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The world is definitely getting smaller these days, and increased international marriages, divorces, and the ease of international travel has seen an increase in domestic child abductions. As
a result of The Hague Convention, signed by four world governments, many
The
following countries
Mexico
For
summaries on rules for children traveling accompanied by one
References
and Resources: On the Web
AARP The American Association
for Retired People is a nonprofit association for folks 55 and older. Visit
their Webplace Travel area and discussion boards.
www.aarp.org/travel/
Elderhostel This non-profit organization
provides education and adventures for adults 55 and over. Elderhostel offers
several opportunities for travel with grandchildren. Click on "on-line
catalog" to learn more about opportunities for travel all over the world
and individual trip requirements at www.elderhostel.org
Earthwatch Earthwatch has many programs
for volunteers of all ages in many different cultures. Help with an archaeological
dig in Egypt or sift escort sea turtle hatchlings safely to sea. Find full
program listings and requirements at www.earthwatch.org.
United States National Park Service The United States National
Parks have camping and hiking opportunities and many structured ranger-led
programs for various age groups. For information about the programs, go
to www.nps.gov
Grandtravel This is a commercial travel
program for grandparents and grandchildren. The travel agency plans the
journey and teachers are on hand to provide learning opportunities for
the children that tie into their school curriculum. www.grandtrvl.com
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Elderhostel:
Bonding Across the Generation Gap "Emotionally, I was a wreck. How could I have agreed to subject a child to such danger? Will she be in therapy for life, forever blaming her grandparents?"
The memories keep flooding back. Together with our granddaughter in northern Minnesota, we are playing the roles of Ojibwe and French voyageurs, silently paddling a canoe to our campsite, finding our way through strange woods, making fire with flint and steel, eating native nuts and berries, and twisting and tying thin branches into shapes designed to trap our bad dreams. Or we are with our granddaughter at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, sitting together in the campus quad in the summer shade of an ancient tree, perhaps the very spot where the teenage Cole Porter tried to compose a melody. We, like the other grandparents and grandchildren sprawled on the campus, are nervously rehearsing our lines for the musical plays we will perform on the last day of a five-day adventure into the arts that will include making costumes, building sets and playing in a makeshift orchestra. But most impressionistic of all, my pulse races once again as it did five years ago when this same granddaughter, Serena, barely 8 and small for her age, looked oh-so-tiny walking oh-so-slowly, and sometimes slipping a bit, on a rope 25 feet above my head. Sure, it was a high ropes challenge course known to build confidence. Rationally, I knew it was perfectly safe. Experts coached the youngsters beforehand and all along the way. Strong harnesses prevented the children from falling. But emotionally, I was a wreck. How could I have agreed to subject a child to such danger? Will she be in therapy for life, forever blaming her grandparents? What would the parents say if they knew? Thornton Wilder’s story of the tragic bridge collapse at St. Luis Rey suddenly came to mind. Then little Serena stopped in mid-course,
just overhead. “You can This is Elderhostel, not the usual Elderhostel that assembles us codgers in thousands of low-cost programs worldwide to discuss our ailments and our mutual funds, dig in ancient ruins, hike the badlands or study Beethoven piano sonatas. I’m talking about the less familiar intergenerational programs, which is really all about bonding across the generation gap. Or, as the voluminous Elderhostel catalogue accurately puts it, the intergenerational programs offer grandparents and grandchildren “the unique opportunity to get to know each other and share perspectives while experiencing the joy of discovering and learning together.” The summer intergenerational listings for the U.S. and Canada, which may be viewed in shortened form at www.elderhostel.org, invites grandparents and their grandchildren to learn about satellites at a week-long space camp in Idaho ($480 per adult, $265 per kid), explore the nation’s oldest city in St. Augustine, Fla. ($485, $400), ride horses through the rugged Texas hill country ($495, $325), experience the thrill of white-water rafting on the Colorado River into the depths of the Grand Canyon ($649, $529), and learn the Moravian culture in Old Salem, N.C. ($492, $435). The prices include food and lodging, but not airfare and car rentals. At these bargain rates, don’t expect much of the food. Kids rate it much higher than adults do. Housing is adequate. Grandparents and their kids, who must be at least 8 and under 15 for most programs, share rooms in dormitories, cabins or motels. Bathrooms are often down the hall. You grandparents should select programs carefully. Both you and the kids must enjoy them. You can check availability -- and register -- on the Elderhostel website or by toll-free phone, 1-877-426-8056. By May, many summer programs already have waiting lists, but there’s always next winter and summer.
The first -- and sometimes the most difficult -- step for grandparents is to obtain parental consent to take the kids away for a week that’s convenient for everyone. Many parents, though, would welcome the respite, giving them a chance for a rare child-free vacation. Grandparents, too, must be prepared to discipline the kids at times, even if they lack the stomach for it or don’t remember how. I recommend taking one kid at a time. Eliminates all that sibling rivalry. But the pain is modest when compared with the joys of shared adventures with a child you really care about. Me, I’m preparing for another Elderhostel trip in July with Grandma and Serena, who is now 13 and ready for, like, real cool teenage stuff. We’re going to southwest Colorado to study the Anasazi culture and learn Navajo weaving and primitive pottery. Then, in August, it’ll be time for us and 8-year-old Liana to take off for a week of discovery of the Maine woods and coastline. She thinks that’s pretty cool, too. And she’s right. - Aaron Epstein
Keys to a successful voyage:
Pre-school children (ages 3-5) do better on
short day or weekend trips
Plan plenty of activities that they will enjoy, as they will be missing their friends and need to keep active, or invite them to bring a friend along, taking some of the heat off of grandma and grandpa to be hip. Kids like to be active. Take them places where they can learn hands-on: parks, science museums, zoos, and the like. Older kids may enjoy volunteer vacations, such as counting sea turtles in Costa Rica and helping hatchlings get to the sea. Research these trips carefully and plan according to your grandchildrens’ interests. For structured group activities, check out organizations such as Elderhostel and Grandtravel.
Leave plenty of time for kids to engage in
structured and unstructured activities. Don’t feel the need to stick to
a highly-regulated itinerary.
Give them plenty of time to rest. Teens typically need more sleep than younger children, and very small children need nap times structured into the day. Ask your grandkids for feedback about the itinerary. Be sure to include activities that they will enjoy. Keep to the children’s routines and stick
to their diets as much as possible. Too many sweet treats can keep little
ones up late at night!
Choose one spot as home-base, venturing out on day trips from there if you have younger children who do better sleeping in the same place every night. Bring plenty of books, games, music, coloring books and washable markers, and toys for the car, plane, and quiet time entertainment. Pack plenty of healthy snacks. Fresh, cold
water, juices, fruits, cheese, crackers, and other foods are better than
candies and sugary sodas.
Get all emergency information for contacting
the parents as well.
Ask parents to discuss the rules of the trip with you and the grandkids so everyone knows what is expected. Help your older grandchildren keep a trip journal. After the trip is over, share your photos of your adventures so they will remember the fun times with you.
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do
it!” I found myself shouting through my skepticism. Suddenly, I could hear
her talking to herself. “I can do it!” she was saying. And she did. Her
grandma and I hugged her tightly when she came down, telling her how proud
we were of her. It was a big moment, I think, for her and for us, too.
And so it remains.
There
are more expensive, all-inclusive intergenerational trips abroad, too.
Snorkeling off the reefs of Bermuda. Viking studies in Denmark. Archaeology
and mythology in Greece. Gamelan (gong orchestra), mask-making and batik
in Indonesia. Cave paintings and Roman ruins in Spain.