1. Plan ahead. If at all possible plan trips far in advance. This gives you time to talk with your child and get them used to the idea of traveling. You can explain to them where they will be going, and some of the things they will be doing while away.

2. Bring items from home that your Autistic child likes. Bring their favorite toys. Bring along their pillow and blanket they use each night. Try and keep as many items that are familiar to your child with you while traveling. This can help your child to relax in their new environment.

3. Bring all their necessary medications. You do not want to be away from home and not have their medicine. Get the prescriptions refilled before the trip to make sure you do not run out.

4. Try and keep a schedule while traveling. If possible keep some of the schedule you use while at home. Try to get up and go to bed at the same time each day. Autistic children needs their schedules to feel safe.

5. Do not overload your child. If your child has a lot of sensory issues do not over load them while traveling. If you see your child getting overwhelmed go back to your hotel for a break. Warn your child if the place you are going has loud noises, or bright lights if these are issues.

6. Do not force your child to do something they are not comfortable doing. For example do not make them go to a amusement park if they do not like loud noises and lots of people. Consider bringing a qualified person to watch your child while you visit the park. They could do an activity that your child would like instead.

7. Make sure your child has something with them that has your name, and phone number where you can be reached incase the child gets lost. If your child is verbal make sure they know how to tell someone they are lost. This can be very hard for an Autistic child. They have hard time dealing with people anyway.

8. If you have to travel for an emergency try to stay calm. If you are stressed about the trip your Autistic child will pick up on this and become stressed their selves.

9. Take lots of activities the child enjoys to keep them occupied while traveling. This could be hand held games, or a portable DVD player. This can help keep your child from becoming overly bored. It can also give them something to focus on if they start to feel uneasy.

10. Notify the place where you are staying that your child is Autistic. This is very important if your child likes to wander on their own. The staff at the hotel will know if they see the child and you are not with them to contact you right away.

Traveling with an Autistic child will take some extra planning, but it can be done. Just try and keep as much structure to the trip as possible. It will make the trip more enjoyable for you and your child.

Choosing The Gender Of Your Baby

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Hobby - photo taken from www.whag.co.za

Here are a few reasons why a hobby is a great idea, even for a busy Mom.

Having a hobby relieves stress and tension

Spending time with a hobby replaces negative thoughts and replaces them with positive thoughts and feelings. Having a hobby or creative outlet can lift your spirits and help with depression.

Unlike passive activities like television viewing, a hobby provides intellectual stimulation while simultaneously relaxing you. Repetitive actions like those used in knitting are especially calming.

Hobbies help you parent better
We are so good at signing our children up for lessons and classes and encouraging them to have hobbies, even paying for these classes and driving them to and fro! But we forget that we also need to learn new things and grow as people. Hobbies also connect you with other people who share your interests.

A hobby can help you maintain your separate identity as a real person and not just as Mom. This models healthy habits and boundaries for our kids.

Hobbies provide a refreshing change from your daily routine

If you’re a stay at home Mom, you may be frustrated because at the end of the day you can hardly point to anything you’ve “done”. This is because of the repetitive nature of housework and childcare.

In generations past, women pursued hobbies like quilting, sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery not only because they were enjoyable but because they provided tangible value to the family, either providing clothing for their backs or much needed income.

Some hobbies like tennnis, gardening or belly dancing can even provide great exercise with all of its accompanying benefits. The best exercise activity is one that combines mind and body and is enjoyable to pursue.

Why not carve out some time to pursue your hobby Mom? Don’t let a shortage of time stop you. Rearrange your schedule and put YOU back in it, and start carving out time for your favorite pastime.

Parents

One of the parenting tips that work best is giving your children quantity and quality time. When you spend time with your kids, try to engage them in meaningful conversations. Try to build fun and healthy communications and relationships while the kids are young.

In many homes, parents do not really talk to their kids when they are young. But when the kids become teens, these parents desperately want to talk to their teens. But the opportunity is not there anymore. Try not to become average parents. According to statistics, an average American parent spends less than fifteen minutes a week in serious discussion with their children.

Practice and develop good habits. It is important that you push your kids to exercise their faith and put into action the lessons that they have received. For example, it is one thing to learn about charity and caring, but it is another thing to volunteer some time to visit nursing homes and serve the elderly. Or participate in building a house for the poor.

Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, said that virtues are acquired by the development of habits. At first it may feel like a duty to maintain good habits but it will become easier as time goes by, and soon they will exercise good habits effortlessly.

Be a good role model. It is hard trying to teach children something when we do not do it ourselves. When they hear you lying about something, what kind of message are you sending to your children? Because action speaks louder than words, your kids will probably imitate our good and bad habits more than listening to our words.

Be involved parents. Involved parents are parents who monitor their kids’ media consumption, know whether the teachings in school are in line with their values and are acquainted with their friends. You should have a good rapport with your kids. Nobody is perfect but the more you become involved in your children’s lives, the better your chances of raising them to be good citizens.

Have a strong and healthy relationship. Having a strong and healthy marriage or relationship is not only good for you but also for your children. A thriving family unit is a good deterrent for anti-social behavior.

One thing for sure: it is hard enough to raise a child with two parents, let alone a single parent. Research shows that two years after a divorce, many boys have trouble concentrating, do poorly on intelligence tests, and have difficulty with math. Should your relationship break down ensure that your children continue to have full support from both parents.

Get connected with other parents. We need support and encouragement from other parents and you’ll no doubt learn new parenting tips from them. It is good to know that you are not the only ones who may be struggling. You can encourage one another to hang in there and continue to do the right thing.

Friends

Friends are an important part of childhood and you want to make sure that your child develops good friendships early on.  It’s easiest to make the best choices for your children while they are young.

Have your children invite their friends to play at your house.  This gives you a chance to see how they play together and how they interact with other members of your family.  Become acquainted with their parents also, and you will find that this will help you understand their family situation.  Help your child to understand what your values are and to recognize the same values in friends that they make.

Teach your kids values that are important to you, like being honest, and make sure they understand that it applies to friends too.  I had a daughter who came to me because a friend wanted her to lie to me about going to the mall.  She told me what she really wanted to do, and what her friend thought she should say.  After her friend went home that day, we talked about what makes a good friend.  She decided that she didn’t want a friend that was going to try to get her to lie.

Realize that all children are different.  You might have a child that has fifteen friends and makes new friends easily.  Then you might have another child who only has one or two friends, but has a closer friendship with them.  Recognize what works for your child and help them develop the relationships that fit with their own personality.

Helping your child understand how to be a good friend will help them recognize good friends also.  It is so much easier to influence your children while they are young.  Take advantage of these opportunities while you can.