Bon Voyage! International Travel with Children

While parents will likely fall with a long sigh of relief into their own beds after returning home, they shouldn't expect their children to have exactly the same reaction. "It took about three weeks to get back on schedule," remembers Cindy. "The babies adjusted to the time change within about two days when we arrived in Italy, but it took about five days when we returned home."

The best thing parents can do to help their kids to get back on schedule after an international trip is get them back into their own routine immediately. Even if children don't take to it right away, parents should begin operating under their previous schedule as soon as possible. (It will help parents assimilate as well!)

Noted Saint Augustine, "The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only one page." So, forget the standard vacation this year. Instead of a walk on a familiar beach, give some thought to a stroll along the Great Wall of China, the Seine, or maybe even around Big Ben and Parliament (just once).