finger on
the pulse
Travel to foreign countries is always an
adventure; travelling there with children
is doubly so. It creates a situation where
a parent has to balance a fun and
enriching experience against the risk of
a child becoming hurt or lost in a place
where you don’t know the language,
layout or laws. Although every country
presents its own unique challenges, a
few safety rules apply wherever you
choose to take your little travellers.
Photo ready:
While you’ll take every
precaution to make sure you and your
kids don’t get separated on your travels,
accidents happen. Imagine describing
what your child looks like, while panicked,
using a foreign language. Snap a photo
with your mobile phone every morning as
the family leaves for the day’s adventure.
That picture will include your child’s
current hairstyle and the day’s outfit.
Gleaming counters can make a hotel room seem
white-glove clean. But despite the housekeeping
staff’s best efforts, some bacteria that check in
don’t check out. The germiest spots are not the
bathroom doorknobs, as you might guess. An
analysis from the University of Houston in the US
found that dubious honour went to the main light
switch – with 29 times more bacteria than the
bathroom doorknob – and the TV remote – with
17 times more. Wash your hands frequently during
your stay, advises the study’s senior author.
source:
Good Housekeeping
Better
prepared
Hands-on:
Young kids are too
heavy to carry everywhere, but prone
to wandering off. Mitigate this in crowds
or unfamiliar places and while boarding
public transportation by setting the rule
that young children must have one hand
on a parent at all times, unless they get
special permission. As situations become
riskier or more crowded, you can up the
age for this requirement – right up to even
the parents holding onto each other
so the family moves as a group. Each
person should have a specific parent to
touch – otherwise, Mum and Dad might
each assume the other has contact.
Meeting point:
Whenever you
arrive at a new location, set a group
meeting place to go to if somebody
gets lost or separated. That place
should be easily visible – even to the
shortest members of your family – and
accessible without having to pay
admissions or wait in long lines. For the
youngest children, draw a map – or
use a guide map available for the
location – and mark your meeting
point. This will help adults steer your
child there even if she’s too young to
navigate on her own.
source:
FlipKey
Skip the chocolate bar and say no to the doughnut simply by
exercising regularly. A review of studies published in the
British
Journal of Sports Medicine
found that working up a sweat
significantly increases your self-control. So that hike up the Peak
will both burn calories and help you say no to more later.
source:
Australian Women’s Weekly
Resolution
resolve
Lurking
erms
16
Playtimes
