mud-Pies! Because Sand-Pies Just Don't Sound Right

• Flew to Miami and stayed at the Setai Towers in a room that was easily 3 times the size of my NYC apartment.

• Then, headed to St. Maartin/St. Barths for 10 days of work.  Charles picked up a nasty case of bronchitis, which forced us to get quite creative at the beautiful, but small Le Sereno Hotel.  Poor little guy had to avoid the water until the very last day which was spent making up for lost time.  Crazy fun, but unbelievably exhausting!  My food highlight was sharing our Thanksgiving meal at Maya’s Restaurant–turkey and all the fixings.  Yum!
  

  Our St. Barth's Sandcastle

• Jeff and I spent the Christmas holiday at the Lake Placid Lodge.  An absolute perfect snowy, romantic location that was all about us, amazing food and a fireplace.
  

  Snowshoeing on Christmas Day

• We welcomed the New Year in our home in NYC.

• Just got back from Santa Monica for the Globes, where we stayed at Casa Del Mar again.  Biked in 80 degree heat (while it was snowing in New York), Charles tried out his new Razor scooter that shoots out sparks when he brakes, visited the Getty Villa and ate at Capo twice!
  

  Getty Villa Flowers - Among all of the art, these purple flowers inspired me.

My Nephew, Tyler, Frightened by His Own Yummy Creations!

Looking for a fun and creative Halloween activity to do this weekend with your kids? Try making and then happily gobbling up these Party Monsters in your own spooky kitchen.

My uncle Mitch (an amazing cook himself) found these Halloween-themed cupcakes created by cupcake wizards Karen Tack and Alan Richardson and sent the idea to his sugar-crazed family.  My mom and dad (the most delighted-to-be-grandparents around) and my nephew, Tyler beat me to this mouth-watering Halloween activity.  Their creations are admittedly more adorable than spooky, but have inspired me to bake my own finger-licking, ghoulish creations with Charles.

Their Spooky Halloween Cupcakes Proudly Displayed

Believe it or not, these are actually made with everyday ingredients you may even have in your house, such as marshmallows, pretzels, sprinkles, licorice laces and lollipops.  The recipe calls for neon food coloring, but Tyler and his grandparents used normal red, blue and yellow food coloring and mixed their own inventive colors.

Tyler realized the cupcakes he made with his own imagination were his favorite, like the purple one that looks like the movie character Walle.  After seeing pictures of their cupcakes, Charles is already thinking of other creative ways to make his own spooky creatures.

Happy Halloween and Happy Baking!!!!

The Proud Creators: Tyler and Grandma Kimberly (not pictured: Grandpa Keith who is snapping the photo)

Ophelia and Charlie

Poolside at the Amanjena Hotel in Marrakesh, I met two charming kids vacationing with their parents.  Ophelia (6 yrs old) and Charlie (7 yrs old) are a sister and brother from North Cotswold, England.  I had noticed them the day before in their adorable matching swimsuit jumpers and simply had to interview them.  Here are their responses.

Do you like to travel? Why or why not?

Ophelia – Medium. Because planes are noisy, but it’s fun once you get to the place you’re going.

Charlie – Sometimes because I do like staying at home.  Some places I like and some I don’t.

What is your favorite thing about travel?  Least favorite thing?

Ophelia – Swimming is my favorite, but going out somewhere like a museum that is really boring and you have to be quiet is not my favorite.

Charlie – I like to have a nice time, but I don’t like when things don’t go well.  Like this morning, I was walking on the tiles that were wet from the rain and I slipped and fell. I don’t like when unfortunate things happen when we travel.

Where is your favorite place that you have traveled?

Ophelia – Scotland. We went for my granny’s birthday and my 3^rd biggest cousin and I played and had so much fun together.

Charlie – Umbria, Italy because I had quite a lot of fun there.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?

Ophelia – Australia because I was born there, but I haven’t ever been back.

Charlie – Australia. I’ve been there like 5 times, but I don’t remember it because I was so young. Once my mom, dad and I went whale watching in a helicopter when my mom was pregnant with my sister in Australia, but I was so young and don’t remember it. We have only one picture of it.  I want to go back.

What is the perfect length of a family trip?

Ophelia – To go for my whole life and never have to go to school or go to work!  Holiday all the time.

Charlie – One day.

What do you always want to have with you when you are traveling?

Ophelia – I’d love to take my huge snow tiger called Tigger but it’s gi-normous! He comes up all the way to here (she says with her hand under her chin) but I can’t take it because it wont fit in my suitcase.  He would need an entire bag of his own. So I have to take my little teddies instead.

Charlie – Normally I choose what I want to bring, like lego and cars, and have to fit it all in a small bionicle box.

What kinds of things do you learn when you are traveling?

Ophelia – You can learn about different birds and what they do.  Or learn how to swim so you can have other opportunities to swim, like at parties with friends.

Charlie – You gain experience.  You know a lot about your own country you live in, but you don t know anything about others until you go there.  Here in Africa, we may think their houses are strange, but if they came to England, they would think our houses looked strange.

Who is your favorite person to travel with?

Ophelia – My friends because they always give us presents for taking them with us.

Charlie – My dog.

What kind of vacation is your favorite?

Ophelia – Everything put together! (she says with a toothy grin)  A campsite with a fancy pool in the woods and a wooden room all to my own on the beach.  In my room, I’d like a wee fridge and in the fridge are all fizzy drinks and sweets just for me.

Charlie – I like places that are warm and nice, but you never know what the weather is going to do.  Like yesterday and that thundershower.  We were in the markets and my shoes and socks got soaking wet.  When I took off my shoes there was a puddle of wetness.

What advice do you have for kids?

Ophelia – Bring a computer because you can play on it if you have nothing to do or send an email to your friends.

Charlie – You can’t always be certain about a place before you visit it.  You might not expect what it truly is. The place could be bad or it could be amazing when you think it will be boring.

What advice do you have for parents that take their kids traveling?

Ophelia – Always bring your own towels.

Charlie – I’d tell my parents to start bringing our pet dog, Beach. We’ve had him since he was so tiny.

When you are older, will you travel more for work or pleasure?

Ophelia -  Work.  My job would be to ride a horse and rescue people on that horse.  That would be grand.

Charlie – Work. I might not marry.  I just don’t want to. I just don’t. I don’t like girls too much. I may work in engineering and travel, but not do something like diving because if you dive too deep, maybe past 30 meters, you get crushed!

What has traveling taught you?

Ophelia – I’ve learned to stuff lots of things, like all the toys and teddies that I want bring, inside my little suitcase.

Charlie – I’ve learned basically people live quite differently than us, but do some things the same, like eat food and have language. We all get dressed in the morning and go to sleep at night.  We are basically the same.