Win a copy of Kate Wickers new book Shape of a Boy

[BexMumsnet]

Hi All,

We have an exciting giveaway for you - 50 FREE hardback copies of Kate Wickers new book Shape of a Boy. If you’ve ever needed a laugh-out-loud travel memoir, by the mother of three boys, then this book is for you!

Kate shares the life lessons learnt on her family’s travels, from overcoming disappointment in Thailand to saying sorry in Japan, discovering perseverance in Borneo and learning about conservation in Malaysia. Kate’s vivid evocation of the highs and lows of family time make you belly-laugh and bring a lump to your throat.

Shape of a Boy captures the essence of being a parent in the thick of it and learning on the hoof. Inspirational for anyone who has travelled with a baby, toddler or teen, it is a life-affirming read for every wannabe-traveller.

While Kate's mantra is ‘have kids, will travel’, we want to hear what your best travel tips (or travel mantras) are when you travel with or without kids! The first 50 people to comment below will receive a free copy of Kate Wickers new book, Shape of a Boy.

We can't wait to read your posts!

MNHQ

My best travel tip is be prepared for any travel delays with a good book for yourself and everyone else

My travel tip is... if you forget anything you can buy most of what you need wherever you are going most of the time. So don't stress

When tiny, take lots of snacks, to keep them entertained! Small things like smarties and cut grapes, that you can make last a while.
Deep breaths, and know the journey will have its challenging moments.

Would love a chance to read this please!

My travel tip is to keep a master packing list on your computer or phone, and use it, whenever you travel. Admittedly mine is probably slightly OTT - it's a spreadsheet that has grown over the years to incorporate long and short trips, UK and foreign travel, reminders of jobs to do associated with travel, last minute reminders of things to do as you leave the house so you don't have to worry that you've left a window unlocked or the oven on etc - but it always makes much easier when I need to travel.

Having a plastic wallet with print out of the paking list to travel with, kept with my passport, travel insurance and any other travel documents, as well as separate photocopies of those docments - 1 version to put elsewhere in my luggage and 1 to leave behind with someone trusted. And a scan of each saved as a PDF and emailed to myself on Gmail (called something different) another version.

I try to update with new things after each trip, as well as noting when I take too much.

Completely different tip for traveling by car - take a cool bag with a small chopping board, sharp knifeand kitchen roll with you - makes it much easier to have impromptu picnics while travelling or out. Cucumber is particularly useful if travelling with kids - using IKEA or similar cheap picnic plastic beakers are easy to for kids to hold without spilling and cucumber sticks can help to keep kids hydrated without needing lots of open bottles in the car!

I like to plan an itinerary so I know where we are going and when, and find things we can do if it's raining, very useful for Cornwall! Lots of snacks and activities, new little toys. Try to plan outfits to avoid taking too many clothes.

To use a safety pin to clip the zip of your handbag to the material.... invisible to the eye so pickpockets if they try you will feel a sharp tug!

We travelled loads with our eldest and looking forward to more travels with 2.

Definitely key to remember flexibility and everything takes longer with kids in tow!

Single parent of 2 boys. Plan the journey, include plenty of stops. All the snacks. Relax! Don't forget the tent poles.

Don't expect your DCs to remember anything about amazing overseas holidays if you take them when they are very young! A beach is a beach when you're 6, whether it's Bournemouth or Bondi!!

While travel broadens the mind, our DD had very poor opinions of people who haven’t travelled as widely as she has (44 countries visited)
Don’t encourage your DC to be boasty about the exotic countries she has lived in.
Karma bit her on the arse when we moved to the UK and she discovered that she was pretty much the only person in her new senior class who hadn’t been to Tenerife!
As far as travel tips go, we found a pack of cards extremely useful

Think of all the reasons you shouldn’t go. Then go anyway

Best tip for small children is to take a small (appropriate) item to open each day to keep them entertained. This may be a ball on day 1, colouring pens day 2, paper planes day three etc. Other ideas are plastic dinosaurs, those paint with water paint books. Bead bracelets to make. Friendship bracelet if a bit older.

These items can be from the pound shop. The child receives a small toy each day to occupy them if travelling or during /dinner or whilst sitting by the pool. If they get seven small items in one go they will be bored of them all by the end of day 1!

Make sure you take a photocopy of important travel documents before you go, can be handy in case they are lost or stolen.
Looks like a great book!

Always pack extra pants.

Sounds a great read, would love this book

Pack the usual toys, teddies etc... in a back pack for children to carry themselves, but also pack a full change of clothes for them as carry on (if flying) or easy to access bag of driving/ sailing. In my experience of my very messy children, they will destroy their clothes on the way and it's good to have a change to hand.

Not sure if we're up to 50 but my best travel tips are:

• For 'in transit' stopovers, get each child a gift which they can open and 'do' (anything from a sticker book to Lego to travel game). It keeps them occupied and is usually several hundred pounds cheaper than a direct flight!
• any child older than 8, write them a list of things to pack (whether it's for a weekend away or a long haul holiday). This way they need to find everything and put it on their/ my bed. I usually do actual packing until about 12yo to check everything is there but the annoyance if running around finding all their bits is sorted.
• Don't stress about forgetting things. Apart from tickets, passport, money, medication you can probably buy anything you've forgotten.

Yes please!! I have a four month old and looking for any tips going!! 😂

Hello everyone! Kate here, author of Shape of a Boy. I'm loving reading your tips and thrilled you're so keen to read my book. Thank you for taking part in this giveaway. If you'd like to follow me on instagram for news of Shape of a Boy, my new book to be published next year, and my travel writing, you can find me here @wickers.kate & on twitter @Katewickers
And please, if you love my book, do leave a lovely review! Happy travelling and thank you again. XX

My tip is too always print out your tickets etc as well as having them on an app on your phone just in case your phones runs out of charge, gets damaged or even lost

My tip is to let the children keep a Travel Diary. So every day (or whenever they like) they draw a picture/stick in a postcard or do a bit of writing into an A4 scrapbook about something which happened that day. My Dds are grown up now but I still have their “holiday diaries” and it’s just lovely to have a look through them.

Sounds like a great read! 😀

Be open minded to new experiences

Enjoy every moment because if the disasters make memories.

Lots of snacks!