What was your favorite childhood toy?

z.

My favorite was this book that had a super miniature electronic piano attached, and the book contained nursery rhymes and famous kid songs (Pop Goes the Weasel, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star etc) Funny, because now I've been playing piano for real since I was tall enough to reach the piano :)
How about you?

Answer
I liked those round things that you sat on, that had a wheel on top that you turned to spin yourself.
:D

Entertaining kids on an overseas flight....How?

AshleyHurl

My husband and I will be taking an overseas flight in 2 months. Our girls will be 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 by then. Beyond the snacks and pacifiers, what other things would be helpful? Our dvd player would surely die quick and I don't see them having plugs on the plane. LoL! (We are taking a Rotator, for those military minded folks) Should we bring a car seat for the youngest or would she be a tad too old for it? All these lil details have been left to the military wife to figure out. So please, help me :)

Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I can confirm that yes, your younger one would do better in a car seat. I fly a lot between Europe and California with my three children and I always take a car seat with us.

To transport it, you can buy an overpriced GogoKidz or just do what I do and strap it to a small metal luggage cart. I use an extra bungee cord and she'll even be able to ride in it if she's tired. Then again, you can try to use your stroller. Either wedge it inside or bungee cord it to the back (depends on the design of both). Try it at home first!

It was a really good idea to use it onboard when the airlines lost three of our four bags last winter but my daughter was safe on the 2 hour drive home since we had our car seat with us. Use it onboard and you'll have it at your destination without the worry that it's broken or lost in the hold. The adult seatbelt doesn't hold 2 and 3 year olds very well and your older one is about the minimum anyway.

None of mine ever took a pacifier so I never had them with me. There is a common myth that children are supposed to suck on something during take-off and landing but actually, they only need to be awake at the *top* of descent (landing is too late) so please let them sleep if they do so on take-off (which they often do).

As far as the portable DVD player, I'm not familiar with that brand. Can you buy a second battery? Recharge both and exchange them inflight? For a long haul trip, you need at least 5 hours play time (one movie for each girl, if you want to see it that way).

My girls are just a bit older and they flew at these ages too. What I found worked well;
-coloring anything, books, paper, just a pad with washable felt tip pens
-Those boards that wipe clean
-story books (no one will mind if you read to them)
-small puzzles they can do on their tray table
-stickers (why are these such a hit? Easy to buy, easy to carry, get a bunch!)
-dolls. Mine love Polly Pockets which are to easy to pack. Barbies fit in their backpacks and bring lots of changes of clothes.
Other parents swear by pipe cleaners. Again, lots of stuff you can do with those and they fit in a bag easily.

Get them new presents, which don't have to be expensive. An extra Barbie dress, coloring book, etc. Estimate one new toy about every two hours of flight time (or less if it's excessive). Keep the new stuff yourself and dole it out during the flight.

Have each child pack a bag of their choice of toys. Edit it!!! Especially with security in mind.

Any electronic toys, bring batteries or make sure they're recharged. Have the rechargers with you in case of a delay or if you have a layover.

Nothing can make ANY noise. Annoyingly, a lot of those electonical "pets" (Pet Shops and Tamagochis?) have sound that doesn't turn off. Double check but don't bring anything that beeps or squeeks unless you don't mind being very unpopular in your cabin!

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on the subject of flying with children for a local newsletter. On the web, all the information I found was written by people who had never worked directly for the airlines. I wanted to promote the use of car seats on aircraft for both safety and comfort. I have more general flying tips, many of which came from the many, many military families who were on my flights over the years, so feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

My dad was a captain and I was born at an Army hospital so I'm particial to military folks, many of whom are having a time of it right now.

My contact info is at the end, if you need anything else. If not, have a great flight!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Entertaining kids on an overseas flight....How?

AshleyHurl

My husband and I will be taking an overseas flight in 2 months. Our girls will be 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 by then. Beyond the snacks and pacifiers, what other things would be helpful? Our dvd player would surely die quick and I don't see them having plugs on the plane. LoL! (We are taking a Rotator, for those military minded folks) Should we bring a car seat for the youngest or would she be a tad too old for it? All these lil details have been left to the military wife to figure out. So please, help me :)

Answer
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I can confirm that yes, your younger one would do better in a car seat. I fly a lot between Europe and California with my three children and I always take a car seat with us.

To transport it, you can buy an overpriced GogoKidz or just do what I do and strap it to a small metal luggage cart. I use an extra bungee cord and she'll even be able to ride in it if she's tired. Then again, you can try to use your stroller. Either wedge it inside or bungee cord it to the back (depends on the design of both). Try it at home first!

It was a really good idea to use it onboard when the airlines lost three of our four bags last winter but my daughter was safe on the 2 hour drive home since we had our car seat with us. Use it onboard and you'll have it at your destination without the worry that it's broken or lost in the hold. The adult seatbelt doesn't hold 2 and 3 year olds very well and your older one is about the minimum anyway.

None of mine ever took a pacifier so I never had them with me. There is a common myth that children are supposed to suck on something during take-off and landing but actually, they only need to be awake at the *top* of descent (landing is too late) so please let them sleep if they do so on take-off (which they often do).

As far as the portable DVD player, I'm not familiar with that brand. Can you buy a second battery? Recharge both and exchange them inflight? For a long haul trip, you need at least 5 hours play time (one movie for each girl, if you want to see it that way).

My girls are just a bit older and they flew at these ages too. What I found worked well;
-coloring anything, books, paper, just a pad with washable felt tip pens
-Those boards that wipe clean
-story books (no one will mind if you read to them)
-small puzzles they can do on their tray table
-stickers (why are these such a hit? Easy to buy, easy to carry, get a bunch!)
-dolls. Mine love Polly Pockets which are to easy to pack. Barbies fit in their backpacks and bring lots of changes of clothes.
Other parents swear by pipe cleaners. Again, lots of stuff you can do with those and they fit in a bag easily.

Get them new presents, which don't have to be expensive. An extra Barbie dress, coloring book, etc. Estimate one new toy about every two hours of flight time (or less if it's excessive). Keep the new stuff yourself and dole it out during the flight.

Have each child pack a bag of their choice of toys. Edit it!!! Especially with security in mind.

Any electronic toys, bring batteries or make sure they're recharged. Have the rechargers with you in case of a delay or if you have a layover.

Nothing can make ANY noise. Annoyingly, a lot of those electonical "pets" (Pet Shops and Tamagochis?) have sound that doesn't turn off. Double check but don't bring anything that beeps or squeeks unless you don't mind being very unpopular in your cabin!

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on the subject of flying with children for a local newsletter. On the web, all the information I found was written by people who had never worked directly for the airlines. I wanted to promote the use of car seats on aircraft for both safety and comfort. I have more general flying tips, many of which came from the many, many military families who were on my flights over the years, so feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

My dad was a captain and I was born at an Army hospital so I'm particial to military folks, many of whom are having a time of it right now.

My contact info is at the end, if you need anything else. If not, have a great flight!

Anyone try the electronic cigarettes?

viva_la_pe

I want to quit smoking and have been reading good and bad things about the e-cigs. Has anyone tried it? Was it successful? Thoughts, comments or concerns please!

Answer
Google for message forums about them, tons of info out there.

They are more than just water, but its nothing harmful. They use propelyne glycol (pg) and vegetable glycerin (vg), plus liquid nicotine and food flavors. People have used scare tactics with the pg, because it is an ingredient in anti freeze. BUT, it is ALSO food safe, in a great deal of our food supply, as well as fogging machines and children's toys. The vg is also food safe. Scare tactics around that are because its also sold as a skin protectant.. like you can use it as lotion. But again, in our food supply, fogging machines and kids toys.

On top of that, both chemicals are in regular cig smoke.

They feel different. They taste different. You will never find one that tastes like your cig, I went to fruit flavors.

Nicotine dosing can be hard to get right. They all advertise that one of the filter cartridges is like a carton, but in general i found it was more like a pack, give or take. The nicotine is dosed in the cartridges about the same as a pack, as well. (so, to know your nic dosage, find out how much nic is in one pack of the brand you smoke, that will equal the dose for the entire cartridge.)

Do a lot of research for model types and such. Read read read. Avoid buying kits upfront, just buy a single battery and flavor, so you can know if you like that flavor or brand or model. After you know you like what you have, then feel free to stock up, but if you dont like it, and want to abadnon the idea, or try a diff model, you arent out that much.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is this loud mysterious beep I keep hearing in my house every ten minutes?

How would you best entertain small children during a long plane flight?

top kids electronic toys image

.

We have approximately twelve hours of plane travel ahead of us Thursday. Considering the new flight restrictions, please share any ideas about what to bring or do, etc., to help the time pass.

Answer
Okay, remember a few things, first don't bring anything that beeps, bops or plays music, you will annoy all the passengers around you who are looking at relaxing during this flight you have. And the activity depends on the age of the child(ren) I have a 5 year old who was born in Germany (we are American citizens, and so are ALL our families), so we had several long flights back and forth, we also now live in Venezuela, the flights aren't as long but still, the combined flights plus layovers can be just as long/longer, I also have a son who is 16 months old (almost) who took his first flight when he was only 2 1/2 months old, he has since flown 7 times... AND we're moving back to Germany next spring. MOST (actually all my flights with my son) of the flights I have taken have been just me and the kids, my husband is in the military and has been deployed three times since my daughter (my oldest) was born, we travel a lot when he's gone. Anyway so how to entertain the kids has been a HIGH priority on my list. first thing to do is buy a new toy and keep it hidden until you get on the plane (you know how it is, an old familar toy would be seen as boring, but a new toy is always exciting), also make sure you DO have a familar toy (like a favorite stuffed animal or whatever). Make sure you bring plenty of snacks (beverages ARE still allowed on planes for children as long as you test/drink it to prove it is what you say it is). I got my daughter a doodle pad (travel size) which works great because she loves to draw and color, (coloring books are great too but you have to remember that it's easy to drop and lose crayons, and the doodle pads have "pens" that are attached). I also bought her a tick-tack-toe travel board, non-electronic, and we played that too (look in the section of your local store that has travel games for other ideas, usually it's on the same isle as the board games). Buy a new book (even if the child isn't old enough to read, you can read it to them). Don't bring things like a deck of cards (same problem as the crayons too easy to drop and lose a card, and then that usually messes up your game). Make sure your child wears layers (like a sweater on top of a t-shirt) sometimes depending on where you sit on the plane it can be quite cold, and even those little blankets they provide isn't enough to keep warm, also pack socks if your child is wearing sandals, because in order to be comfortable I'm sure your child will be kicking off the shoes, and then if the kid needs to get up and around you won't want to have to find the shoes (but I would recommend shoes in the bathroom, I know if you've flown you've experienced turbulence, most guys can't pee in the toilet when it's holding still, they are BOUND to miss and hit the floor when the toilet is being shaken around!) Also even for your 3 year old, get him/her their own backpack to carry (lightweight) toys in believe me when you are going terminal to terminal anything that YOU don't have to carry is a plus. If your child is 3 or younger I recommend taking a stroller, that way if you are in a hurry to get to your gate you can walk at YOUR pace (it's also great to load the stroller, even an umbrella stroller handles with the carry-ons you have, making it easier on YOU). We DID bring flashcards on one flight we had, (I know I said no cards) we punched a hole in the top corner of all the cards and thread them on a keyring to keep them together, I used those flashcards to help my daughter learn her numbers and letters, so something education is always great. Remember that whatever you bring has to provide HOURS of entertainment (try buying a puzzle book, simple crosswords, or find-it word games) so don't get anything that is meant as a one time use, also remember that you're restricted on space, so a toy that needs a lot of space isn't good. We also played I spy a lot. I would also recommend buying something like gummie worms or bite sized fruit chew snacks, the gummie worms work GREAT for getting the kid's ears not to hurt (obviously won't work on a child too young to chew on them), for my son I just made sure I didn't let him drink ANYTHING for at least 2-3 hours before a flight, that way when we took off he was READY for his sippy cup (he never took a bottle), the sucking on that is good for their ears too. I've also used dry cereal too. Anything to get them to chew or swallow will help their ears. (you can of course use gum on children old enough for it) If the flight is 12 hours or usually nowadays longer than 4 they will show an in flight movie... it's not always appropriate for children, and some are too young to be able to listen with the earphones on. If I knew how old your children were I could give you better examples, but I hope the ones I provided are good. Good luck, and have a safe trip!

Anyone try the electronic cigarettes?

viva_la_pe

I want to quit smoking and have been reading good and bad things about the e-cigs. Has anyone tried it? Was it successful? Thoughts, comments or concerns please!

Answer
Google for message forums about them, tons of info out there.

They are more than just water, but its nothing harmful. They use propelyne glycol (pg) and vegetable glycerin (vg), plus liquid nicotine and food flavors. People have used scare tactics with the pg, because it is an ingredient in anti freeze. BUT, it is ALSO food safe, in a great deal of our food supply, as well as fogging machines and children's toys. The vg is also food safe. Scare tactics around that are because its also sold as a skin protectant.. like you can use it as lotion. But again, in our food supply, fogging machines and kids toys.

On top of that, both chemicals are in regular cig smoke.

They feel different. They taste different. You will never find one that tastes like your cig, I went to fruit flavors.

Nicotine dosing can be hard to get right. They all advertise that one of the filter cartridges is like a carton, but in general i found it was more like a pack, give or take. The nicotine is dosed in the cartridges about the same as a pack, as well. (so, to know your nic dosage, find out how much nic is in one pack of the brand you smoke, that will equal the dose for the entire cartridge.)

Do a lot of research for model types and such. Read read read. Avoid buying kits upfront, just buy a single battery and flavor, so you can know if you like that flavor or brand or model. After you know you like what you have, then feel free to stock up, but if you dont like it, and want to abadnon the idea, or try a diff model, you arent out that much.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is this loud mysterious beep I keep hearing in my house every ten minutes?