Millions of people (I just made that figure up) will be traveling today and many of them will be stuck in airports for way too long. If you are one of those people and you’d like something to alleviate the travel tension that doesn’t require a prescription then give games a try.
If you are traveling with kids, chances are good they have a Nintendo DS in the backpack so why not challenge your kids to a high score competition while sitting at your gate. You don’t have to travel with kids to play video games, take a look at what your phone or BlackBerry has to offer or better yet, pick yourself up something like this Asteroids watch that you play by tilting your wrist.
Whatever your plans are for the holidays, I hope you enjoy them and remember to have fun!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” this week. Partially because, well, it’s the season, but also because I heard Liza sing it in her fantastic show at The Palace last week.
But mostly, I’ve been thinking about it as I’ve been talking to people who are in the final throes of holiday stress—one event away from a total yuletide meltdown. I think the, often forgotten, verse of the song is a guideline for all of us at the holidays.
“Christmas future is far away.
Christmas past is passed.
Christmas present is here today,
Bringing joy that will last.”
As I talk to people all over the country in these last days, I’m hearing a lot of stress. A lot.
But when I ask about what’s causing that stress, it comes down to one thing: Trying to fulfill expectations of what the holiday is supposed to be.
I’m more frequently asked by people how they should deal with other people’s kids while traveling than I am asked for tips on how people should 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 the details. Well, most of them. She may not always adhere to my wish that she not incessantly tap her foot on the back of the chair in front of her, but at least I’m able to remind her about why it’s rude – in a loving, firm whisper – instead of her hearing it for the first time in flight. The best advice takes time to sink in, even for adults.
Incentivize, otherwise known as bribing. Hey, I’m not perfect. I bribe my kids from time to time, and it’s good advice, believe me. As part of your pre-trip chat, consider an agreement that rewards good behavior in advance – and this doesn’t always have to be with sweets. For instance, after nearly a year of her begging, I recently told my daughter that she could dress her younger brother however she wanted for our upcoming trip if she helped keep him happy on the flight. His shirt was inside out, he wore pajama bottoms and a barrette in his hair – but we received no nasty looks from fellow travelers. Success.
The carry-on. What you bring with you has never mattered more than it does in an enclosed space with young children. Think of your carry-on as your magic bag, your lifeline. Pack low-sugar snacks, a few surprises like new books or small toys and other distractions. And be sure to ration everything. If you show them your hand too early, you’ll be rendered defenseless before the first drink cart appears.
No in-flight movie for you. Unless your kids are over the age of six, you should not plan on enjoying the movie, a nap, a magazine or good book. These were a few of the perks you gave up when you brought your little bundle of joy into the world – and onto the plane. However, I can say that I’ve read the safety brochure to both of my kids at least three dozen times and it’s not lost a bit of its luster.
Small spaces. Disciplining your child in public is frustrating, but having to do so in the 2 foot by 2 foot space that is your airline seat is even more of challenging. Whether you like it or not, your discipline skills will have an audience. So choose words wisely and more than anything – curb your own frustration.
Remember, you’ve been there. Many business travelers are also parents – some of whom I’ve seen sneer at struggling, stressed-out parents traveling with kids. Trust me, any stress you feel as a kid-free traveler is miniscule compared to that which the mother is feeling each time her kid lets out a howl. Your actions can actually complicate the situation by causing her to panic. Kids detect fear and they almost always respond with one action – more screams.
The comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said, “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family”, and many parents would agree when it comes to travel. In those harrowing moments you may not want to be the parent of the screaming baby or antsy toddler, but remember that this too will pass, and likely faster than the nose-picking-in-public stage.
Players of the popular video game, Rock Band 2, can now create real world merchandise based on their in-game characters. The Rock Band website allows you to turn your own personal band and individual character photos into t-shirts ($29), posters ($14), stickers ($5), bumper stickers ($4), buttons ($2) and keychains ($3). If money is no option (yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds), you can even get a 6″ custom figure (pictured) of your favorite character for $69.
To get in on the action, you will first need to own the game and create your characters. Then create a profile on the Rock Band website and go to the “Merch Booth,” which will import all your characters from your game and insert them into your profile allowing you to select and create the real world items.
‘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 family (Sorry, 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 painful, 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 not to toss the wet towels on the bed, on the floor, in the corner – or worse. Ask about stripping beds at the end of your stay, and even offer to do the laundry, but be mindful if your host would prefer to do it him or herself.
Food. The battle lines are often drawn on this topic, and there’s plenty of ground to cover. So here goes: if your kids have “eating issues”, bring or buy your own supply of their staples; if you plan to dine with the hosts for a few days, offer to cook a meal or treat the group to a meal out. if you eat the last one of something, replace it, and lastly, always thank the chef.
Mum is the word. Hosts offer up their homes and with it, a brief look into their personal lives. This is not an opportunity for you to offer unsolicited advice on child-rearing, cooking, cleaning, marital bliss, career counseling or pet discipline.
Clean up. Offer to the do the dishes. And I don’t mean the “faux” offer wherein you get up from your seat after the table has been cleared and the dishwasher is loaded. If your husband has coated the sink with toothpaste backwash…your son has wrapped an entire roll of Scotch tape around the leg of the dining table…or if you’ve noticed your daughter’s obsession with coloring in the pages in your host’s beloved books – clean it up, unravel it, or apologize before throwing something out. Just don’t hide it – you don’t live there, and when you leave the folks that DO live there WILL find it.
Take a minute to plan. Oh to visit a place where your hosts put hours of endless thought into your stay and constant entertainment!Those of us without a local concierge are on our own. Remember this is your family and you know what makes them tick better than anyone. So take some time to plan your trip and include some activities that will help fight the boredom bug – we know that idle minds can be unpredictable in unchartered territories. For example, visiting a prairie dog reserve during holiday celebrations in Oklahoma might seem mundane, if not painful, to a grown up…but it could be – and was! – the best moment of the entire trip for a curious young mind.
Plan some separate time. No matter how enchanted your hosts are to have you, consider planning some time when you do separate things with your family—even if it’s for an afternoon. Everyone will appreciate the little break, and there will be new experiences to share at the end of it.
The thank you. Arguably, the most important part of your visit. The “thank you” or hostess gift can be bestowed upon arrival at a party or following a great stay with friends or family. The gift should be a true expression of your time together – perhaps a memento of a shared laugh or moment – and is the simplest way to demonstrate that you were raised well.
Remember, being a guest in someone’s home is an honor. Leaving it in one piece is a responsibility.
In addition to amazing game-graphics, one of the major benefits of the current generation game systems–Xbox 360, PS3, Wii–is the ability to download new game content and features using the game console itself. Downloadable content (DLC) ranges from expanded levels to new songs for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which increases the play time of the purchased game discs.
Every week in December, Xbox is offering deals on DLC content for all Xbox Live Gold Members. This week, the sale product is the Foo Fighters’ album The Colour and the Shape for Rock Band. Originally priced at 1600 Microsoft Points, for this week only, it will be 1200 MPs.
Check back with us on Monday for next week’s Xbox deal.
Times are tough for a lot of us this year but if you can, please donate a new toy to the Marine’s Toys For Tots foundation. If you live in the US and would like to help, head on over to Toys For Tots to find out where you can drop off your toy donations.
What could be better on a Friday than a little mindless entertainment courtesy of the reticulum of ridiculousness that is YouTube. This little gem is a riot, even if you have never heard of Nintendo’s crazy go-cart racing game, Mario Kart.
Here we see a huge Mario fan living out the video game in real life. Enjoy and don’t try this at home or on the roads.
Nintendo has created two unique Websites to make sure everyone gets the Nintendo gear they really want this year. You can have Mario leave a voice mail or send a playable message in an E-mail to someone who might be shopping for you. Just visit the site here and set up your wish list by answering a short questionnaire about which Nintendo games and accessories you want. You will also enter the name of the person you want to send the message to and your relationship to that person. There aren’t too many game choices but that’s ok because this goofy gimmick is more fun than useful.
The second site contains a more comprehensive game list, where you can check off the games you want and send the list to someone in a special holiday E-card. This could also be a great option for parents to get there kids to let them know what games they would like to receive.
