Archive for the ‘Travel with Children’ Category

Cranky Quito Kids

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Here we are at the Panecillo looking north towards the Old City and the New City and the airport. My youngest daughter has been fine with the move. At ten months she doesn’t notice change that much as long as she gets plenty of food and sleep. My eldest daughter, on the other hand, seems to miss our old apartment. She does well during the week when we have our playground, nap, pool routine. On the weekends when we go out exploring, however, she gets very pouty and clingy. She wants me to hold her or carry her all the time. Unfortunately, that often means I end up carrying them both. I know that our move from the hotel to our house (when we find one) will probably also be hard for her. What does seem to help?

1. Stories about relatives (her cousins, grandparents, etc.)

2. Discussions about why people move and where they go.

3. Other children. When she is with other kids, she is happy.

4. As much routine as possible.

5. Cheerios.

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Playgrounds in Quito

Friday, July 18th, 2008

Nothing makes me happier than a good playground. Quito is, of course, sadly lacking in good playgrounds. However, this playground, available to Embassy families, is the best one I have seen anywhere. I heard it cost over $150,000 and you can really tell. The floor mat is soft and well-cushioned. The equipment is perfectly maintained. My 10 month old can climb around on all the lower toys with little worry of getting in trouble, but it is challenging enough to keep my three year old happy. There is a small are where we can play “store” and another where we can play “house.” There is a sandbox to make sure we all get plenty dirty and damp. The swings make both of my girls giggle insanely. Behind the playground there is also a pool, although the weather doesn’t inspire swimming at this point, even though it is technically “summer.” At any rate, I couldn’t be happier to have this available to me. I plan to use it frequently!

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Traveling with Toddlers

Friday, July 11th, 2008

I know everyone has their own tricks for traveling with tots, but I thought I would share what has worked for me.

1. Chips in a small bag. (They take a long time to eat and are a special treat!)

2. Old cell phone. (This seems to work best for the around 1 year old crowd.)

3. Crayons and paper. (Obviously).

4. The wonderful CD and book from Wee Sing titled “Fingerplays.” It has the standby’s of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Here is the Church” plus many more I never knew. You can keep kids entertained forever with this!

5. Any sticker book with lots of stickers.

6. Crepe paper for the younger kids. (They like to crunch, crinkle, and tear it).

7. Paperback books. It is especially great if they are cheap and you can color in them and add stickers.

8. Toothbrush and baby toothpaste. Babies like to chew on it and my toddler likes to brush her teeth repeatedly “by herself.” It doesn’t hurt if the toothpaste tastes like bubblegum.

9. Finger puppets.

10. Paper dolls. (Cut out your own dolls and clothes at home and then you can decorate the clothes on the plane and play with them.)

Bonus: Starbursts. For when all else fails.

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Cloth Diapers!

Friday, July 11th, 2008

I bought cloth diapers from www.cottonbabies.com and I love them. Let me explain. My dear friend Katie kept trying to talk me into cloth diapers when I lived in Tbilisi, but I really wouldn’t listen. Then, when moving to Quito, I was worried it would be difficult to get dependable disposable diapers. So, I bought some “Bumgenius All in One” diapers from Cotton Babies. They are great! They hold so much, they are easy to clean, I save money, and I help the environment a bit! What took me so long?

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Moving with Kids

Friday, June 27th, 2008

We decided to do things a bit differently this time since my daughter is old enough to be concerned about a move. We rented a storage unit an slowly moved our stuff into it over about a month of time. That way, the process was gradual. Then, when the movers came, they were at the storage unit instead of our home. Our kids could play and nap and not be disturbed. We also packed out on our last day in town. That way the kids had toys until the last minute. I think it worked pretty well. The last night, my daughter asked for her toys, but I told her they were on their way to Ecuador and we were on our way to Grandma’s house. So, she seemed ok with it. It was much less traumatic than having movers come and tear the whole house apart on one hectic day.

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