Mothers and home exchange go together like putting the kids to bed and pouring a glass of wine. Short of having a nanny tagging along, nothing beats home exchange for giving parents of all genders the ingredients they need for a relaxing vacation.
And by "ingredients" I'm not suggesting chaining mom up in that home exchange kitchen, no matter how nice the appliances. If the swap home has a bar-b-que grill we enjoy the simplicity of grilled meat and veggies for dinner. Otherwise the kitchen is just a handy place to store breakfast cereal and milk.
The great thing about home exchange is you can become part of a community, if you wish. Communities where people live and raise families have lots of resources for children, which can mean still more relaxation for mom.
Our children still talk about the "summer camp" they attended on our last home exchange trip to Northern California. The swappers, bless 'em, own a day care center. They let our children attend the day care for free during the week we spent at their home. That meant we could do boring adult stuff like wine tasting and lingering at fancy restaurants that do not hand out crayons with their place mats. The children got to do art projects, investigate two playgrounds, work in the day care's garden and even watch a movie.
There are day care centers, camps and after school programs most places you will find home exchangers. Some swappers even plan an exchange around allowing their child to attend a particular program. We did an exchange with a single father whose son wanted to attend one of the most competitive basketball camps in the USA, which happens to be located in New York City. If your child dreams of being an astronaut, she might enjoy attending fencing camp in San Francisco or performing arts day camp in Los Angeles.
A great resource to find kids' activities in any community is the local Parks and Recreation Department, Community Center or what ever its local equivalent is for the area you wish to visit. The local Chamber of Commerce will also have information on businesses in the area that cater to children.
Home exchange is also great for giving kids the space they need to be active. Have you ever watched toddlers try to run laps around a tiny hotel room after a long day's drive to the vacation destination? Next time, try shooing them out into the back yard of the exchange home or letting them discover new-to-them toys if the swappers have them on hand for their kids or grand kids. Much more pleasant for everyone.
I did my first home swap at age 8 but I never appreciated home exchange more than after I had a child. Next year make mom breakfast-in-bed in someone else's bed -- on a home exchange.
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