Travel Insurance Review

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Melissa Schwartz on the secret of a successful travel gap year for your family during coronavirus (Safe Travels #46)

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Our guest today is parenting coach, author, and speaker Melissa Schwartz from LeadingEdgeParenting.com.

Melissa has advice today for any family considering taking a travel or gap year due to coronavirus.

The fall reopening plan for many schools has parents pondering taking a year off…but with that comes many concerns about school, family dynamics, and just getting along.

Melissa shares tips about the importance of boundaries and routines, natural learning, and other parenting tips for these tough times.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Simple advice if you’re overwhelmed when considering a gap year 00:01:59
  • Key questions to ask when trying to decide 00:03:58
  • Overall strategy when you have decided to take a travel year 00:07:10
  • Why boundaries and routines are so important 00:09:29
  • Tips for setting and communicating boundaries and routines 00:12:29
  • Ideas for “home school” and natural learning 00:15:03
  • How “attunement” helps you get into the child’s world 00:17:51
  • More natural learning tips for finding opportunities to teach 00:19:58
  • Why the concern of kids “falling behind” in school might not be that bad 00:22:35
  • How to make this experience a memorable, positive, and growth oriented experience 00:24:25
  • Common mistakes and how to avoid them 00:26:41
  • Myths about a travel/gap year 00:28:28
  • Final advice 00:29:38

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Karen Ricks on what every parent ought to know about world-schooling, the “de-schooling” process, and more (Safe Travels #45)

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Have you heard of Unschooling?

How about Deschooling?

Roadschooling? Worldschooling?

I’m sure you’ve heard of homeschooling, and the bizarre words above are (mostly) all variations of homeschooling.

Parents this year are facing an uncertain fall school start. Some districts have already gone to remote learning, some are aiming to go back, and others are in between.

The only certain thing is this: No school will open exactly like they did last fall.

With all of this uncertainty, some parents (who are able to) are considering taking some time to either home school…or hit the road for some travel and “road school” their children.

It’s a complicated topic, but today’s guest will help guide you towards some answers. 

Karen Ricks from OurKitchenClassroom.com is a 25+ year teaching veteran, she opened and later sold a Montessori school in Japan, and she has been traveling and world schooling her son for years.

Karen’s love for teaching children is obvious, infectious, and will make you smile. It’s a big topic so you won’t walk away with a master plan. But for those thinking about homeschool that might be overwhelmed, I bet you will walk away inspired to try.

Please enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

Karen was generous enough to send a lot of very helpful additional information and links, see below:

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • How Karen classifies their style of home learning 00:03:12
  • On the montessori style 00:04:07
  • The “organic path” of teaching 00:07:02
  • The concept of “de-schooling” 00:08:54
  • The De-Schooling process 00:11:35
  • Un-schooling 00:18:26
  • On the fear of kids “falling behind: 00:22:00
  • Addressing the social aspects 00:25:13
  • Biggest challenges and how to overcome them 00:28:21
  • What Karen wishes she knew when starting 00:30:14
  • On the “fear” many parents have of homeschooling 00:31:29
  • Common mistakes and how to avoid them 00:32:54
  • On TV and gaming 00:39:38
  • Final tips for success 00:41:21

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Caroline Makepeace on how to get started with “Roadschooling”, a vital early decision to make, and tips for a productive day (Safe Travels #44)

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Most people have heard of homeschooling, when families choose to skip the typical education system and teach their children themselves.

Roadschooling is similar….it’s basically homeschooling while traveling. It’s a term that covers a lot of different styles from Worldschooling to Unschooling, and it’s an overwhelming topic for parents.

Today we are speaking with Caroline Makepeace from yTravelBlog.com. Caroline, her husband, and 2 daughters have been traveling the world and roadschooling for most of the kid’s lives and she has a lot of experience.

She has tips for choosing a style of homeschooling, find help with a curriculum, tackling the social aspect with kids, and more.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Overview of Caroline’s background in education and travel 00:01:18
  • Caroline’s overall strategy for home schooling 00:02:39
  • A critical first question: “What do you hope to achieve?” 00:03:24
  • Experience with more rigid system 00:05:48
  • On different styles of home schooling 00:07:18
  • Why “doing less” accomplished more 00:08:36
  • How her youngest daughter taught herself to read 00:10:06
  • Meeting education standards and “benchmarks” 00:11:32
  • Dealing with state regulations 00:12:25
  • “Unschooling”…what is it? 00:14:29
  • Testing 00:14:52
  • Tips for scheduling your days 00:15:44
  • Social life and homeschooling your kids 00:18:01
  • Finding groups for support 00:19:07
  • Her biggest challenges with home schooling 00:20:59
  • What Caroline wishes she knew when starting 00:23:02
  • Common mistakes people make when home schooling 00:24:08
  • The myth that home schooling is “The Answer” 00:24:57
  • Favorite resources for home schooling 00:26:27
  • Final key tips 00:28:29

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Cindy Richards on road trip safety conditions, questions to ask a hotel before booking, and more (Safe Travels #43)

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As we’ve talked about before, 2020 us the summer of the road trip. Travelers are packing up the car, renting RVs, and finding any way they can to get out and explore.

But, as we all know there are safety concerns. What are safety conditions like on the road? What are hotels doing? Are people wearing masks? What should I do to prepare?

To help with all of this we are joined by Cindy Richards, who is the editor in chief of TravelingMom.com.

Cindy has combined information from their almost 70 writers, and her personal experience, to bring you a report about what is going on out there.

She has road trip safety tips, questions to ask your hotel before you book, and more.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Overview of conditions on the road 00:01:39
  • Hotel cleanliness report 00:02:28
  • Questions to ask hotels before booking 00:05:18
  • Mask usage at hotels 00:06:58
  • Masks elsewhere (gas stations/grocery) 00:07:49
  • On flexibility and “Plan B” for road trips 00:09:23
  • Resources for state rules 00:10:14
  • Avoiding high-risk states 00:11:12

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Bob Bacheler on the best way to move a loved one with medical needs, safely and for less money. (Safe Travels #42)

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You will probably learn something new in this episode, I definitely did.

Here’s the situation: Imagine grandma is in Florida and you want to move her closer to you in Boston. She has medical needs and is currently in a nursing home.

How do you move her? She can’t just get on a plane by herself, and you could help but she has medical needs. 

Plus, there’s air ambulance services, but the cost is way too high.

Today’s guest Bob Bacheler runs FlyingAngels, which is a non-emergency medical transport service, and they could help.

Bob will answer all the basic questions, including how it works and the ballpark costs, in today’s short episode.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Example of how you might need this service 00:01:47
  • Details about the transport process 00:04:29
  • Why Bob prefers certain airlines 00:05:59
  • Can family members accompany flights? 00:07:38
  • Ballpark costs of the service 00:08:23
  • How does it work with insurance? 00:10:28
  • Common misconceptions about the service 00:12:06

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Julie & Marc Bennett on preventing septic issues, cleanliness mistakes to avoid, and tips to keep everyone happy (Safe Travels #41)

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The summer of 2020 is very different for travel. People are avoiding airplanes and taking road trips…and many are hitting the road in an RV too.

Among those taking an RV trip are a lot fo newer users, and today’s show is all about avoiding the mistakes that new Rvers make.

We will speak with Marc and Julie Bennett from RVLove.com. They have been full-time RVers for 6 years, and know their stuff (they also joined the show before and are great guests!).

These 12 tips, tricks, and hacks include everything from safety advice, cleanliness tips, and preventing the infamous “pyramid of poo”…we’ll get to that.

Please enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Use your fave Toilet paper – as long as it’s septic safe! 00:02:26
  • Know your weight limits and stay within them. 00:04:16
  • Check your tires – often! 00:06:51
  • Rent an RV before you buy 00:09:47
  • Plan to travel and arrive during daylight hours for optimal safety. 00:11:24
  • NEVER leave the black valve open all the time! Keep your black tank (toilet water waste tank) valve CLOSED until it is at least 50% full. 00:13:36
  • Keep containers of Lysol / Clorox wipes outside in your RV wet bay for other cleaning/sanitizing products in your bins for utility connections. 00:16:37
  • Connect / Screw together the ends of your RV hoses 00:18:38
  • Plan your route in advance the night before 00:21:13
  • Have a ready made meal planned ahead for travel days 00:24:26
  • Keep a patio mat outside of your RV to help reduce bringing in sand/dirt into your RV 00:26:04
  • Enjoy more campfires with a portable Propane firepit instead of real wood 00:27:50

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Megan Tenney on road trip tips, mask usage, knowing local rules, and more (Safe Travels #40)

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The summer of 2020 is the summer of the road trip…at least that is what everyone is saying.

If you are thinking of hitting the road, you might be wondering what it is like.

  • What safety measures do you need to know?
  • Is it business as usual as you travel around?
  • Are people wearing masks?
  • What about laws and regulations in the states you will be traveling to and through?

To help with all of this and more, I’m speaking with Megan Tenney from FamilyGapYearGuide.com.

Megan and her family, including 4 kids, have been on the road for two years…including the coronavirus outbreak.

She gives a very useful report from the road, including answers to all of the questions above.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Overview of conditions on the road 00:02:18
  • Some playgrounds open, others closed 00:03:43
  • How to find info about various state rules 00:05:44
  • Mask usage while road tripping 00:07:01
  • Ballpark estimate of mask usage 00:08:30
  • Safety concerns while moving around the country 00:09:30
  • Special challenges with kids 00:10:19
  • Funny looks for mask usage? 00:11:16
  • How store hours can be changed 00:12:13

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Josh Grafman on airplane mask enforcement, lifetime bans, and fake exemption cards (Safe Travels #39)

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By now all airlines are finally requiring masks for passengers (looking at you Allegiant), sometimes with the risk of lifetime bans for non-compliance.

Who is requiring masks? Are they really banning people? How does it all work?

The answers to this and more will be provided by Josh Grafman from JetBlue.

Josh talks about the mask requirements, the process for dealing with belligerent no-maskers, fake cards, and more.

Please enjoy.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Summary of mask rules 00:01:54
  • Potential consequences for non-compliance 00:02:31
  • How enforcement would work 00:03:15
  • Fake exemption cards 00:05:51
  • The last airline to get on board with masks 00:06:20
  • What happens if you don’t have a mask (but want to comply) 00:08:05
  • Are any types of masks ok? 00:09:22
  • Additional safety procedures by airlines 00:09:55
  • Best guesses for lifting requirements for masks 00:10:53
  • Blocked middle seats 00:11:43
  • Final thoughts 00:12:21

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Jeremy Murchland on road trip insurance and how to get travel insurance with covid-19 coverage (Safe Travels #38)

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If you are taking a road trip this summer, you will be joining millions of other people out on an adventure.

But, what happens if there is a problem or accident on the road? It might be a medical emergency, accident, or anything else….but how what happens to your vehicle? How about your family? How do they get home?

Today’s show will feature Jeremy Murchland who is the President of Seven Corners insurance. Seven Corners is a travel insurance company, but in light of the popularity of road trips this summer they have put together a road trip plan called ARMOR. 

This plan helps get you, your family, pets, or your vehicle back home when you’re out on a road trip and something happens. 

Jeremy will also talk about how Seven Corners has made some changed to some plan so they specifically cover coronavirus, which will become extremely important as people start traveling again.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • Survey highlights about summer travel 00:02:43
  • What can go wrong on a road trip? 00:03:51
  • How road trip coverage fills a gap 00:05:46
  • Ballpark prices for road trip coverage 00:08:28
  • Common misunderstanding about this coverage 00:09:25
  • Covid-19 coverage in other plans 00:10:10
  • Why having ‘named coverage’ for covid-19 is vital 00:13:45

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Nicole Ratner on post-corona cruising, common planning mistakes, and various myths around gratuities (Safe Travels #37)

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There are still many unknowns about how the cruise industry is going to handle returning to the seas after coronavirus lockdowns end.

When will they start sailing? What will be different? How will they handle safety concerns? Will anyone go?

To help answer some of these questions, we are joined today by Nicole Ratner from CruisingWithTheFamily.com. Nicole writes unbiased information about the cruise business, and has many details about the reopening plan.

She also has great general tips for planning a cruise, especially for first-timers.

Selected Links from the Episode

Show Notes & Timestamps

  • The current plan to start sailing again 00:03:00
  • How CLIA decided to extend the no-sail 00:04:12
  • Are cruise lines taking bookings now? 00:06:35
  • The brisk state of business considering covid 00:07:35
  • What to expect as they start sailing again 00:08:58
  • How cruise lines have already put many safety and cleanliness measures in place 00:10:51
  • Advice for those thinking of booking 00:12:14
  • Thee “Free Money” you can get 00:13:13
  • The lenient cancellation policy changes 00:14:47
  • General planning tips 00:16:17
  • Cruise planning mistakes to avoid 00:17:04
  • Myths around gratuities 00:19:59

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