BlogHer - Travel - Comments

Hey! I've been there

sassymonkey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:21:57 -0600

I went to the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center a few years ago. My friends have a cottage on Lake Champlain and every now and while most of the time we just sit around the cottage and eat and read sometimes we actually do things. We all liked ECHO quite a bit.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

...Some People Never Will

Shannon Des Roches Rosa — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:26:09 -0600

@Carmen But we can still keep trying, and talking and blogging about the accommodations our kids need -- sometimes people can't process past their defensiveness in the moment, though it sinks in later. Straight talk like that @Kristen cited helps, I think.

The holidays are also a time to let people know that the r-word, 'retarded,' is no longer acceptable. My brothers used the word countless times during their Christmas visit. I tried barbed humor, "I don't know, Leo, do you think what your uncle said was retarded?" but eventually had to ask them to please stop, and tell them why. Yet I have no doubt they still use it when my son or I are not around.

I have faith that the people in our kids' lives will come around eventually. I have to.

Shannon Des Roches Rosa
Squidalicious.com parenting first, autism second
CanISitWithYou.org real tales of schoolyard terror and triumph

Big Sushi Lover

wis3384 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0600

First Great post...

and second i envy you sitting next to that girl with the whole sushi kit...and frankly nowadays food on the airplanes sucks its same damn food like healtychoice and other frozen stuff.

my father was an airline pilot and he used to tell me about the old days from Steaks to Shrimp to Lobster tail...

these days a way gone!!

Doha Hotels

Yes and Yes

Carmen S — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:04 -0600

"Sometimes, she just needs to be alone."

It's a refrain that I find myself repeating again and again - and sometimes, people STILL don't get it. I don't care, anymore - they can watch her melt down with me and then, maybe, they'll understand.

Or maybe not. Some people never will.

Christmas should be lots of

midnightbliss — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:17:18 -0600

Christmas should be lots of fun for kids, but sometimes, due to traditions, we forget that unlike as adults, kids get stressed out easily with the sudden changes in their activities.you have here great tips and we may all have a blessed, fun and dtress free holidays.

Another timely post!!

kristenspina — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:17:51 -0600

Thanks Shannon for such a timely post. Coping with the Holidays was the topic of our local special needs parents support group meeting this week. Someone handed out copies of this wonderful letter written by Viki Gayhardt. I had to google it to find the source, but it's worth reading. I love the way she phrases this:

"Sometimes I may seem rude and abrupt, but it is only because I have to try so hard to understand people and at the same time, make myself understood. people with autism have different abilities: some may not speak, some write beautiful poetry, others are whizzes in math (Albert Einstein was thought to be autistic), or have difficulty making friends. we are all different and need various degrees of support."

Late to the Party

thefutureisred — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:32:11 -0600

Which is fine, because even though I've also written about this whole thing (that around the house I've been calling CruiseshipGate), I'm tired from it all.

I will say, though, that I don't think it's too late for the important issues here to be addressed. And by important, I mean the environmental debate. Most specifically, what can the tourism industry do to encourage more environmentally friendly travel and/or help nudge the cruise ships industry to be more mindful.

But yeah, I posted my last post about this earlier this week. I think I need a nap now.

Oh, my!

Virginia DeBolt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:51:31 -0600

This is such a great idea, for those with the stamina to do it.

"I'm really interested in the social media implications of this project." I"m with you on that. REALLY interested.

It's long been my dream to spend a year traveling, hiking, and blogging, but only in one place (New Zealand) and with a travel trailer following behind so I have the same "home" each night.

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer Technology CE | Web Teacher | First 50 Words

Great Tips

ThePrudentPatron — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:14:15 -0600

We often forget what we are doing to contribute to the tantrums! Thanks for all the great tips.

Brittany at theprudentpatron.blogspot.com

"You have enough time"

Laurie PK — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:03:36 -0600

Hi Amy,

When I read your title about reducing stress for kids at Christmas, I thought "What a brilliant idea for an article!" Then, I read your post and was so pleased that you linked to the article I wrote for Suite about reducing kids stress...thank you. :-)

My favorite way to manage stress -- whether I'm traveling, meeting work deadlines, feeling pressured to get dinner on the table while everything's still hot, etc -- is to take a deep breath and tell myself, "You have enough time. Everything will get done and it will be fine...because you have enough time."

For some reason, this works for me. And, when I'm less stressed, so are the people around me...

Thanks for this post!

Laurie

See Jane Soar!

Great post!

mrssharp — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:01:40 -0600

I hope that all of us have a less stressful Christmas. Gifts and rushing is not what it should be about. It should be about making memories and family.

Lisa Sharp
www.RetroHousewifeGoesGreen.com

I don't handle stress well myself

Amy Gates — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:54:09 -0600

I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and know I don't handle stress well. I can already see tendencies in my kids to have difficulty with stress management and I realize how important it is for them that I model good behavior. It's definitely a work in progress.

I really liked the tip about learning relaxation techniques with your kids. I think turning on a calming CD or practicing some breathing exercises is wonderful idea that will help all of us now and will give them some tools to relay on as they get older too. I'm going to make a point to work on that.

I also think the tip for leaving plenty of time for traveling is so important. I know I get totally stressed out every time I travel, whether it's with my kids or not, because I don't give myself enough time. This is especially important during the holidays, when everyone and their sister is headed to the airport.

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

That's one of the reasons why

sassymonkey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:09:26 -0600

We host Christmas dinner. I can control the situation to a point. Plus I can hide in the kitchen and do all the prep and there really isn't much room in there so...I kick everyone out of it. I get to decompress a little and they get to socialize. It's win-win.

(Thankfully, no kids. So I don't have to worry about what I'm passing on to them about that.)

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I'm with you Jenna

Denise — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:46:49 -0600

I have to get away from the noise and the crowd. Looking at my oldest kids, I think I've kind of trained them to do that too. Or maybe it wasn't training and they just inherited my need to step away for a bit?

~Denise BlogHer Community Manager
Flamingo House Happenings

Great Post!

JennaHatfield — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:33:14 -0600

Of course, this line made me cringe:

Cope with your own holiday anxiety. The less Christmas stress you feel, the more relaxed your children will be.

Uh, yeah. I'm not great with holiday anxiety. Even as a teenager, after a meal I would go up to my room and read or play a game or do anything to avoid the general hub-bub of having all of my family members in one house. I struggle with it even now.

Should be an interesting challenge... but at least I have it in my mind. Thanks!

@FireMom from Stop, Drop and Blog and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land