A Vacation Nightmare: Dad gets hurt and mom is alone with 4 little kids…

To my faithful followers,

I left you for a long while due to a serious head injury my husband suffered after a ski accident and yes, he was wearing a helmet. My life has been hell ever since.

Ready to give up this blog, my 10 year old has been bothering me to continue it and “not to give up” (why did I ever make her believe that phrase???) The beginning of a new year, I have decided to take her advice.

I learned a lot in a short amount of time last year when my husband was hospitalized for 2 weeks near death at two hospitals (one in CA and the other in Nevada). From the importance of wearing a helmet to what options are available to parents should someone get hurt both here and abroad.

Part of the lesson I learned from countless docs and skiing experts is NOT to suffer a ski accident in Canada or anywhere with a government-run health care system. Natasha Richardson could have lived if she were in the US. More on that coming…

Since skiing is a family activity, I do hope you can all learn from my experience. I will highlight some of my horror story over the coming weeks so lessons I learned on the front lines can be learned – from secret insurance coverage for medical emergencies while traveling to contingency plans for when something bad happens while away. Most of my friends have begged me to write a book on this incident but will give you highlights instead.

Don’t worry, there will be the fun stuff like discussions of places to go, best places for parents to have romance while kids are there, moms vacation spots without their husbands and more…

I look forward to reconnecting and thanks for your patience while I took time to heal my family.

Hot Tips on Warm Weather Vacation Spots for Families

From the very experienced Tami Hodges of Rascals in Paradise, she recommends the following travel spots to escape the cold this winter that are great for families:

I love Costa Azul 1 hr north of Puerto Vallarta, better for older kids that want surfing lessons! It a small 21 room property in San Pancho, close to the famous Sayulita (for surfers)

upscale I also love the Kahala on Oahu, swim with the Dolphins, great beach and about 15 shuttle to downtown Waikiki- families love it!

Costa Rica is excellent active vacation…all about eco education, plant a tree, visit a local school, horseback ride…Tons of activities.

Jamaica at Franklyn D. Resort and Spa- It comes with a Nanny!! all inclusive that families rebook every year! She promises if you use them they get a special rate and upgrades.

and of course Australia!

How to find a babysitter while away?

We are so careful to check references on babysitters while at home…calling previous employers…asking friends for feedback…but while away either domestically or abroad how do you scrutinize the person watching your kids?  Do you skip the night out with your partner or hope the hotel recommending someone has done their homework?

While away in Japan, we left our first child, then 2 months old, with the maid who spoke no english.  We didn’t carry a cellular telephone and she had no way of reaching us should something go wrong…would we have done this in the states?  NO WAY!!!  So why is it ok on vacation?

What is your favorite destination for a family vacation?

Akumal, Mexico (Cancun Airport)…a small holiday inn style hotel right on the beach that costs less than $150 a night.  It also includes a meal plan which we did not opt into.  Our room was located directly on the beach and had delicious food at the hotel, a babysitter at our disposal, and the best snorkeling on the coast.  The rooms were not fancy, but 6 of us (2 adults and 4 kids under 9) had adjoining rooms and we could sleep in while our kids walked out onto the sand to play until we were ready to go to a delicious breakfast in our pj’s. 

A refreshing change from Hawaii and filled with children of all ages from around the country.  Plenty of ancient ruins for the parents that kept our young children’s excited.

We used the travel agency Rascals in Paradise to find this amazing spot.

What was the worst thing that happened to you on a family vacation?

When our 4 month old son got croup on Fire Island, New York at 3:30 a.m.  When on this remote island there is a blasting horn that wakes up the entire community and fire engines came roaring to our house to take us to the nearest emergency room.  Ultimately he was fine, but we spent the rest of our vacation explaining to everyone that yes, we were the family with the sick son who woke up hundreds of new yorkers.

How have you managed to have sex with your significant other while on vacation with your kids?

Having sex with your significant other on vacation is hard with kids unless you hire a babysitter and rent an additional room…with sleep deprivation and kids running in and out of your room all night due to excitement about a new spot or jet lag, it only gets tougher.  Any ideas are welcome!

Medical Insurance Overseas

From my own experience, especially when taking an overseas adventurous vacation, I would make sure to have medical evacuation insurance (and check with your health insurance company to find out what is and is not covered).  My husband was involved in a terrible ski accident and because we weren’t covered for medical evacuation, so we had a terrible time moving him from a remote area of Japan (with 2 young kids in tow) and had to take a bus/train/ambulance and plane.  I found some useful links:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1215.html

http://www.hasbrouck.org/articles/insurance.html

The following is an awesome link if you travel a lot:

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/why-you-should-buy-medical-evacuation-insurance.html?id=2446037

Be cautious – bring your own formula

In light of the malamine scandal involving baby formula that happened in China a couple of years ago – it seems the Obama Administration is keeping a more watchful eye over the food safety practices of overseas food manufacturers and distributors.  See article:  http://www.ombwatch.org/node/10710

However, given the severe impact of one contaminated bottle of formula on a developing child, to be safe you should bring your own formula when traveling with infants.

Is it possible to have an enjoyable family vacation when you are single?

Apparently it is…I ran across this cool web site dedicated to single parents who want to travel:

www.singleparenttravel.net

I also found an article loaded with tips for those going at it alone while traveling:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1000075,00.html

What kind of stroller is easiest on a trip?

I buy the umbrella stroller at Toys R Us for $12. It folds up easily and while it’s not super easy to push, it beats carting a heavy one around. Problem is, with a 5 and 3 year old they both want to be pushed and sometimes that’s tiring. We end up telling our 5 year old she has to walk which is a huge pain.

Do we really have to bring the car seat?

I admit I do not bringing them when we travel, as terrible as it sounds.  Frankly, with all the luggage, the thought of more things on an airplane and lugging through an airport sounds like a pain!  Whenever we go to New York City, I never see anyone put on a seat belt much less strap in a car seat when riding in a taxicab.  During our summer trip to Shanghai, we fit 6 of us in a cab – seated on laps – maneuvering the crazy streets (and with the way they drive there I am not sure a car seat would have done much good!).

I feel terrible since when I was a brand new mom I insisted on ensuring my kids were always kept safe, but the more kids i have the more convenience sometimes gets in the way…