Penny Whistle Traveling-with-Kids Book: Whether by Boat, Train, Car, or Plane...How to Take The Best Trip Ever with Kids

by Meredith Brokaw, Annie Gilbar, Jill Weber

Overview

Make every Trip an Adventure with Penny Whistle
They say getting there is half the fun, but all too often the stress of being away from home and the frustration of being confined in a car, plane, train, hotel room, or even someone else's home combine to turn a simple trip into a painful experience for parents and kids. But with The Penny Whistle Traveling with Kids Book parents and kids will find everything they need to make travel time fun time. Full of inventive advice and helpful hints, The Penny Whistle Traveling with Kids Book will show parents how to:

• Involve the whole family in planning the trip
• Pack so you're prepared for anything
• Create a Penny Whistle Travel Box. Travel Backpack, & First-Aid Kit
• Keep kids occupied on the road with games for every age & interest

PLUS:Creative solutions and travel experiences from parents and kids, a Travel Exercise Program, What to Do When Your Child Travels Alone, Delicious Roadside Picnics and Traveling Snacks, and much, much more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780671881368
Publisher:	Touchstone
Publication date:	04/01/1995
Series:	Nih Publication
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 Years

About the Author

Meredith Brokaw, former teacher, mother of three, and wife of TV anchorman Tom Brokaw, is the founder and owner of the Penny Whistle toys stores, dedicated since 1978 to providing original, creative playthings. She lives in New York.

Read an Excerpt

Going to Restaurants with Kids

All trips are likely to include eating out at least once. Eating in restaurants can be a tricky proposition. Here are some hints to help:

• Do not choose a formal restaurant. Kids are much more comfortable in casual places, and casual places are much more comfortable with kids. It is unfair to expect young children to sit still for long periods of time surrounded by stuffy waiters carrying crystal and silver. If you don't put your kids in this position, both the kids and the restaurants will thank you.
• If the food is slow in coming, take the kids outside for a while rather than insisting on good behavior.
• Some parents find that if they sit next to them, their children will behave better.
• Always ask for a children's menu. If one is not available, ask for a half order.
• Check out the menu before you sit down in a restaurant so you'll be sure that there is something that the kids will eat.
• It is not a great idea to order food for your children that they normally don't like just because that's all there is on the menu. If they don't eat it at home, they won't eat it now. If you find yourself in the position of facing a menu that has nothing your kids will eat, improvise. For a ling time when one of our kids was little, she would only eat pizza, macaroni and cheese, or grilled cheese. Period. But we also found that there are many accommodating chefs who can make a grilled cheese sandwich, or plain pasta with butter and cheese. It was always the preferable solution to ordering baked bass in shrimp sauce, which would have gone untouched.
• Ask for your child's meal to be served with your appetizer so he doesn't have to wait. You canalso ask for crudiets (carrots and celery sticks, cucumber slices and raw radishes) to keep young mouths fed while the meal is being cooked. Most kids assume that all the crackers and rolls placed on the table were meant for them anyway.
• You can't expect kids to wait in line or to sit for hours in a restaurant after being cooped up in a car or out sightseeing all day. To prevent a restaurant disaster, choose a place that offers fast service and simple food.

  Copyright ©1995 by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar

Editorial Reviews

Brokaw, a toy store owner, and magazine editor Gilbar continue their collaboration (The Penny Whistle Birthday Book, Fireside, 1992, and others) with a useful travel book for parents. Chapters include advice on family travel planning, packing, children's games, exercise programs, and road food (including recipes). Much of this information will be familiar to parents, though it is helpful to have it collected in a single volume, with reference made to specific types of travel (car, train, boat, airplane) as well as suitable activities for children of different ages and a list of cities with museums appropriate for kids. The text is greatly enhanced by charming illustrations, particularly those of a traveling cat who makes appearances throughout the book. A bibliography and resource section with books for parents and children are also useful. Recommended for public libraries.-Caroline Mitchell, Washington, D.C.

Library Journal