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DECEMBER 2006: How to Survive Holiday Blues/ What are Tween Girls Thinking/Traveling with Kids
The Holiday Blues: Don't Catch Them!
We tap our world renowned experts on adolescence, children’s development and relevant “girl” issues for each Beacon Street Girls book. They are also kind enough to provide us with great articles and useful information for this newsletter.
This month’s we have included:
In the coming months, you’re going to receive a number of fantastic articles, including:
Sincerely,
The Holiday Blues: Don’t Catch Them!
Don’t be downhearted. The Beacon Street Girls have been running a contest on our website – "What’s the best gift ever?" Reading some of the entries we received will warm your heart ... Enjoy! “… I want to be with my family and friends.” Krystal “…the gift of hope and love.” Ines “I love to give a gift that puts a HUGE smile on the person.” Carlie “I think that the best gift ever would be to have world peace over the whole world and for everyone to love each other and be friends and spend time together.” Hazel “I think the best gift ever would be to see an old friend.” Marily “… a hug and/or kiss because it means that you are loved and someone cares for you.” Nancy “… a caring friend.” Berkley “…a homemade gift.” Emily “…a bunny.” Katherine “A great gift would be one from the heart.” Morissa “My favorite gift that I gave was my next weeks allowance ($5.00) to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.” Katy “The best gift I have ever received was heart surgery from the top cardiologist in America at 7 months old. And another gift I really love is a Siamese kitten from my dad.” Helena “…a trip to Florida. This would be a very good present because it is so warm in Florida and here it gets freezing!” Maria “…a puppy.” Danielle “…something you can’t wrap. We can all give our love that is an awesome gift and you don’t have to exchange it! Who doesn’t want love?” Alyssa
What does your daughter think? Ask her. These make great dinner-time conversation starters!
Traveling with Kids: The New Rules By Elaine Osgood, Atlas Travel International
As of January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by AIR between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda, will be required to present a valid passport. As early as January 1, 2008, all persons traveling to these destinations by LAND or SEA may be required to present a valid passport. While you may be hearing various dates of implementation, it is wise to adhere to these dates to ensure you are not detained when on family vacations outside the U.S. Every U.S. Citizen, regardless of age (including newborns and infants), will be required to have a passport. If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you must apply in person, regardless of age. All children under 18 must appear in person and all applications should have both parents' or legal guardians' consent. If your child does not have his/her own identification, the parents or legal guardian must accompany the child for passport application and present identification. When at all possible, it is advisable for both parents to accompany children to apply for passports. This will make your passport application faster and go more smoothly. For minors under age 14, you must establish proof of citizenship AND proof of relationship.
- Certified U.S. birth certificate ; or
NOTE: A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, Impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. The validity of a birth certificate is often the reason an application is held up, so pay close attention to this item. NOTE: Previous U.S. passports are not acceptable as proof of relationship to the applying parent(s)/guardian(s).
- Certified U.S. birth certificate (with parents' names); or NOTE: If the parent(s)'/guardian's name(s) is/are other than that on these documents, evidence of legal name change is required. You will also need to provide proof of parental identification for application for minors under age 14. Each parent or guardian must submit one of the following:
- Valid Drivers License If possible, you should renew your passport approximately 9 months before it expires. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six (6) months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. The U.S. Department of State website offers answers to most questions, allows you to download applications and provides the location of your nearest passport application location. Travel outside of the U.S. can be a wonderful family experience (in fact, a recent study showed that two-thirds of children under 18 had traveled outside the country). Understanding the passport process, and applying well in advance of your trip, will get you off to a great start. Children love to see their passport photos and documentation...and when it's the beginning of a family adventure, nothing is better than that! |
