Shelly Rivoli's Blog, page 3

Planning Tips for Travel with a Child 4 to 5 Years

Have carry-on, will travel! Tips for planning travel with a child 4 to 5 years.

The Ages & Stages series concludes with … Planning Tips for Travel with a Child 4 to 5 Years

Your child becomes more of a travel partner at this stage. He’s able to better grasp the concept of your trip from start to finish, and has the patience required at times for sitting still or standing in lines. He may take pride in packing (and rolling!) his own suitcase or packing his backpack with toys and books for the...

Planning Tips for Travel with a Child 3 to 4 Years

Shown above: At The British Museum, London – Planning to travel with a child 3 to 4 years? Don’t rule out visits to big museums on your urban adventure—my preschooler could have spent a solid hour in just this “clock room” alone.

Planning Tips for Travel with a Toddler 2 to 3 Years The Ages & Stages series continued… Planning Tips for Travel with a Child 3 to 4 Years

For many families, this is the year when travel becomes significantly easier, especially with the completion of potty training...

Pack This! The Portable Washing Machine

“Scrubba” looks like a happy bright green dry bag you might take out on the kayak—and you can actually use it for that, too. But inside, it has hundreds of secret scrubbing “nodules” that work as a modern-day washboard, making tidy work of a soapy sloshing of up to two adult-size T-shirts, two pair of socks, and two undies at one time (just think how many onesies might fit in there!).

The peek-a-boo window and water level guides help ensure travel laundry success.

It’s designed to use less wa...

Family Road Trip Safety Packing List (with Printable)

It’s all too easy to assume our smartphones will help us out of any difficulty we may encounter on a family road trip, but not only can those smart-when-they-work gadgets lose signal the moment you really begin to rely on that navigation–or need to call AAA, they have a hard time replacing that burnt headlight on a late night’s drive or keeping everyone well hydrated in an overheated car while you wait much longer than expected for roadside assistance.

Here is a quick list of what to make sur...

Planning Tips for Travel with a Toddler 2 to 3 Years

What to expect when you’re expecting … to travel with a toddler! For Yosemite National Park recommendations see my Yosemite Park with Kids Pinterest board.

Planning Tips for Travel with a Baby –  18 Months to 24 Months The Ages & Stages series continued… Planning Tips for Travel with a Toddler 2 to 3 Years

No more “free rides” for your child on domestic flights, most cruises, and rail travel in the U.S. and Canada, though kids continue to ride free on trains throughout Europe. Most child-orie...

Five Things You Should Know Before Flying with an Airplane Bassinet (AKA Skycot)

Planning to fly with an airplane bassinet for your baby? Read this first!

Pssst! Have your kids passed the baby and toddler phase? Head over to our sister site for great ideas on traveling with school-age kids: Family Travel 411.

If you’re planning to fly with a baby using an airplane bassinet, start here! Understanding a few key points about airline bassinets (or skycots) in advance could make a big difference in your choice of airlines, when you decide to undertake an international flight...

Pack This! The KneeGuard for Long Car Trips with Little Ones

Little legs needn’t dangle down that long and winding road. Let’s hear it for car trips in comfort!

When was the last time you had to ride in a car with your legs dangling freely for hours on end? It’s probably been a while since you could relate to the fidgity feeling many children get–and the overwhelming desire to kick at the seat in front of you. But if there’s a road trip in your future with a short-legged passenger behind you, you might both be glad to get the KneeGuard before you go.

E...

Planning Tips for Travel with a Baby 18 Months to 24 Months

The Ages & Stages series continued: Travel with a Baby 18 Months to 24 Months. Shown above: Nineteen months and ready for big fun on the Big Island!

Planning Tips for Travel with a Baby –  12 Months to 18 Months The Ages & Stages series continued… Planning Tips for Travel with a Baby 18 to 24 Months

These are the final months your child will be able to fly as a lap child—free on domestic flights and for around 10% of your ticket price on international flights. On anything but short flights, h...

What They SHOULD Have Been Discussing on the Delta Flight YouTube Video Where the Family Gets Kicked Off…

Watching the 8-minute YouTube video of Delta Airlines personnel explaining to the Schear family why they must remove their 18-month-old son from his “paid seat” is nothing short of infuriating. But while the video and articles circulating about it are creating enough confusion about what FAA regulations—and airline recommendations, including Delta’s—are regarding the use of car seats on airplanes, there is a bigger picture that I don’t hear being discussed—not by the Delta employees, not by...

Five Things You Should Know Before Flying with a Car Seat

A car seat built for travel: Here, the Sit N Stroll has converted from stroller to car seat mode, was easily buckled in around the seat (not behind it) with a seat belt extension, and has a sun canopy on stand-by to help block out reading lights and drafts (especially helpful during redeye flights). See more recommendations in Best Car Seats for Travel.

Flying with a car seat? The very words strike fear in the hearts of many parents, but not to worry. Just consider these five points for famil...