Educating Parents for Travel

www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk is a unique website aimed at parents and parents to be, who want safer, easier and hence happier travels/holidays with their children.  The site contains comprehensive information on all aspects of travelling with children and the secure on-line shop offers an extensive range of innovative products and natural alternatives that help with child care wherever you are.

Whether you are at home and just need something to help you with the school run! Or on longer trips by car, train, boat or plane www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk has endless helpful tips, information, goods and gadgets to help parents.  Each section is very extensive, the In The Skies section for example takes you through the whole process of air travel with children; from hand and checked luggage packing guides, choosing the right seats, to connecting flights.  Whilst the Health and Safety Section covers everything from motion sickness to malaria and poison ivy to prickly heat.

www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk has been designed to make travelling with children easier!  For parents who want to make the most of the short time that their children are young and realise that with a little fore thought and planning the whole family can have a safer, easier and hence happier travel experience.  By doing all their research and secure shopping on-line, busy parents can now save time, and plan their trips from the comfort of their own home and money, by selecting products that work both home and away.

Background

There are two distinct areas to the website.  The first is a very comprehensive Information area; this links in with the second that is the Secure On-Line Shopping area that is full of natural alternatives and innovative products.  There is a strong emphasis on Heath and Safety that runs throughout both sections.  The detail of the sub index is very comprehensive. 

In the Information area there is a wealth of helpful strategies and solutions on Travel Planning, En-route’ Guides, Settling children in their new environments and the facility to share your experiences with other parents on the notice board website. The main headings are as follows:

• HOME PAGE
• ABOUT US
• WHERE TO HONEY?
• LET’S GO BABE
• ON THE ROAD
• IN THE SKIES
• FOOT, TRAIN  & BOAT
• HEALTH & SAFETY
• PACKING GUIDES
• NEWS & FEATURES
• NOTICEBOARD
• LINKS, LEGAL & CONTACT FORM

The sub index within each of these main headings is wide and varied.  For example, under the heading of Health and Safety the sub index covers the following subjects:

v       Health and Safety Introduction

v       Don’t Lose your child

v       Common Sense food and drink rules

v       Common Sense sun and heat rule

v       Motion Sickness and Earache

v       Things that bite – a real killer

v       Holiday Accommodation Health and Safety Tour of Inspection

v       Emergencies

v       Communication medical problems abroad

The Secure On-Line Shop links in very well with the Information area and has been designed to be very user friendly.  A great deal of research and product testing has gone into the sourcing of the items available with Health and Safety being a major consideration in selection.  There are some very innovative items along with a host of natural alternative products.  All the goods available are not just designed to use when travelling but are useful for both home and away.  New parents especially can, therefore, save both time and money by selecting the right items to begin with, rather than discover three months down the line that they now need to buy a second travel friendly version of whatever.

  The main headings in the Secure On-Line Shop are as follows:

• CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
• CAR SAFETY AND COMFORT
• OUT AND ABOUT
• FOOD AND DRINK TO GO
• BOTTOMS AND BATHROOMS
• UV PROTECTION
• WATER BABIES
• HEALTH AND SAFETY
• TRAVEL TOYS

Within each of these main headings there are various new and ingenious items, here are some examples:

UV protection suits and hats are both comfortable to wear and easy to swim in – the hats even float.  They dry quickly and are guaranteed to provide a minimum Ultraviolet Protection Factor rating of 100+ when both wet and dry.

Mike Mozzie a natural DEET free insect repellent spray containing a blend of Lavender, Rose Geranium, Peppermint, Lemon and Citronella essential oils with Eucalyptus infusion in distilled water.  Can be sprayed directly onto exposed areas of the skin and also clothes, bedclothes or in the surrounding air.

     Osha Plantain Plus Throughout the year, the air we breathe contains many pollutants, germs, spores and pollens  which can invade our bodies through the mouth. Now you can fight back with Osha Plantain Plus an all natural blend of herbs designed to soothe the throat and protect against that dry tickly feeling.

• The No.1 defence against sore throats.
• Suitable for kids over 2 years old - who will love the taste.
• Natural protection during both Winter & Summer.
• Ideal for travellers using Airplanes & public transport who may be exposed to a multitude of germs through recycled air.
• Excellent for people who rely on their voice for professional purposes such as - public speakers, teachers, singers etc.
• Naturally sweet tasting.
• Does not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colourings or preservatives.

Biography

www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk was founded by Annie Jones and her husband James, who live in Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire.  It was after travelling on their first family holiday with their son Rory that Annie decided there had to be an easier way of travelling with a young baby.  Annie had worked for many years as a travel consultant, but until she had become a mother herself, she did not appreciate the difficulties that parents of young children encountered. 

Annie has a practical approach to problems and from her knowledge of the travel business and her organisational and administrative skills as a Business Development Manager, she set about researching how things could be made easier for parents of young children.  Once Annie started her research she soon discovered there was no single source of information for parents who enjoy travel.  Information gathered from her many friends and family with young children reinforced the concept that busy families could use some extra help.  Annie is now dedicated to reducing the stress endured whilst increasing the enjoyment of travelling families.

Annie and James have always enjoyed travelling and feel that it can be an opportunity to teach all of us about traditions and tolerance.  Every trip or holiday you take is like a classroom without walls. 

They now hope that with the help and information they have incorporated in www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk parents will be able to spend more relaxed quality time with their children at their destination and also find the travelling 
experience simplier and easier.

www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk