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    Blog Posts by The Mannered Mom

    • The Difference Between Being A Welcomed or Dreaded Houseguest This Holiday Season

      'Tis the season for entertaining and travel and so it's a great time to refresh the fundamentals of being a good houseguest, nearly none of which apply if you're crashing with Grandparents. :) But for others who may be hosting you and, more importantly, your kids, there are some considerations to keep in mind. Having recently experienced a seemingly never-ending weekend hosting a family of guests, I offer up these tips from first-hand experience.

      • When and for how long. If nothing else, let's be clear about these two things. When traveling with kids, open-ended trips are rare, but do your host the courtesy of letting them know when you'll arrive and, most importantly, when you'll leave.
      • Linens and things. Unless you're planning to visit a friend who lives in the wild without running water, assume you'll have access to linens. In this modern day of in-home washers and dryers, your host is likely happy to offer you your own pillow and set of bath linens. Just be sure
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    • Are Your Kids Stressing Out Fellow Travelers?

      Tips for Avoiding Those Nasty Glares This Holiday Travel Season

      I'm more frequently asked by parents how they should deal with other people's kids while traveling than I am asked for tips on how they could manage their own kids. This leads me to believe that other people's kids are the real problem here, as seems to be the case with most things. I'm not an expert on other people's kids but can provide my own "how to's" for managing or avoiding the most common kid travel mistakes:

      • It is your kid. Basically, if your kid is under the age of 5 and he is awake in an airport, on an airplane, etc. - then he's stressing someone out. You're never going to make all of these people happy but acknowledging that your kid is not perfect is a great start to level-setting the environment.
      • Pre-trip chat. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I've found now that my daughter has reached her preschool years that we can actually have conversations about things and she retains
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