Globetrotting with a child

Welcome back to our expert series. This week were talking to a mom who has been "in the trenches" so to speak when it comes to traveling with a child. A single mother who has been on planes, trains, boats, and automobiles with her son since he was an infant, Gabriela Rives shares her thoughts on traveling with a child even if you're doing it solo. And every week we'll cover topics that will enrich and enhance your travel experience. I'll be featuring experts and parents sharing their best tips and advice with you.  Please come back every week and share these posts through your Facebook, Twitter and other social media and with friends. If you've missed any so far here are the links: Picture tips, Travel with Cloth, Music as travel prep, and Prepping for illness while traveling with kids. Happy Travels!

Personally my husband is the super organized one and the mere thought of taking a longer trip with my toddler without his preparation and help sends chills down my spine but as Gabby explains, "Sometimes, necessity makes you do things that you never thought you would be able to do".

Q: Gabriela, I know you and your son are quite the globetrotters what are some of the locations you've been to?
 A: All over the United States, Mexico and France.

  

Q: Traveling with a child (especially a young child) can be daunting and frustrating for parents.  How have you managed travel with your son?

A: Every trip teaches me something new. I try to organize myself in advance taking into consideration my child's needs. I prepare a checklist with those things that are absolutely necessary for both of us, for him and for me. I also calculate the time we will spend to reach our destiny and how my child will be entertained during that time; if there will be meals and drinks available and how the weather there has been. I make it a point to check in advance as to what kind of traveling documents will be required for that given trip.  

 
Usually, I carry two to three pieces of luggage. One has both of our general stuff. The second piece is a carry-on with our essentials, in case something happens (you never know). And of course, I am the one in charge of our traveling documents. I added a third piece later when my son was old enough to carry his own things in a carry-on appropriate for his age and height.
 
Q: Have you ever traveled solo with him?  If so how was that different (better or worse) than when traveling with a partner or other adult?
 A: As a single mom, I have traveled alone with my son many times. I think that the main difference is that you, as the adult, are responsible for the child. And it is important that you keep their interests and needs in mind too. You have to look for things that will make the trip memorable for both of you. For example, when we went to France, we visited the Louvre but we also went to Euro-Disney.
 

Q: What has been one of the most challenging situations you found yourself in while traveling related to him?
A: These days, it's very easy to travel with an infant or a child. Most airlines, for instance, show you some considerations. You can pre-board and have some extra time to accommodate everything. Sometimes our children are in a non-traveling mood, however. That's when the real challenge starts. Everybody expects you to keep them quiet and busy, but there are times when that is extremely difficult, if not impossible. And yes, you will get that "disapproving look" and you will have to live with it.
 
Also, knowing what you need to pack is not easy. Everybody will tell you what they believe is a must but, if you follow everybody's advice, you will travel with the whole house!! In the end, you have to decide what is a "must" for you. For instance, I never travel without my son's favorite toy or his favorite book.
 
Q: Sometimes people travel out of need and other times for learning or pleasure.  In my opinion all travel can be for pleasure even with kids.  What are your thoughts on this and why?
 A: I think, regardless of the reason for your trips, they are always a great experience. Children have a different view than an adult and it is amazing how much you can enjoy a trip by just trying to see it through your child's eyes. Every single trip will teach you different things and will broaden your child's horizons.
 

Q: Can you share a bit about some or one of your most memorable trips with him?
 A: All my trips with my son have engraved different memories in me that I enjoy 'till today. Maybe one of the best memories was the day we visited the Eiffel Tower. I was amazed by the beauty of it while my son was fascinated by the hundreds of pigeons underneath the Tower; it was great to see the joy in his face!
 
Q: What kinds of things would you recommend a traveling parent do to prepare for a trip?
 A:

1. Every time we are going on a trip, I always ask myself and anybody in my party: "What is that one thing you have to do or see on this trip that will make it all worthwhile?"

   

2. Never forget to check for things that are child-friendly at your destination. This includes hotels, tours, restaurants, parks, etc.

   

3. Make sure you have the needed traveling documents and that you have followed the security screening regulations; i.e. amount of milk/milk powder allowed, types of toys, etc.

   

4. Confirm if and how your health insurance covers any emergency care at the place you're visiting.

   

5. Make a list of the things you need to pack. These days it's easy to get many of the things you need after you've arrived.

 

Q: When you traveled internationally did you have to worry about special permits, visas, etc. for you and him?  Did you ever travel internationally solo and if so, did you have to bring proof that you could take him with you (like a letter from his father)
 
A: Yes. Every country has its own rules and you must follow them. For instance, before my child had a passport, I needed a notarized authorization from my son's dad to be able to take him out of the country, and my ex lived in a different city so we needed to make pre-arrangements to comply with this requirement. And yet today, even when my son and I have passports, I still travel with the authorization and my child's birth certificate, just in case.
 
Also, due to my line of work, I know that if you have an adopted child and you haven't finalized your adoption or you haven't gotten your baby's birth certificate or social security number, you must ask your adoption agency what are the steps and requirements to travel abroad.
 

Q: Did either one of you ever get sick or hurt while traveling?  If so where and how did you make it through the ordeal?
 A: A sick child is always a struggle so imagine if you are traveling! I have been lucky because my son has gotten sick just on one of our trips, and once I gave him the medicine I had brought with us, he was perfectly fine and we could enjoy the trip. I always double-check our insurance coverage and that I have the contact information for a doctor or a hospital.
 

Q: Do you have any favorite gear when traveling?  When he was younger how did you mange the car seat, stroller, luggage, etc.?  
A: During the first trips, I used to take everything and I felt like such a hog!! After the third trip, I realized that I could make it just with a stroller, and that the rest I could rent or borrow or buy wherever I was going.
 

Q: What do you miss about traveling with him as a baby/toddler and what do you most enjoy now that he is older?
 A: There are so many perks when traveling with your infant/toddler child! It's cheaper, you can pre-board, everybody treats you nicely. As your child gets older, obviously those things will change but the experience of traveling together will get better in other ways. For starters, now your child can get more involved in the trip and the place where you are going. You can start planning together! I love to hear my son talking about when we went here or there...!
 

Q: What advice would you give to parents who are leery of travel with kids?
 A: Don't be! Just go for it! Traveling opens your child's mind and gives you the opportunity to bond with your child in ways that you can never imagine. It is an adventure that you both live together, and you will share always. 
 
 

Gabriela Rives is a jack-of-many-trades. Born in Mexico City she has more than 15 years of experience working in various roles as an editor, translator, creative writer, art director and creative director. Gabriela served as the creative director for The Cartel Group where she created and directed English and Spanish strategic creative campaigns for clients such as the U.S. Army, Dickies, JCPenney, Nextel-Sprint and Capital One to name a few and won numerous industry awards. She has also served as the CEO of an Adoption Agency for several years and currently is the Director of a Translations and Marketing agency in San Antonio, TX. She is a divorced-single mom to Gabriel, 9 years old, and also owns an online gift basket store La Bella Baskets that helps single moms.

Prepping for Travel Through Music

Welcome to the third blog on the travel with children series written by experts. Join us every Tuesday when a new topic and expert will be featured. This week we're discussing how to use music as a travel and language prep tool and every week we'll cover topics that will enrich and enhance your travel experience. I'll be featuring experts and parents sharing their best tips and advice with you. Please come back every week and share these posts through your Facebook, Twitter and other social media and with friends. If you missed any so far here are the links: Picture tips, Travel with Cloth . Happy Travels!

I grew up in a bilingual family but we only spoke the minority language at home. My parents are native speakers and always found opportunities for us to travel and use our second language as often as possible. Now I have a child of my own and although I’m bilingual, sometimes I find I use English more than Spanish at home. This is simply because that is the language I’m using all day at work so making the switch isn’t always automatic but we TRY hard to speak it and involve our child not just in the language but culture of our heritage.

One recent way we tried was by celebrating her second birthday in Monterrey, MX with family who still lives there. Mostly my cousins and their kids who although older than my daughter are still young enough to get excited about a birthday party. In preparation, we started singing Las Mañanitas at every birthday celebration we could to familiarize our daughter with the song. We also taught her the Piñata Song and other basic games with songs that kids might play with her. Keeping in mind that she wasn’t even two yet we practiced words like: agua, leche, ayuda, and most importantly- GRACIAS… because everyone likes a grateful child. The actual time we spent there was a lot of fun and a huge success form the language learning perspective. Not only did she feel part of the fun knowing the words to every song and game but she also managed to pick up a few new words from her interactions with the other kids.

In my search to find materials that can help us keep up the language learning at all times I came across Sing-a-lingo and loved the material so much that I contacted owner Piña Madera about contributing to our blog series of experts. As a mother and a musician Piña (along with her husband Michael who is also a bilingual musician) found herself using song to narrate everyday activities. Seriously, could there be a better way to learn a language? Make sure to visit their site... not only do they have a CD but you can also download the music as an MP3 AND they offer other Learning Kits with the music and additional materials.

  Turn up the Tunes for Travel

By Piña Madera

Got a trip planned with kids to a non-English speaking destination? Turn UP the tunes (and stories) to get them to turn DOWN the whining and non-stop arrival time interrogations—while also sneaking in some language learning they’ll use when you finally announce: “We’re here!”

Getting there is hard on kids. And it makes sense if you think about it. The opportunities for complaining are endless…Whether you’re going by car, plane, bus or camel, something is going to stink. Too much carrying stuff that’s too heavy, too much sitting still, too much waiting in lines to wait in other lines, and too much camel spit on your shoes.

What kids need at times like these is a notion that they’re in control of something, however flimsy that illusion may be.

For our 5 and 7 year olds, it’s controlling a pack of gum (no kidding) and their own MP3 players.

The gum works wonders because my kids live sugar-deprived lives, and the mere act of handing a whole pack over to eat AT WILL stuns them silent.

The MP3 player, however, is pure genius. It’s a fun gizmo that they can control, keeps them distracted from the hardships of travel, and is a rich opportunity for language learning!

It’s also possible to get a splitter for your headphones and share the device between 2 kids.

As part of the packing, I let them browse for a handful of songs from our iTunes library, leaving ample giga- and brain-space for my language-teaching tunes and stories. They don’t know this plan, though, so keep it under your hat.

Our device also plays video, and I limit video to only educational shows—you might do this differently. But I know that my videos would NEVER be viewed because anything with Darth Maul trumps Plaza Sesamo or Pocoyo anyday. Do set up an incentive, because hunting down great material that never gets seen will earn you some complaining of your own.

Great materials for kids can be found online. I’ve listed some qualities of good songs, stories and shows to teach language, and below that are links to sites to browse.

Good songs have these qualities:
          1. Upbeat, fun, enjoyable
          2. Short, simple
          3. Pleasant repetition of useful phrases
          4. Uses limited, manageable appropriate language
          5. Uses rhyming
          6. Sung by native Spanish speakers


Here is an iMix that I made of songs that my family enjoys. Browse these songs—you might settle on some favorites and search out their albums.

A few links for browsing for songs:

Full disclosure: this is my company. We’ve written songs to help young people learn language. Award-winning, original songs about everyday life. Songs meet the above requirements. http://www.singalingo.com/  

Traditional songs – some recordings are amateur, but might trigger your own memories if you grew up Latino. http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=sc&p=285&c=50

A collection of traditional songs. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ninos/songsrhymes.html#arroz

The king of school-aged kids songs! http://www.joseluisorozco.com/music.php

A catalog of downloads and CDs—not all are sung by native speakers, which we think is important. Listen carefully before buying. http://www.songsforteaching.com/store/spanish-c-869.html  Stories and videos should be short, using clear language at your child’s level. Lean toward selecting too easy materials if you’re not sure.

Story suggestions:
Cody’s Cuentos http://www.codyscuentos.com/

Enter the search term “cuentos” into iTunes for many podcasts for kids in Spanish

Video suggestions:
Plaza Sesamo is Sesame Street intended for native Spanish speakers, so it’s a little fast and uses some complicated language. My kids don’t understand every word, but they get the gist. The bright visuals help. Episodes can be purchased from iTunes.

Pocoyo is a sweet animated show from Spain entirely in Spanish that uses simple language, and gives opportunities for the audience to speak. I have not found where to download them, but see that DVD’s are available on Amazon. Select Spanish when viewing the DVD. Viewable at YouTube, too. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pocoyo+en+espa%C3%B1ol&aq=0

There are so many more ideas and resources to research and discover, but this might get you started…and might simultaneously reduce complaining while upping the learning on your next big trip!

Piña Madera, founder of Sing-a-lingo

Piña has worked as an educator since 1987 – Montessori, piano teacher, ESL textbook editor, curriculum developer, teacher. She is also invested in teaching Spanish to her own kids (ages 5 & 7). It is her Mexican mother’s language — Piña was raised bilingual. She wrote all the original songs on their 1st CD ‘En MiCasa’ and that’s her voice and piano playing you hear in all the songs.