This is a reader question from Kristen, a mom from Australia who is planning a road trip through the United States.
I am travelling from Australia to the US with 2 small children - was planning on bringing carseats from here as we will be in US for few months, would those car seats meet US standards? Otherwise how do I find out about renting car seats in Indianapolis. Thanks
Thanks for your question!
You should contact the car seat manufacturer to find out whether your specific seats are approved for use in the US. That said, I've never heard of a police officer taking the time to inspect a car seat to make sure it was US approved, so if I were in your shoes, that wouldn't be my first source of concern.
More important (and unfortunately more time consuming) is making sure that your children will be restrained properly according the laws of each state you will be visiting. Some states are more restrictive than others, and it is probably easiest to follow the rules of the most restrictive state throughout your trip. For example, in Washington State (among the most restrictive states in the US) children must use a child restraint until they are 8 years old and cannot use a booster until they are 4. In contrast, in California, a child over 40 pounds may ride in the rear seat with only a lap belt and may move from a toddler seat to a booster seat whenever the manufacturer instructions state that they are old enough.
If you do find out that you need new car seats, your trip is long enough that it would be cheaper to buy an inexpensive seat than to rent seats (rentals are usually $5 to $10 per day). You could head directly to a Toys R Us or Target store near the airport, or order seats online from a company like Amazon to be delivered to your first hotel room.
Emily who said
I live in the D.C. area and the Great American chain of restaurants is great with kids! They have a team approach, so there is always someone to help or get you something if you need it and they have call ahead seating, so there's no waiting around in a crowded lobby with a squirmy toddler. :D
Emily, please email me your mailing address, and I will send you your prize!
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Many thanks to BABYBJÖRN for generously sponsoring this giveaway.
Today, one of our two local newspapers is shutting down its print edition forever. Here in Seattle, we're lucky - we still have one newspaper left, but across the country the newspapers, magazines and tv news shows that have held businesses and politicians accountable for their actions through investigative reports are struggling. Those that are still operating have often cut back on expensive independent reporting.
Society still has a need for that investigative reporting, and one of the ways that it can begin to resurface is through the efforts of investigative bloggers. Jeremiah Nichols of Z Recommends has proposed a session at BlogHer about how parent bloggers can do consumer research and investigative reporting and he needs your votes in order to make it happen.
Why do I care? I experienced at a small scale the impact even a very small blog like mine can have on a major international company's policy (and on state law) when I broke my own stories about Unsafe Car Seats at Advantage Rental Car. The stories were picked up by ABC news, the company pledged to change its ways, and even the state of California revisited its policies on car seat safety in rental cars. Those of us who blog have the opportunity (and the power) to make big changes in issues we care about, and I am thrilled about the idea of meeting up with other bloggers to talk about how we do that professionally and responsibly.
For us, the experience of traveling with our kids is not only a great way to help expand our kids' worldview, it is one of our best opportunities to build new bonds as a family. Yet many parents are so afraid that the trip might not be perfect, that they stay home - missing out on countless chances to build unique and lasting family memories. Traveling with kids is never perfect, and rarely easy, but with a little advance planning, you can work around most of those roadblocks.
Waiting for the Train at Old Tucson Studios
My Kids Won't Appreciate It (or Won't Remember)
Kids may not remember or appreciate the distance and expense associated with visiting a specific destination, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go. We do so many things with our children that they won't remember as they get older - from wrapping them in a handmade baby blanket, to the songs we sing as we rock them to sleep. Do we do those things for them or for ourselves? I don't know, but I do know that I treasure the memories and photos of the trips I took with my children when they were babies, toddlers, and now preschoolers. By leaving our busy routine, we also find new activities and interests that we never would have tried at home. Even if we're not learning a language or teaching our kids ancient history, we are helping them develop a broader view of the world, and we are in turn developing a broader view of their interests.
It's Too Far
A long-haul plane flight can seem daunting (and it's never my favorite part of a trip) but there's no need to focus on just this one aspect of the trip. Allow plenty of time at your destination to recover from Jet Lag, and consider breaking up a very long flight with a multi-day stopover. Many airlines will let you stop in their hub (e.g. New York, London or Amsterdam) for a few nights without charging you extra airfare, and this can be a fun way to break up the flight time and see one more part of the world. Here are more tips on surviving long haul plane flights
It's Too Expensive
Times are tough right now, but if you have some expendable income, and want to travel, it is worth looking at the actual costs of the trip you want to take. They may not be as high as you think. The dollar is higher than it has been in years against almost every major currency and there are phenomenal travel deals to be had on everything from airfares to hotels and cruises. For example, British Airways is running flights to Europe for as low as $149 each way and throwing in two nights hotel stay for free!
My Kids Can't Sit Still on the Plane
Admittedly, anticipation of the plane flight is always the thing that causes me the most stress as we plan each trip. Advance can help make any flight easier. Try to schedule flights at times when your children would normally sleep, and make every effort to wear them out before you step on the plane. Check out our tips for keeping an active child calm on a plane and keeping your child busy on a plane
Enjoying Extra Time With Daddy in Downtown Tucson
They Won't Have "Kids Activities" There
Around the world, kids and parents somehow find ways to stay busy even in the absence of major theme parks. What's even better, is that when you join locals at playgrounds, beaches, and other activities, you get to experience the culture in a new way. It may seem tricky at first to find activities near the major tourist destinations, but research before your leave home can uncover some hidden gems. In addition to our Kid Friendly City Guides, you can use Google Maps to find playgrounds near tourist destinations, or find expat bloggers with kids at your destination and send them email for advice. Even when you hit the ground without a plan, you'll find that your kids naturally gravitate towards things that interest them. Allow them the time and space to enjoy details that might seem trivial to you (like a bubble blower in a park or a cookie making machine in a store window) and they'll be much more patient as you maneuver them through the Louvre.
I Can't Carry All the Stuff
As parents, we're conditioned to bring everything our children could conceivably need along with us. It's important to pause for a minute and ask yourself whether you actually need each of the conveniences you use at home. Supplies like diapers and wipes can be purchased at your destination, and baby travel rental companies can provide items like cribs and high chairs when your hotel is unable to supply them. It might surprise you to hear that my family of four routinely travels with no checked baggage for trips under a week long! Even if that's not your goal, you'll find helpful advice in my favorite tips for packing light with babies, toddlers and kids and my Packing Checklists
I Won't Get to Relax
True, but you probably don't get to relax at home either! Vacations are more active with kids, but they still provide a welcome break in routine. You can make a family vacation less taxing by bringing along a friend or relative who is able to babysit some of the time, or by teaching your child to nap in a stroller or sling. You might even choose to travel with a Nanny or Babysitter.
What If Someone Gets Hurt?
Fear that a child will get injured or sick (especially if the child has severe food allergies can be so strong for some parents that they won't leave the country. While nobody wants to see a child injured (at home or abroad) there is no reason to expect that a normally healthy child would require medical attention on vacation.
Reassure yourself by traveling with an emergency contact sheet that includes information for your family doctor and the name and phone number of an English speaking doctor or children's hospital at your destination. It is also helpful to travel with a small first aid kit that includes bandaids and common medication like tylenol along with your child's dosing information.
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Typical Roman desserts served as part of a "Home Food" meal
One of my favorite food memories in Rome was our visit to a real Roman home for dinner, arranged through Rome's Home Food organization. The host and hostess welcomed us, and six other guests, into their family home for a dinner made up of typical food that would be served in a home (very different from food served in a restaurant)
The food was delicious, and our hostess explained that she took the day off from her job (she's a neo-natalogist and a professor at the University of Rome) to prepare the meal. What made it particularly memorable, though, wasn't just the food itself, or the effort to preserve Rome's culinary heritage, but the opportunity to be welcomed into an apartment that had housed the same family for three generations (so far) and get an inside view into real Roman life.
The Home Food organization also arranges cooking classes and some meals are kid friendly.
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Back before my husband and I had kids, we ended our 6 month, around-the-world backpacking tour with a week at an Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It was the perfect antidote to the "work" of non-stop travel through sometimes challenging destinations like Cambodia, Myanmar, the Middle East and Africa.
The area was beautiful and we spent long days snorkeling, sailing, and picnicking around the island. Still, I've always hoped to return to the area and explore the rainforest. Within the next few years I'd love to return with the kids and take a roadtrip through the area.
Luckily, I won't have to work too hard to find things to do in and around Cairns (the launching point for most trips to the Great Barrier Reef). Peace, who runs the website Cairns Family Holidays has pulled together a fantastic list of things to do in and around Cairns, and very generously entered them in our Cairns With Kids city guide. If you are considering a trip to the area, you should definitely check out her site for even more great ideas. I'm also enjoying her Cairns Family Holidays Blog
Cairns is a beautiful city. It is the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and is surrounded by expanses of pristine rainforest to the North, South and West. For families there is plenty to explore and experience, learning about the reef, the rainforest and the people of Australia as you go. Here are a few of my favorite family fun ideas!
Discover the magic of the rainforest, which is home to possums, wallabies, tree kangaroos and a host of colourful birds. Take a trip on Skyrail, the rainforest cable car, which takes you to the rainforest village of Kuranda and take the historic train down the mountain back or visit Crystal Cascades an absolutely beautiful national park just outside of Cairns.
No trip to Australia is complete without a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. Tours to the reef and local islands depart daily from the Cairns Reef Fleet terminal. For families with children under 5 I recommend a half day trip to beautiful Green Island. See the reef from a semi-submersible or a glass bottom boat and explore this beautiful coral island in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. For older children try a trip to the Outer Reef where you can spend the day on a large pontoon and take the children on a guided snorkelling tour. Sometimes you’ll see whales, dolphin, green sea turtles, manta rays and sucker fish, if you look really carefully you might even find Nemo too!
The Cairns Botanical Gardens are the ideal place for a family picnic parents can stroll through the leafy tropical gardens while children explore the maze-like pathways which lead to secret waterfalls and ferny grottoes. There are a host of unusual flowering plants and if you look carefully you’ll find frogs, butterflies and colourful beetles hiding amongst the lush greenery. Entry is free and the gardens are open 7 days a week. Just next door to the Gardens you’ll find the Tanks Art Centre where travelling exhibitions of photography, sculpture, contemporary installation and fine art by local artists can be seen.
Kids will love getting up close and personal with some of our amazing animals. Cairns has a number of great wildlife parks where they can feed the kangaroos, hold a giant stick insect and learn more about Australia's unique creatures. My favorite is Cairns Tropical Zoo where you can have your photo taken with a koala, wombat or baby crocodile and see the amazing free flight show.
This lightweight travel crib is easy to set up and seems like a comfortable choice for a baby or toddler who needs to sleep in a familiar bed each night. You can read my full review of the BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib here.
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How To Enter
I will be giving the BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light away to one lucky reader. If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment before 11:59PM PST on Tuesday March 17 2009 and tell me about a favorite kid friendly hotel, attraction, or restaurant in a city near you or someplace you have traveled. Please include your email address in the comment form (your email isn't shared with anyone, and I will not send you email unless you win).
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This is an unpaid and unsolicited review of the BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light. The product was given to me for review by BabyBjorn. Because I never keep freebies valued at over $40, I will give it away to one lucky reader in a giveaway that begins tomorrow.
We don't usually bring a travel crib with us when we travel. Instead, in an effort to travel light, we co-sleep when we're on the road. Still, with more warnings about the dangers associated with co-sleeping as recently as January, I recognize that not every parent is willing to make that trade off. Similarly, while we've been willing to use hotel cribs at our destination, not every parent feels comfortable doing so (and not every hotel crib lives up to current safety standards).
People often ask me about different travel cribs, and I thought it would be helpful to review the BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light, one of the more highly rated travel cribs on Amazon. As a comparison, I also set up the Graco Pack n Play we used as a "downstairs crib" when both E and D were young.
Size and Weight
Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Closed
When closed, the Baby Bjorn Travel crib measures 7.2 x 24 x 19 inches - too bulky to fit in most suitcases. Instead it comes in a bag sturdy enough to be checked without additional packaging. The Pack n Play is also too bulky to fit in a suitcase, and comes with its own carry bag. Note that any optional accessories (e.g. a mobile or shade) do not fit in the Pack n Play carry bag.
At just 11 pounds, the Baby Bjorn felt incredibly light to me, especially when I compared it to my Graco Pack n Play (weighing in at 21 pounds or more depending on model)
All fabric parts can be zipped off and machine washed.
Setup
As I pulled the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib out of its carry bag, the spring loaded poles started to pop into place. Before I had a chance to dig out the instructions the frame was assembled, and it seemed obvious that I would insert the mattress with the "this end down" side down and be done. It was a refreshing change to set up a new piece of baby equipment for the first time without a struggle. In contrast, I have set up our Pack n Play once or twice on my own, but I usually leave that job to my husband because, frankly, it frustrates me.
Use
The crib felt sturdy once set up, and the mattress was more padded, and seemed more comfortable than the Pack n Play mattress. D, who is almost 2 1/2 fit easily in the crib, while E (almost 4) seemed a little cramped. The company recommends that children over 35 inches tall or big enough to climb out of the crib not use it.
Baby Bjorn Travel Crib with 2 1/2 year old
Unlike my Pack n Play model, there was no bassinet, so with a very young baby you would reach all the way down to the ground to pick up or put down the child. That's fine for a travel crib, but as an extra crib to use at home, the bassinet (and the changing table) that came with my Pack n Play were features I really used a lot.
The crib was just as easy to disassemble as it had been to assemble, and while I struggled to fit it back in its case on the first try, once I figured out how to position the leg poles, it slid in easily on subsequent tries.
Baby Bjorn Travel Crib with 3 1/2 year old
Cost
The BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light Retails at $279.95 (it is on sale at Amazon now for 228.25 - $51 off). The
Pack n Play price varies from $69.99 (includes bassinet) to $294 (which includes a bassinet, shade canopy, changing platform and diaper storage).
Conclusion
Overall this was a very well designed product and seemed sturdy enough to hold up to lots of use and frequent travel. The fact that it was streamlined to make it light would make it great for road trips, or even as a checked bag on an airplane, but also meant that it did not have all the bells and whistles to be a great extra crib at home.
Normally the idea of shopping with the kids exhausts me. In Paris, though, the shop windows are so engaging that no additional entertainment is needed. Six-month old E loved being up at eye level in the sling as we wandered the streets of Paris.
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About Me I'm Debbie, mother of three delicious kids and I write about traveling with little kids. That's my daughter in the backpack and my son in Paris on Halloween.
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