Vacations Blog

I just found out about a new card game to improve family communication on long vacation drives and a kid’s seat harness for airline flights to improve safety.

Family Talk-Improved

This weekend our family is driving three hours to visit friends in Clear Lake, CA. We always let our kids watch a movie in the car but that only keeps their interest for part of the drive. They have moved beyond “I Spy” and I have forbidden them from their all-time favorite game, “slug bug” as they think it is fun to slug harder with each turn. No, I didn’t teach them that game, a 28 year old cousin did…(thanks, cuz.) As I contemplated the journey, I was pleased to get a few ideas for improving the car ride from a new company, Around The Table.

Around The Table has created three card decks for promoting family communication. I plan on taking Family Talk. I like the concept because the game looks fun, I think it will create interesting conversation and it is portable. Each card has a question you ask your kids to get beyond the “how was school? it was fine.” daily routine. The question that captured my interest was “what is your favorite stuffed animal.” My ten year old daughter loves her stuffed animals, she brings about a thousand with her all the time and I would like to understand this, well, obsession. For my 8 year old son, I want to ask him, “What would he change about school?” I won’t let him say cancel all classes. Both ideas are from the pack.

Each deck of 100 cards is attached to a carabineer clip you can clip to a backpack or purse. The manufacturer promises, “Anticipating a long wait at the airport? Whip out these questions and the time will fly. Stuck in traffic with the kids? Family Talk, will encourage the kids to ask anything but “are we there yet?”

And I am all about that. For more information about the other games, go here.

Hate schlepping that car seat onto the plane?

My kids are more comfortable and better behaved wearing a seatbelt but the lap belts on the plane are too big for them. I was pleased to see a smart mom invented a harness just for airline travel called the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES). The National Parenting Publications Awards recently awarded CARES with a Gold seal for the Toddler age group in its Parenting Resources Awards.

CARES is a seatbelt attachment that weighs less than a pound and provides extra support to children who weigh between 22-44 pounds on an airplane. No need to bring that bulky car seats on planes for your children.

In addition to winning the NAPPA Gold, CARES has recently received the Crystal Cabin Award, which recognizes innovative airplane cabin concepts; the Good Housekeeping 2008 Good Buy Award; an iParenting Media Award for Excellent Products; a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; an Editor’s Choice Award from the Family Review Center; the Toy Man Seal of Approval, Award of Excellence and eChoice Award; and the Mr. Dad Seal of Approval.

CARES retails for $74.95 and is certified for all phases of flight – taxiing, take off, turbulence and landing. CARES is manufactured exclusively by AmSafe, the foremost manufacturer of aviation seatbelts and pilot restraints in the world. (Turn over your airplane seat belt buckle. Chances are it says AmSafe.) For more information, visit their website at www.kidsflysafe.com or call 800-299-6249.