Message Board

TRAVEL TIPS

.

'TRAVELLING WITH BABY' By Rita Kobrak of www.mum-and-baby-experience.co.uk (Summer 2010)

1- Select destination and accommodation well. Apartments and villas are more practical with little ones. You can warm bottles when you want and have more space than a hotel room. With the added bonus of a garden and often pool. Check that pool is fenced or gated. Many rental homes have cleaners, baby sitters and even cooks on request so you don't have to be cleaning and cooking all day long. Choose a company that specialises in family travel and you will find toys, fenced pools, safety gates, highchairs, cots, sterilizer and sometimes even spare nappies. It is also nice to have the personal advice of where to go and what to do of the owner or the local person who will there on your arrival. Try www.babyboltholes.co.uk www.mum-and-baby-experience.co.uk

2- A home swap is also a nice idea, as if you swap with a family with children the same age you will find toys and baby equipment.

3- Early flights are better than late ones. Try to coincide flight with nap times. When checking in for flight ask at check in if flight is full often airline will give you extra seat in middle so you have more space and privacy if breast feeding. If breastfeeding, do so on take off and landing so that air pressure does not effect babies ears. Older children should drink or suck something for the same reason. If child is potty trained, it is probably better to put nappy on for flight, in case they need to go during take off and landing. 4- Always allow plenty of extra time. Get on plane first and off last. Stewards can help you more if you get off last. Get toddlers to participate as much as possible to make the journey fun. I always get my daughter to hand her passport to security. She loves that and if I forget she asks for her passport. She is only 2, but has been on 40 flights and loves travelling. I give her a small rucksack to put on her back with a toy, book and nappies and wipes. Explain everything to them. I hadn't explained about security and taking shoes off and the one time they made my daughter take off her shoes, she got really upset and started screaming. But even then, stay calm, smile and try and make a joke of it with staff so that you feel better.

5- Don't take too much: one favourite toy, a couple of books, pens, pencils and paper for toddlers, a change of clothes (maybe more than one if the flight is long), drink, snacks, disposable bibs, nappies and wipes. You can take drinks through to departure lounge, but sometimes you will need to taste them. The Trunki suitcases are great for toddlers, they are the right size for all their bits and pieces and toddlers love pulling them along or sitting on them (2 to 4 year olds). Take extra large handbag or ruck sack to put everything in to. A jacket with lots of pockets is good. Although you can take the pram to the airport door, in most cases it will turn up with the luggage on arrival, so you need to carry baby for a while before you get your pram. A sling is perfect if baby is small and I found it much more convenient than a pram when flying. Reins for a toddler are good. If you do need to take a lot, there are companies that deliver baby equipment, but only to UK Babygoes2 and Babiestravelite.

6- Buy things like sun protection lotions, shampoo etc on arrival. Often they are cheaper than back home and saves you carrying them. Obviously it depends where you are going, we went to the Croatian island of Lopud last year and I ran out of nappies. The nearest place to buy nappies was Dubrovik, an hour away by boat. Luckily the owner of the apartment where we were staying arranged to bring some over with his daughter who was coming to visit him from Dubrovnik. I should also have taken raisins with me as we could not find them on the island - It is my daughter's favourite snack. We learn from our mistakes! Take medicines like calpol with you as they don't have the same brands everywhere. Take swim nappies with you as they are hard to find. If your child has a specific allergy take a card with the allergy written in the language of the country you are going to. (Allergyuk has cards in different languages). Take medical insurance card with you.

7- Don't stress too much about keeping usual nap times and bed times. My daughter rarely naps, even as a baby, but when near the sea she always has a nap in the afternoon. And she sleeps better than at home. In Southern European countries, as in Asia or South America, children are out until late and restaurants are full of families with children. Your little ones will receive endless compliments played and free bits and pieces.. In Italy, where my family is from, babies and toddlers have the same meals as adults have, just mashed or cut up small. During summer evenings, the whole family goes on the traditional 'passegiata' or stroll, so join in and enjoy. The whole Italian culture is much more child-focused than in the UK and so for me Italy is definitely the perfect place to travel with baby (I know I am biased!).

THE AUTHOR: Rita Kobrak runs mum and baby holidays in Tuscany and family fitness breaks www.mum-and-baby-experience.co.uk

go to top

'THE FUN OF TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN' By Brigitte Barta, Lonely Planet writer (October 2009)

If you want to spend quality time with your children, help them learn, grow and gain a better understanding of the world and humanity, then travelling is a great way to do it. As a travelling family you'll talk and share experiences, which these days we often struggle to find time for in our busy lives. Your children's horizons quite literally expand as they realise that the world is bigger than your home town or city, and with it comes an appreciation of cultural diversity, the seeds of tolerance and empathy, which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Travel with children provides insights into local cultures that you often just don't get travelling childless. In most cultures children are welcomed, if not revered, and become the centre of attention. As a parent, you'll be caught up in the interest generated by your child and will have closer encounters with the locals as a result. And although your life may be very different from that of others you'll meet on your travels, parenting provides a strong common bond with people all over the world.

Of course, it isn't always easy travelling with children. Schlepping the luggage while trying to hurry along someone who wants to dawdle every step of the way can be stressful to say the least. But there's a lot you can do up front to minimise aggravation and difficulties. Getting the pace right is vital, and planning and taking the right bits and pieces with you, including the right mental attitude, are key. Starting out in a positive frame of mind and aiming to stay that way will help to deflect tensions. Remaining flexible will save you when your carefully laid plans go off the rails. If you approach the journey with a spirit of adventure, and involve your children in the planning and problem solving, you'll have a better chance of converting setbacks into opportunities.

A big part of getting the planning right comes with choosing a suitable destination and type of holiday for your family. In this edition we've put a lot of thought into providing really useful information on all your options, from camping to activity holidays to resorts and cruises to settling in another country long-term. We've also expanded coverage of our favourite destinations for family travel, by adding new detail on the most interesting places to visit and hotels that welcome children. In order to provide in-depth information, we've chosen to use our limited space to focus on the very best places to go. Each country we cover has been carefully chosen because it is safe and well-suited to family travel. Travelling with children might not be glamorous, relaxing or extremely thrillseeking, but families who travel are having their own sort of adventure and deserve to be applauded, encouraged and respected. With a positive attitude and a bit of forethought, travelling happily with your offspring is easily achieved. Things won't always go as planned, of course, but then they never do with travel or with kids.

One of the nice things about this book is that it's not just one person telling you about travel with children - it's a global team of authors with children, off ering their best tips and passing on practical information. This book has grown over 23 years and enshrines the knowledge Lonely Planet cofounder Maureen Wheeler gained travelling with her children in their first 15 years, as well as the experiences of Lonely Planet authors, staff and readers. (Extract from 'Lonely Planet - Travel with Children').

go to top

DUMMIES AND PACIFIERS - TOP TRAVEL TIPS BY TINYTOTSAWAY.COM (Summer 2009)

Dummies and pacifiers have been used for centuries to settle and soothe babies and toddlers. The debate about the pros and cons of using a dummy has raged for a number of years resulting in new mothers often being given conflicting advice. The use of the dummy has been through periods of popularity and decline but with recent guidance from the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths advocating the use of a dummy in preventing cot death its use is set to increase. Settling your baby to sleep with a dummy - even for naps - can reduce the risk of cot death. If breastfeeding, do not begin to give a dummy until your baby is one month old to ensure breastfeeding is well-established. Don't worry if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep, and don't force your baby to take a dummy if he or she doesn't want it.

Dummies are usually made of silicone or latex, silicone dummies tend to last longer and both types can be sterilised safely. Studies have shown that dummies are used more frequently when a baby is approx 2-3 months old and research suggests that their use is more prevalent with a first baby and with male babies.

There are a number of advantages to using a dummy as they can settle and pacify a baby back to sleep, sucking can also reduce pain so they are particularly useful in a baby with colic and with a fretful crying baby.

If you do decide to use a dummy the following advice should be followed:

1) Use an orthodontic dummy and sterilise as you would any other feeding equipment. Orthodontic dummies are shaped to encourage the baby to suck in the same way as they would if they were breastfeeding

2) Renew your baby's dummy often - as cracks, splits and holes, can trap germs.

3) Use a dummy for short periods of time and make sure that your baby really needs a dummy, will a cuddle do or would your child like to play with you or an interesting toy?

4) Prolonged dummy use can lead to ear infections.

5) Never secure a dummy in a child's mouth as this could lead to choking.

6) Never dip a dummy in sweet sugary food or drinks as this can lead to tooth decay and never dip a dummy in alcohol.

7) Do encourage your baby to give up the dummy as soon as possible preferably no later than one year of age as continuous dummy sucking can also affect the growth and position of teeth. A child that is trying to babble or talk with a dummy in his/her mouth cannot move their tongue properly resulting in unclear speech.

8) When weaning your baby off the dummy it's best to restrict it to bedtime only, always removing the dummy when they fall asleep. This ensures that they are not expecting it there on waking and can't rely on it to settle back to sleep again. Website: www.tinytotsaway.com

go to top

NEW SURVEY REVEALS WHY MANY LONDONERS (AND CELEBRITIES) DRIVE LIKE CHIMPANZEES - 'Parkology' - new research sheds light on London drivers' parking behaviour (Summer 2009)

It's a jungle out there! When it comes to parking why do many drivers behave like animals? If you ever have wondered why some drivers are better at tracking down spaces than others or why some people always seem to get into arguments about parking, it's because many motorists reveal their primitive animal state when hunting for a parking space. Parking a car brings out a combination of the hunting and protective instincts in human behaviour. These findings are revealed in some innovative behavioural research which has spawned 'Parkology - The science of parking'. The research has been conducted by Park-Up.com, who runs a free online searchable database of car parks and on-street parking across London. It sheds new light on why some people are just better at parking than others. The survey was conducted among 1046 Londoners throughout April and June 2009.

Parking is the most stressful part of any journey and this stress frequently boils over into 'Parking Rage'. The research classifies motorists' parking behaviour into five groupings: Chimpanzees, Mice, Panthers, Scorpions and Sharks, the happiest and most successful of all being a chimpanzee. They are described below along with results of the survey.

Chimpanzee - They don't monkey around when it comes to parking!

According to the study, 15% of London drivers exhibit chimpanzee behaviour when parking. Like our close cousins they are clever, inventive and flexible. They use a variety of different techniques to find that elusive space. When confrontation situations arise they tend to use charm and cheek rather than aggression. They are sociable and not too bothered by other drivers parking antics. However don't park too close to them as they might turn nasty. They are also very confident about their parking skills. Chimpanzees are typically mostly men in their forties and fifties, and tend to drive BMW 3 series, Volvos and Ford Mondeos. Top Gear "Captain Slow" James May would most likely fall into this category.

Mice - This mouse won't get trapped!

Research highlights that the majority of Londoners are mice. 37% of respondents were classified in this category. Mice tend to be passive, quiet and avoid confrontations. They tend to head straight for the less busy areas to park even if they have to walk a bit further. Avoiding confrontations and stressful situations at all cost they would rather give up their space than get into an argument. Despite them not being that confident about their parking skills, they are good at getting into small spaces. This category is typified by men and women over 50 and their typically drive small cars. Celebrity Mouse would be Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.

Panther - Cool Kitty!

The second biggest group of London drivers are Panthers. The survey highlights that 25% of London drivers hunt for parking like panthers. If you've been followed back to your car by another driver, then you've been stalked by a panther. The main characteristic of this animal is its predatory behaviour: they stalk their parking spaces by driving around slowly waiting for someone that appears to leaving carrying bags or holding car keys. Their inconsiderate parking technique tends to cause slow moving tail backs behind them. Panthers will get their claws out in confrontations though this may be just verbal. Panthers are typified by men and women in their thirties, divorced with kids. They tend to drive saloons and sporty executive cars. Celebrity panther would be black cab owner and actor driver Stephen Fry.

Scorpion - Don't get stung by one of these!

According to the research, 18% of London drivers are scorpions. Like the famously deadly animal, they are opportunistic, patient yet potentially dangerous. Scorpions tend to scuttle around until they find a desirable spot and wait.

Driving around randomly hoping to find a space is not for them. They tend to cause traffic jams because they wait in inconvenient areas. Once a scorpion sees a space, they move fast and dart in, quickly outsmarting any competition. Discretion is the better part of valour for scorpions as they will weigh up the opposition before entering any confrontation. The demographics identified them as predominantly female under 25. Typical scorpion cars are the super-minis, classic sports cars and hot-hatches. Celebrity scorpion would be Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

Sharks - Be afraid, be very afraid!

Last but certainly not least are Sharks. They are the smallest category in the classification consisting of only 5% of London drivers. It's said that sharks can sense minute concentrations of blood in the sea. These sharks can find a parking space in a sea of cars. However they have no scruples about getting that spot! They are opportunistic, predatory and aggressive; they circle car parks and streets on the prowl. Sharks are not averse to naughty tactics such as blocking off potential rivals, using threatening behaviour or intimidation (using the horn, glaring, verbal abuse). If all else fails they would have no qualms about parking in a disabled or a family bay. Most London sharks are men over 25 and typically drive large executive cars, SUV's and vans. The obvious celebrity Shark would be Pete Doherty.

Norman Olaniran, Founder and Managing Director of Park-Up.com, says, "The serious point behind this research is that it can be used to simplify and de-stress the parking process. Car parks and local authorities could employ better signage to discourage irresponsible behavior of drivers behaving like sharks and scorpions. And if the next time you tempted race someone for that last space you remember that you are acting like a shark, it might just put a smile on your face." Olaniran observes: "There is an environmental benefit when planning a journey into London. Park-Up.com helps Londoners plan their journey and therefore minimise carbon monoxide emissions by helping drivers circulate less."

About Park-up.com: Park-Up.com's website is a searchable database of car parks and on-street parking in central London. The database currently covers the whole of Camden, the City of London, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, the Royal Parks, and Westminster, together with central parts of Hackney, Lambeth / Southwark and Tower Hamlets. Park-Up.com is free to consumers while businesses with over 10 searches per day will pay a fee up-front. For more information, please visit: www.park-up.com

The research methodology: The research was conducted via an incentivized on-line questionnaire over the period April 27th to June 8th 2009. There were 1,046 respondents. A statistical segmentation was conducted to generate the results.

go to top

LONDON MUMS GO TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT... (Summer 2009)

A small group of London Mums and families recently took a day trip to the Isle of Wight and here are their impressions and suggestions if you decide to go there sometime.

The Isle of Wight is only 2 hours from London, Red Funnel ferry routes connect directly with Southampton. The weather is generally better on the island than in London. If you are not bringing the car with you, once ashore you can use the Island's efficient network of buses. However with kids it is recommended to bring the car. It is a destination which is not promoted very much but it is absolutely ideal for families.

First of all there is a lot of space for the children, the unspoilt scenery is stunning and the landscape very varied (rocky, sandy beaches, high hills, white cliffs), and the ferry trip alone is excellent. As soon as the group boarded the Red Funnel ferry, a lovely lady offered a free face painting for all children. What a good start! The holiday mood kicked in right there ...

One day (coming from London) is not enough to do even half of the attractions on the island. Ideally you would need 2 days or a long weekend. To be perfectly honest the Isle of Wight has something for everyone not just for families: from historic sites (the Castle is fantastic and the view from its hill is incredible) to natural delights, music festivals and major national events (there are a lots of meetings of Harley Davidson or Piaggio scooters drivers all the time, which are fantastic to photograph). Red funnel runs a very good service and early birds can do it as a day trip because the ferry runs 24x7 and is reliable.

HIGHLIGHTS (NOT TO BE MISSED!): Blackgang Chine, the Steam Railway, Carisbrooke Castle, Sandown sandy beach, Isle of Wight Zoo (with stunning tigers and lions), Dinosaur Isle, Robin Hill, The Needles Park, Dimbola Lodge & Amazon World. The Isle of Wight has a whole host of places to explore, come rain or shine, from fun-packed theme parks to Queen Victoria's favourite retreat - Osborne house.

Attraction park Blackgang Chine is really unmissable particularly for its location: in fact it is set in 40 acres of cliff-top gardens and has very entertaining activities for families, such as a Haunted Mansion, an exciting cliff-hanging roller coaster, Dinosaurland & Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Try the High Speed Water-Shoot Ride! Also visit Rumpus Mansion, the Wild West Town, Dinosaurland, Nurseryland, a Maze, the Gardens, a Smugglers Ship, a Pirate Adventure Fort and Animated Indoor Shows - so much to see and do! Don't miss WaterForce - the Ultimate High Speed Boat Ride! Over 300ft of pure exhilaration and adrenaline at speeds of up to 40km/hr. In July the Wednesdays have long nights as it is pirates day. The pirates theme is everywhere at the Isle of Wight like in Cornwall.

THE CONS: There aren't many. The road's signage is poor and if you drive there you would need a good satellite navigator to be able to get around without wasting time. Bring your own food or find a highly recommended restaurant ahead of your trip. Plan your journey in advance - this will save you some disappointment in the food department! Sometimes there is no mobile reception on the hills (maybe not a bad thing after all!). Check with venues and attractions before leaving because the prizes are not always up-to-date online. In early June at 5pm all attractions close so you need to get very well organised to go to at least one attraction in a day. Depending on where and when you go you might find it difficult to park your car right on the beach. We guessed that during the summer it would be impossible.

Overall it's a wonderful place to get back to many and many times again.

USEFUL LINKS:

www.islandbreaks.co.uk this website includes EVERYTHING you need to know about the Isle of Wight.

www.redfunnel.co.uk/island-guide/isle-of-wight-days-out

www.blackgangchine.com

www.pottery-cafe.com

Travelling to the Isle of Wight is easy with Red Funnel. Vehicle ferries run regularly around the clock from Southampton, which is within easy reach of the M3 and M27, and the Red Jet Hi-Speed foot passenger service speeds visitors to the Island in just 23 minutes. For more information about Red Funnel visit www.redfunnel.co.uk. You can also find Red Funnel on Facebook! www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Funnel-Isle-of-Wight-Ferries.

TWO TOP EXPERTS PROVIDE TIPS TO HELP KIDS WITH JET LAG (May 2009)

Back in March, London mumpreneur Lorna from Rugbytots sent us a very interesting question for our experts to answer. Her question was: "I am travelling to Australia this year and I wonder if you could ask your travel expert if she has any tips for Jet lag for little ones. My daughter will be 1 and a half when we travel so would love any tips that she could offer". We asked two top experts, mumpreneur and fashion guru, Normandie Keith, and Alison Couper, Director of Communications for Hotels.com and Expedia, to provide us with some great tips to help children overcome jet lag. Read the articles below. If you have funny holiday shots you want to share with us, please send them to monica@londonmums.org.uk and if we publish yours we will give you a prize.

go to top

JET LAG TROUBLESHOOTING FOR CHILDREN by Normandie Keith (May 2009)

We all know jet lag is one of the most frustrating and annoying things about travel, it can make you feel delirious, flu like and out of sorts for so long that by the time you feel you're getting over it it's time to go home. This is the same for kids, so my motto is always mind over matter!

To de-stress your journey with toddlers take a cabin bag packed with everything you may need for all eventualities; wipes, enough nappies, enough healthy snacks to stop them being hyper and so they can be distracted as they aren't going to like that airline food and a change of clothes for accidents. I take books, crayons, drawing pad, i-Pod and something for them to suck to help stop ear ache for take-off and landing. There's nothing more stressful than watching your baby scream in pain whilst watching other passengers scowling around you at the constant noise! Calmly ignore them. Breast feeding tiny babies helps them overcome earache as the sucking can equalise ear pressure and calm them.

As soon as you get on the plane switch your watches and that of your baby's routine to that of your destination. Try and sleep and eat at the appropriate hours and keep snacking to light food and clear fluids. If you're arriving in the daytime; instead of doing boring laborious thing like unpacking, plan an activity that will keep you stimulated and busy until the evening when you will crash in a heap and hopefully sleep for at least five hours. Then get up and go about your daily routine.

Expect whingeing and irritability because just like your own body clock theirs is thrown off as well. But don't talk about it to yourself or others as I really believe this promotes an image of lethargy. Have excitement about your new surroundings and make a kind of party like atmosphere around meal times and ritual like behaviour around sleep times to add to the adventurous spirit of travelling.

Always remember to bring familiar things from home like blankets, pillows, books and stuffed animals and if you are able bring a scented candle or music that corresponds to relaxation. When in doubt use lavender baths, sprinkle lavender drops on bedclothes and use melatonin for adults. And then, just enjoy your trip!

THE AUTHOR: Normandie Keith fell in love with London in her early modelling days when she graced the covers of Tatler and Harpers. Her presence on London's social scene made her a name that was synonymous with style and fashion and soon after Normandie was appointed Beauty-Editor-at-Large for You Magazine, where she wrote a weekly column for eight years. With her column well established and 2.4 million readers every Sunday, Normandie's dreams were becoming a reality and it was not long before Meller Beauty approached Normandie to bottle this unique expertise. Normandie's ethos was to encourage every woman to take time to pamper and indulge themselves with beautiful, luxurious but affordable body products for both day and night. Today Normandie resides between Los Angeles, California and London with her family. Normandie is a keen advocate of healthy living and her new found passion is Kundalini Yoga. Normandie continues to contribute to many publications giving her expert opinion and keeping London abreast with the beauty buzz from across the Atlantic and later this year sees her regular column launch in Natural Health Magazine.

go to top

'HOW DO YOU HELP BABIES AND TODDLERS OVERCOME JET LAG (especially when travelling to Australia and back from London)?' by Alison Couper of Hotels.com and Expedia (May 2009)

My husband and I frequently travel to Australia to visit his family, and we always take the children with us.

Travelling that far can take its toll on adults so for smaller children you need to ensure you help them to deal with the time difference. Pre preparation is definitely important, so it is a good idea to gradually try and alter their sleep and eating pattern in the two weeks prior to travel, so that the time difference does not come as such a shock to them.

Whilst on the plane make sure they are very well hydrated drinking copious amounts of water and snacking on other hydrating foods such as vegetables and fruit. It is also really important for toddlers to get them walking about to stretch their legs.

With very long journeys such as the flight between the UK and Australia, it can help to break the journey with a night stop en route as this can also ease the time difference acclimatisation.

You should also take into account where you are travelling to as you may need to take a different course of action depending on your holiday destination. When travelling west, try and keep the children awake for as long as possible so that they don't wake up too early the next day. When travelling east, your child may have trouble falling asleep on the first night so it is always useful to have books and movies to hand to keep them occupied and help to them drop off.

Remember to wake your child up at local time the next day regardless of what time they actually fall asleep so that their body clocks adjust more quickly. Get them up and about in the new destination, get them into a pool, out for a brisk walk or take them somewhere stimulating to keep them awake such as a park or a zoo.

THE AUTHOR: Alison Couper is Director of Communications for Hotels.com and Expedia, and is also a mum to Barnaby aged 4 and Freya aged 2. The children have travelled widely to many countries, including Thailand, Norway, Singapore, and the US. Their most recent trip they was to St Anton for a skiing holiday.

go to top

TRAVEL OVER YONDER WITH YONDI! New travel product by Trunki voted product of the month by London Mums (April 2009)

Wave good-bye to over-tired grumpiness with the latest must-have travel chum from the award-winning creators of Trunki, the top-selling luggage for little people. London Mums have tested Yondi and voted it Product of the Month (of our travel section) for April 2009. It is a snuggly cushion which allows your children to snooze in the car, train or plane, while keeping little heads and necks fully supported. Yondi sits behind the head to stop it rolling, whilst the neck hugging paws connect underneath the chin with hidden magnets to create a safe and secure neck rest. It's double-sided, making it cosy in winter and cool in summer. Like all Trunki products, Yondi is CE marked and has the EN71 safety certificate, and it comes in a variety of styles, each with their own unique expression! Big Yondi even has a secret pocket for an mp3 player, keeping older kids amused on the move.

Get your paws on Yondi from £12. www.trunki.com

go to top

GRAB YOURSELF SOME ME TIME - By Deborah Dooley, founder of Retreats for you, incorporating Mummy Me Time (March 2009)

All mums know only too well that along with the fulfilment and pleasure of being a parent, come intermittent feelings of utter and mind numbing exhaustion. That desperate 'I can't go on' sensation stems from constantly taking care of everyone's needs except your own, and as any expert will tell you, the remedy is to grab some me time. The word grab seems appropriate because when you have young children, there's always so much to do that finding time for yourself can feel selfish. But the fact is that regular me time is essential for your health and wellbeing, and consequently that of your family.

On the 22nd March this year, mums all over the UK can expect flowers, chocolates, breakfast in bed and hopefully, a bit of me time. Mothering Sunday grew out of a tradition started in the 16th Century, when, on the fourth Sunday in Lent, people in this country made a point of going to nearest big church or cathedral. This was known as visiting the Mother church, and it became adopted as a day when girls and boys in service could go home to visit their mothers. They were often allowed to bake a cake for her, and sometimes gathered wild flowers on the way home.

It's a nice tradition, but one that for me, begs the question 'why only once a year?'

My own children are now in their teens and twenties, but I remember vividly those days when, as a full time mum to a baby, a toddler and an eight year old, sheer tiredness would sometimes wash over me. Then I'd feel an overwhelming urge to drop everything (including the baby) and just run away.

Early last year, when a friend visited with her two little ones, she said something that struck an immediate chord and prompted me to give her a hug.

'I spend my time looking after everyone else. But who's looking after me?'

A couple of days later, I repeated her words to my teenage daughter, Flo.

'She needs some me time' said Flo firmly. Then her face lit up. 'Some Mummy me time!' We looked at each other.

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?', we said simultaneously.

As the organiser of Retreats for You, which I run from our rambling house in Devon, I am always open to ideas for different kind of retreats. And here was one staring me in the face. A pampering weekend break, but one with a difference. Somewhere that mums could come and really relax, and be looked after by me. Where they could get up late, stay in their dressing gowns all day, lounge by the fire, chat, drink wine, and eat lovely food prepared for them - whenever and wherever they liked. More relaxing than self catering, less formal than a hotel and more fun than a spa. As the idea grew and developed, I added DVDs to order, to the Mummy me time wish list, and found a local beauty therapist who would come to us. A massage or facial can make a wonderful weekend simply perfect.

Visiting mums love their time away. But it's clear that the trappings of motherhood aren't easily discarded. One guest absent mindedly took her friend's hand as they crossed the village square, and another left the bathroom door open every time she went to the loo. 'It's habit', she said ruefully. 'At home if I shut the door, somebody yells 'Mummy where have you gone?'.

The feeling of not having to look after anyone can take some getting used to. But that's what me time's all about. It's good for us all, and mums especially, need more of it.

A Mummy me time weekend is a good start after that it's up to you.

AUTHOR: Deborah Dooley, journalist and mumpreneur - For more on Mummy Me Time visit http://www.deborahdooleyjournalist.co.uk/

go to top

'How to travel with a toddler and stay sane!' by Karen Guttridge, mum of three and director of baby and toddler travel company Holiday Tots

On car journeys always factor rest stops into your travel times. It may take longer to get there but toddlers can endure quite long journeys as long as they can have a frequent runabout.

Make up toddler goody bags before you go to be handed out throughout the journey. Simple brown bags filled with small board books, toys and perhaps a snack make a great diversion. For older toddlers make them themed.

Avoid trendy or luxury hotels. Self catering holidays generally provide the flexibility and facilities that suit families with young children. You choose the pace, are not restricted to set mealtimes and have full access to your own kitchen to prepare baby bottles and purees. Your children also have space to run around and there's usually less pressure to keep the noise down.

If your children are all under school age, (and from experience!) make the most of it by travelling during the months of May, June, September and October. Prices will be cheaper, and the resorts will be cooler and less crowded.

Go to a country (perhaps in the Med) where people really like children - the locals will love your baby!

Protect your child's ears on the plane-young children do not usually know how to 'pop' their ears - allow baby to suck on a bottle or toddlers to suck a lolly or similar during take off and landing. Otherwise, screaming - them, not you! - will work.

Author: Karen Guttridge 2008. Karen is a mum of three and director of baby and toddler friendly travel company Holiday Tots www.holidaytots.co.uk