I don't know about you, but I can't tell you how wonderful my children are on long trips-- they sit quietly in the back seat, never demanding stops at McDonalds (because of course I feed them only organic and healthy foods) or asking when are we going to get there, or requesting endless entertainment, snacks, and candy in return for quiet and good behavior.

So, when Maureen Lindell of Bedford Prep offered to write an article about family travel, I politely responded that maybe I would be interested in something like that for the folks whose kids don't behave, but not for mine of course. And if you happen to pass a mom who looks like she hasn't slept in weeks handing lollipops back to the kids in their car seats while shoving a DVD in the player, all the while begging the kids to let her play adult music, it is definitely NOT me.

By the way, for music kids AND moms can all appreciate, check out MotherLode Trio's article below too!

Good luck and peace (and quiet) be with you on your travels near and far.

by Maureen Lindell
Bedford Prep
12 Court Road
Bedford Village, NY
914.234.4713

Packing for your summer getaway? Worried about entertaining your little ones for hours on end? Worry no more! With a little pre-planning, your summer road trip can be-- dare we say it-- fun!

Planning well in advance is the first key to a stress-free trip. Always plan to bring the kids' favorite snacks in a well-stocked cooler. Besides the typical drinks and such, be sure to bring juicy fruits like grapes and cherries so that the kids can get liquid refreshment without contributing to a need to visit a rest stop!

Next, you will need to pack an activity box. Inside should be a treasure trove for kids of all ages. Here are some great suggestions:

• Mad Libs: from toddlers to teens, kids are happy to contribute cool words to the funny stories.
• Card games like UNO, Blink, Set and PDQ. Each game helps kids refine number and letter skills while also letting them have a little fun.
• Word games such as travel Scrabble or Spill and Spell. Encourage kids to spell words that appear on the side of the road, like names of cities or names on the sides of trucks. Or try Blokus, a game that encourages your kids to learn strategy!
• Try a new game such as Last Word or Whonu. Everyone will learn just a little bit more about each other through the questions and answers that come out.
• Before you leave, buy a big white sweatshirt for each child. During the trip have the kids draw one picture of each memorable event using fabric crayons on white paper. Each night, iron the picture onto the sweatshirt. By the end of the trip you will have a physical reminder of all of the highlights.
• Bring all of the old pictures you haven’t yet stored in photo albums. Pass them around to one another and have the clan come up with captions for the photo albums. By the end of the trip, your photo albums will be full and your kids will be reminiscing about all of the good times.
• Have a toddler? Why not revisit Colorforms?
• Phonics tiles enable kids to come up with new words from individual letters or groups of letters. Play a song on the radio and see who can come up with more words on one topic during that song. The winner gets to pick the next topic.
• Books on tape are a great alternative to tv. Pick a nice, long book with excellent narration.
• Finally, if all else fails, you can resort to the portable DVD. But, just make sure you have earphones for each of the little ones.

Traveling with kids can certainly be challenging, but with the right tools, it can be a great learning experience for kids and parents alike.

Rockin' Moms
By the MotherLode Trio

Motherlode Trio, a 'Mama Band' of three veteran moms (by the time a child reaches 2 digits, you're a well oiled mom-machine) of 5 children ranging in age from 12 to 7, write songs to document the wild-river-run of parenting. When the kids were all under the age of 5, Stacy, Patti and Terry found they needed some serious venting time. Having met for the first time at parties in the same town, these Moms actually followed up with each other (it had not been just idle party talk), and started their sing-therapy (Terry would later write a song called 'Therapy'). Diapers got a little stinkier than usual, the kids learned a little more independence from Mom, and by the end of their musical play dates these Moms had ample experience in singing with multiple distraction, to prepare them for the music clubs.

When Stacy's oldest child climbed on the school bus for her first day of kindergarten, the first MotherLode Trio song was born ('Watching You Go'). Another Mom-friend had written a lullaby for her son, which the Trio put into harmony, with dulcimer, an Appalachian stringed instrument, which resurfaced from the closet with decades of dust. A friend of Patti's was going through a divorce and she felt a need to write a song from the children's perspective ('Broken Love').

Then, along came Mamapalooza, the 'Moms Rock' movement, which encourages Moms to put themselves on the top of the list now and again, in between the soccer games that is. MotherLode, is one of the 300+ Mama Bands that helped inspire Moms around the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia this past May, to pick up a guitar, microphone or a pen to regain, or discover for the first time, a creative, vital self.

So, when the kids are content in the pool or away at camp this summer, call up your neighbor, strap on that dusty ol' guitar, and let 'er rip!

Grab yourself a fun CD that both the kids and mom can appreciate in the car or check out their schedule of appearances and find some fun around Westchester!

email: gretchen@essentialmom.com

phone: 914.523.1352

web: http://essentialmom.com