Search Results for: blog make better use of travel time

Does Money Make You a Better Parent?

When you become a single parent you quickly learn that there is never enough money. Your kids learn this lesson too, much earlier than you want them too. It’s hard for your kids not to have the things everyone else has, it’s also hard when you are the one who always has to tell them no. Many studies that are done on single parents focus on income as a reason children from single parent households struggle. This may be true, but not having everything handed to you and learning the value of hard work gives our children life skills they … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

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Every week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review brings you a quick summary of each of the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. It makes it easier for you to find out about the ones that you might have missed. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday”. The episode was called “Planes, Patience, and Slightly Kid-Friendlier Security”. This is a good one to listen to for parents who will be traveling by plane with their children this … Continue reading →

Holidays, Travel, and Family Expectations

Holidays can be tricky for anyone, in any family situation. Married couples without kids, however, face a special conundrum: with whom to spend the day(s)? Again, this can be tough for anyone, but childless marrieds face a particular pressure: you don’t have kids, so it falls to you to drive sometimes long distances to attend the family get-together. Of course that returns us to the initial question: with whose family do we spend the holidays? We pick one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other for Easter, because Jon’s parents and my parents live far enough away from … Continue reading →

Time Engineers: Math and Science CD-ROM for Middle and High School Students

At a Glance: Product: Time Engineers Cost: $19.95 Individual, $49.95 School District/University Use: Homeschool, Classroom, Home Grades: Middle School-High School (5th-9th) Lessons Taught: Math, Science, History, Physics Skills: Problem Solving, Reasoning, Critical Thinking Rating: 5 out of 5 Gold Stars Today I am sharing with you one of my new favorite tools to teach math concepts to middle and high school age students. For many homeschoolers these years are difficult in terms of teaching math. I agree. It is for this reason I want to present you with a tool that you and your students will enjoy. What is Time … Continue reading →

Travel Compensation

Imagine forking over $6 for a pair of plastic headphones during a 12-hour flight after being told by an attendant that the headset would work on all future flights on that particular airline. On your return flight you spend 10 minutes trying to cram the cord into the allotted space to no avail. You later learn that the headset is not compatible with that aircraft. You’re now stuck with a very slightly used pair of headphones and nothing to listen to for 12 very long hours. Do you ask the airline to compensate you? You can try, but these days … Continue reading →

Ways to Make Summer Travel Easier on Your Child

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It takes a brave soul to embark on a long vacation, with lots of travel, accompanied by young children. Parents of kids who have special needs are going to need to plan ahead in order to make their child’s travel experience as comfortable as possible. This could mean the difference between a family vacation, and turning the car back around towards home. All vacations require planning. Parents of children who have certain types of special needs are going to have to do some extra preparation in order to make it easier for their children to tolerate the stress, unexpected changes, … Continue reading →

Other Ways Flying Can Make You Sick

So far so good. I didn’t lose my lunch… or my dinner, or my breakfast. Maybe the airplane water wasn’t tainted with bacteria after all. This time. Still, if you don’t hurl from the water or the food, then there are plenty of other ways you can fall ill from flying the friendly skies. In fact, bacteria is as close as the seat pocket in front of you. At least that’s what a new report claims. Health experts say that you are basically fishing around for cold and flu germs each time you stick your hand in an airplane’s seat … Continue reading →

Oil Spill Cancels Weddings and Angers Travelers with Insurance

The news just never gets any better with this BP oil spill, does it? The other day I blogged about the oil spill ruining vacation spots along the Gulf coast, but there’s one thing I didn’t think about – beach weddings. That’s right, the oil spill is now cancelling weddings. Meggie Fleming had her dream wedding planned for August 28th on the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama. Now, she is planning her wedding all over again, this time close to home in Decatur, Alabama. She and her fiance Tyler Thacker had been waiting to see what was going to happen … Continue reading →

It’s Family Vacation Time

This is the last week of school for my 10th grader. Next Monday is the last day for my 5th and 7th graders. While everyone is counting down the last days of homework and sitting in a classroom all day, I am counting down the days of getting up early, making sure homework is done and packing lunches. But I am also getting excited for our upcoming family vacation. The very last day of school for my younger two is the day we leave for an educational trip to Washington D.C. In the past our vacations have been more about … Continue reading →

Traveling with Toddlers: Layover or Not?

When I took my 20-month-old daughter on a 10-hour flight to Hawaii the last thing I wanted was to have her fall asleep right as our connecting flight was about to land. The thought of having to switch planes and tote a sleeping toddler around the airport while juggling my carry-ons was all the incentive I needed to shell out extra money to book a direct flight. But that’s just me. If your toddler is not a napper, then a layover provides the chance to have your son or daughter run off some steam. The break also allows you to … Continue reading →