Whether for a season or for the long haul, all parents – at one time or another – navigate the waters of parenting a child with a selective palate. And as a child’s first cook and coach, you may be surprised just how much your attitude and food presentation influence your child’s early food preferences.

Where does peace begin? In the home! If we teach peaceful problem-solving to our children, they will bring those skills into the world. What do you think the world would be like if we had more compassionate leaders to promote world peace? Peace starts in the home and moves outward to the world.

We have traveled by airplane, car, ship and train. We have stayed with relatives, with friends, at hotels, at rental houses, at beach cabins, and in trailers and tents. We have learned the hard way about the challenges of travelling with children, including jet-lagged babies wide-awake at midnight, toddler tantrums on crowded airplanes, car-sick and homesick children, and bored teens enduring an endless torment of art galleries and museums. From our experience, I have developed the following list of essentials for travelling with children.

It’s wonderful to renew acquaintance with our extended family, and to catch up on family news. However, bringing children to live with another family for a few days (or even weeks!) can be challenging for both hosts and guests. A few simple rules of courtesy can help smooth the way for a fun and pleasant visit for everyone.