1. Younger and younger kids are coming out as gay, but the support systems we currently have in place don’t really take 7-year-olds into account. What do you do when your young son or daughter tells you they’re gay, or they don’t tell you but you suspect as much? “The best things parents can do for both their straight and gay children is just not to presume anything about their kid’s sexuality — and to admit that, even early on, your kid has one. Talk openly — and casually! — about gay people,” says a lesbian woman who grew up in 1980s Kentucky.
They cycled with a guided group of like-minded parents and kids, so unlike the Family on a Bike, it wasn’t all cycling, all the time. Pepina took some breaks from peddling to let her mother tow her and sometimes just hung out in the kids’ van. They took part in other activities like paddling and fencing and obviously took in the fantastic history that the Loire Valley provides. And most importantly, Pepina enjoyed her first crème brûlée.
Just read this and tell us you’re not immediately thinking of booking one of these tours: Read more...
March 3rd marked five years of wedded bliss for my husband and I. By bliss, I mean chaos, with two babies, two houses and two new jobs, so we thought we would treat ourselves to a week in Jamaica without the kids. It seemed like the best idea ever when we booked it – a week in paradise with nothing to do but soak in the sun while lying by the pool and swimming to the bar.
The few days before we left, however, I panicked. How could we leave our children? Were we heartless and cruel?! My husband reassured me that they would be fine. They were staying with my mom afterall, and a week at Nana’s house meant that our kids would enjoy an all-inclusive vacation of their own, with all-you-can-take snuggles and 24-hour access to junk food and TV. Read more...
It’s just around the corner, but this year, fewer families are planning to jump on a Cuba-bound plane or load up the iPad for the drive to Florida—at least not during the school break. Families are travelling, but they’re doing it outside school holidays.
The current generation of moms and dads—let’s call them the Bueller Generation—are totally nonchalant about pulling their kids out of school for cheaper, less-crowded travel at non-peak times. These parents are making the trips learning experiences (or, at least, that’s how they sell it to the teacher). In mid-December, one Toronto dad took his children to Panama, where his son shot a couple of videos about rainforest ants and howler monkeys and made a presentation to his class. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
Although we were never able to venture too far from home (no trips abroad), some of my fondest memories growing up were travel-related. You know, good old road trips and whatnot.
I grew up in a northern Ontario town that was only a short hop over to the US border. We would spend many of our travel dollars (plug your ears, Canadians) in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. There were plenty of adventures, from throwing up on rides at Valleyfair amusement park near Minneapolis, to the wild (and might I say, slightly strange) world of Wisconsin Dells to all manner of museums and live shows. From the schmaltzy to the cultural, we didn’t shy away from any opportunity for fun.
2. You should use Twilight to teach your kids about sex and love and babies and relationships and all that. Wait. Sorry, that’s not right. Be careful what your kids are learning from Bella, Edward, Jacob and co. Like, if a vampire baby is trying to bite its way out of your uterus, threatening to kill you in the process, maybe sit down with Planned Parenthood?
3. Ulgh T-shirt makers! What is wrong with you?? More slogan controversy, this time on onesies, with Gymboree having a gendered onesies that say either, “Pretty like Mommy” or “Smart like Daddy.” We get it, it doesn’t seem like a big deal compared to the anti-math shirts, but can we not raise baby girls to think of themselves as princesses, cupcakes and sweet objects of consumption while baby boys are thought of as smart, capable and adventurous? Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen and her family drove from Toronto to Orlando
Our drive to Orlando (from Toronto) was long but was not without a few interesting (or questionable) sights to see along the way. Aside from endless reams of the standard vacation/travel-type photos, we caught a few other shots.
The view at New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. OK, this is a typical travel shot right off the bat but it was one of the most beautiful mornings on our drive.
The hotel’s sign caught our attention first but then the kids wondered about the message on the board beneath. What if your dog isn’t super? Do you need to find another hotel?
Sweet Savannah bicycle.
Bikini top in fountain. The kids wondered if some poor woman was walking around Savannah topless. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen, her husband and their three kids are on the road en route to Disney World.
We’ve sent Old School Still Cool blogger Cynthia Kinnunen off on a roadtrip to Disney World in a Chevrolet Orlando. How will she and the family fare on that 23-hour or so drive down? She’ll be reporting back from the road and is sure to have picked up a few survival tips.
One of the toughest parts of taking a family roadtrip can be simply getting out the door. Between choosing the appropriate attire (after reviewing the weather forecast a million times), packing said attire into efficient, space-saving baggage (impossible!), plotting child entertainment and snacking strategies and ensuring no “can’t live without” cuddlies are left behind, this is no easy task! Read more...
Kids are fun, and while we strive to find games and activities that are as much for the adults as they are for the kids, sometimes we just need adults-only time. Sometimes, we just want to chat with partners and/or best pals without worrying about tripping over a Bakugan. Sometimes, we need a staycation.
A staycation, hanging out and living the vacation life without leaving your hometown, is a great option for when you need a break but lack the time and/or funds for a full-on trip. Yes, if we weren’t worried about our carbon footprint and had all the time and money in the world, we’d be jetting off to a beach every other weekend. Since that’s not the case, we’re looking at where we can stay within the city limits while still feel like we’re truly getting away. Read more...
Beth Blenz-Clucas blogs about music for kids that grownups will love too
It’s travel season… I keep seeing all the posts and pics that my friends are sharing about their summer trips. There’s something about getting out of Dodge that does wonders for the mind and spirit. People ask how we were able to drag our two boys around on so many long-distance adventures when they were small. And we didn’t even have iPhone apps or videos to keep them entertained! I don’t know, but I think our kids just got the travel bug early, and after a certain point, they learned that the carseat was something they just had to deal with in order to get somewhere interesting and fun. Bribes and snacks certainly helped, too.Read more...
Because no one, least of all the kid’s parent, wants to hear them scream all flight
A recent decision by Malaysia Airlines to ban babies in first class sparked quite the debate on the New York Times Motherlode blog, and when one mom recognized herself in a comment, she had to write in to tell her side of the story. Despite her best efforts at preparation (virus medication, Benadryl, toys, crayons) her sick baby cried off and on throughout the entire flight from San Francisco to Paris. If you know that despite all this prep work, there’s still a chance your child will test their lung strength, we like this idea of pre-takeoff peace offering. Or make like Amy Poehler and buy drinks.
Could she have done anything differently? We know that with scattered extended families and adventurous parents, Bunchlanders know a thing or two about travel, so we’ve asked you for your best travel tips. Here’s what you said: Read more...
