how many mini-punks do we have out there? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**tumblezweedz** · 03-14-2006, 12:32 PM

Okay, so who has kids, how many, how old, have you travelled with 'em yet, and where? If not yet, when/where are your plans?

I'll start: me; 4.5; 10, 8, 5, 2, T - 6mos; yes; US, Canada, S. Korea, Japan, Singapore, eastern Europe, western Europe.

**d_fresh** · 03-14-2006, 02:08 PM

1, 6mos, only small roadtrips so far...hopefully doing a 3 week roadtrip this summer if we can.

thresheld · 03-14-2006, 07:07 PM

No minipunks yet for me, but I'm sure that when I get there, I will be sure to take him/her/them all over!

**Esterina** · 03-14-2006, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tumblezweedz@Mar 14 2006, 03:32 PM
I'll start:* me; 4.5; 10, 8, 5, 2, T - 6mos

CONGRATULATIONS TAMARA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My daughter flew over half of the planet, but in my belly ! She's now almost 1 1/2 year old, and we only did short roadtrips, in car, bus, and train. A lot of them. Next year, we'll go to Moscow for one semester (I'll study russian there). Yes, I have apprehensions about the flight...

**tumblezweedz** · 03-15-2006, 05:52 AM

Oh Esther, how cool to be in Moscow! That will be a very interesting flight - 18 mos. to 3 years old is not my favourite age for taking long flights (though we've managed to hit that age for travel with every child - and it looks like we'll be moving again when the new baby's about that age, too.

- Thanks for the congrats, it seems very distant at the moment.) It's definitely easier when they're still inside! Still, there are lots of ways to make the flight a little less painful, and once the flight's over and the jet lag has worn off, it's a really fun age to explore with - you get to see stuff at their level, both physically and intellectually, which gives a whole different perspective. I love taking my kids to art galleries - they love the bright colours and sometimes have the most fascinating comments to make about the pictures. And if nothing else, on our walks we learn all about the local insects...

You should also be able to enroll your daughter in a local preschool/nursery type of thing, which will give you terrific insight into the whole child-rearing outlook in that country, and hopefully you'll get to meet some of the other parents, which is a great way to get to know the country well. We had so many experiences in Japan, Lithuania and now in Germany that we never would have had if our kids had gone to the American schools - most of our friends in Japan were never once invited to a Japanese home, because, since the houses are small, they usually don't entertain at home. But we'd go for play dates, and while the kids played, the moms had a great time learning about each others lives and they taught me how to cook Japanese dishes (a couple of friends had a great time laughing at my totally wonky rice balls!)

One word about having kids in the former USSR, though - expect elderly granny types to scold you thoroughly whenever they see you - we got told off because our baby wasn't wearing a woolen toque - in JULY! It was 28 degrees! Because "the State" was responsible for child rearing under the Soviet system, the old ladies figure that young mothers (who'd been raised in nurseries) don't have any idea how to properly care for their babies, and never hesitate to give their opinions - it doesn't even matter if you don't understand them. When we first arrived, not speaking Lithuanian very well, we'd apologize that we didn't understand Lithuanian, and then they'd berate us all over again in Polish, and when we shrugged again, they'd launch their attack in Russian! Eventually we learned to just shrug and say "Aciu" (thank you) and walk away.

Well, keep us posted about your plans, what an awesome opportunity!

d-fresh, where are you planning to go?

thresheld - that's the t-punk spirit!

**Esterina** · 03-15-2006, 06:32 AM

Thanks Tamara, I'll have all your advice in mind when we take off. I'm sure Kalia will also enjoy the galleries, we'll do that. About the flight, I just pray that it will be a nightflight.

If this trip happens, it will only be in spring 2007, so we'll have plenty of time to talk about it.

Just for fun, how many nationalilties do your children have ? ...and how many kids are you planning on having ?

**d_fresh** · 03-15-2006, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tumblezweedz@Mar 15 2006, 10:22 AM
d-fresh, where are you planning to go?

[snapback]106833[/snapback]

we're not quite sure yet. it really depends on my wife's work. We'd like to go from here to halifax, moncton, montreal and then labrador if we have time.

**benna2** · 03-15-2006, 07:04 AM

No kids for me yet either....But I do raise my hats to all those who do travel with the little anklebiters!! I have done quite a lot of traveling with little ones, when I was a nanny. And it is definately an experience that toughens a person up.

dfresh, I was just looking at your site and I gotta tell you, your son is beautiful!! Congrats on your family.

**tumblezweedz** · 03-15-2006, 08:04 AM

d - that sounds awesome. Labrador has always appealed to me, going back to a story I read in elementary school, if you can believe it. You're lucky to be in the Maritimes, where you can see so much different stuff in a relatively small area. We have got to get to eastern Canada.

esther - yes, those night flights are a parent's salvation...as long as you can sleep too! I dread those flights where I watch my kids sleeping soundly away, while I toss and turn and fidget for 8 hours, imagining the grueling day that is to come!

Actually, our kids currently only have US citizenship, though they are eligible for Canadian if I would just get my act together. They were all born in different places - the girls in three different states (AZ, NM and Maryland), and our son in Japan...but on a US base, so no Japanese citizenship for him, though he does consider the Japanese flag as "his" flag, along with the stars & stripes. The next one we expect will be born in Germany, but I assume will not qualify for German citizenship.

As for how many kids we'll have...we've no idea, but one at a time would be okay with us...I can't imagine having twins!

**The Monsignor** · 08-01-2006, 06:40 PM

For some reason, I've been completely neglecting the topics on the public boards...

I've got sole custody of 2 kids, my daughter, Anna (Anastasia) is 11, and my son, Raven (Raven) is 8. My trips up to this point have all been solo, since we've had some stuff to work out before we can start to roadtrip.

I took my first real trip at 7, (to Guatemala), and I'll tell ya, it hooked me forever.

The first trip with the kids is likely to be a training wheels trip - probably Mexico (they speak a little spanish, I speak a little more) or Canada (I'm pretty fluent with my Canadian). I need to go somewhere not too far away to see how they'll do...

I'm working them into it, with day trips all over Washington, and I'll get them hiking soon, camping later. (If you can poop in the woods, foreign facilities aren't so bad)

I hope to start contributing to this forum a bit more, particularly in the realm of where to find cheap family friendly trips!

**tumblezweedz** · 08-05-2006, 02:30 PM

Excellent, specially the cheap, close tips! I mentioned a book about "Family Adventures" which may be of some use to you - in fact it's called Fodor's Family Adventures, but if they're typical of other Fodor's guides, they may be a bit bigger budget.

Good luck with the training trips, Anna and Raven sound the perfect age to really enjoy the whole experience, not just the being there/seeing/doing stuff bits.

Look forward to hearing about your adventures. We'll be moving to the PNW in a few more years (military retirement, less than 5 years away, and the house is waiting for us), so I'll be most interested to read about your discoveries.

artaddict · 06-17-2008, 01:43 AM

Ok, I have 2. now they are 6 and 7. Let's see... we've been to Mexico, Paris (3x), England (2x), Italy, and Belgium. I had to get new passports because my son's was take when he was 2 weeks old...
we enjoy traveling... they wanted to knock over stonehenge like dominoes! and my daughter really expected to have tea with the Queen of England, she even walked up to the guard at Windsor and invited herself in, (they stopped her...). I just love the way they look at things.... the airplane rides are another story....

thanks for sharing all your travels, it's nice to know I'm not the only one crazy enough to travel with kids.

**benna2** · 01-31-2009, 04:20 PM

Well an update from my reply to this thread in 2006, I have one baby now. A little girl named Isabelle (Izzy), who is almost 9 months old. We are on a trip right now in the Dominican Republic and she was awesome on the plane! I have done fine with just her, but don't know how I would manage more than one!

**pinknic38** · 01-31-2009, 06:33 PM

Hmm I suppose I will add mine too! I've got one that's T-6 months and some change, and he or she (hopefully she) will be traveling to South America and enjoying all it has to offer via my uterus in March.

Since it's just the two of us, I plan on introducing travel as early as possible. Once I get my commission next summer hopefully I will be sent to Germany (even though it's so far from home and my mom will surely kill me) and then travel is so much easier.

**travelpunk** · 01-31-2009, 07:29 PM

I got a 4 month old that's already been to Spain for 4 weeks. Slept like a baby on the way over, no crying, nada.

Hope to get that lil boy up 'n backpack'n soon

!

**benna2** · 02-01-2009, 08:44 AM

So with all the Tpunk babies in the community now, have you been working on a Travelpunk onesie Tony?? Or at least t-shirt in baby sizes??

**pinknic38** · 02-01-2009, 09:56 AM

^ yeah!!!!!

**c0urt** · 02-01-2009, 02:53 PM

technically yes, but she won't submit to a paternity test and skipped town with him. take that how you want. he is stryder and almost three.

**aliz** · 02-02-2009, 02:46 AM

wow, that kid is so cute!

**mish99** · 02-02-2009, 06:58 AM

Aaaaw, he is adorable!