Most people anticipating a long trip with children do so with some worry. But there are things you can do to make traveling a long way by air less stressful on everyone.

1. Pack thoughtfully.

First of all, keep your carry-on luggage as minimal as you dare. The less you need to tote, the easier the airports will be to navigate. A small backpack used as a diaper bag is an excellent way to carry what you need while still keeping your hands free. Wheeled luggage requires at least one hand. A backpack can be carried, hands free.

Carry on only the essentials: diapers, wipes, Ziplocs (for messy stuff), formula, bottles, snacks, an extra outfit for each child, and a few... more

Preparing to travel to a foreign country to adopt your child is an exciting time. With a little planning and careful packing, you will have all your necessities, hopefully without feeling too much like a pack mule getting your things – and your new child - from place to place! Here are some tips to help you think through the process.

1. Begin a list early, ideally at least a month ahead of your departure date. As you think of things you might like to have, gradually add to the list. You can always pare it down later.

2. For clothing, 5-7 days worth of clothing really is enough, even if you plan to be gone several weeks. Choose items that all go together and that you can... more

Utah international adoption agency, Focus on Children, as been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of adoption fraud. The indictment names seven people including agency owners Scott and Karen Banks of Wellsville, Utah, and covers the period between March 2003 and June 2005. Specifically addressing the adoptions of 37 children by US families of Samoan children , it alleges coercion on the part of the agency was used to obtain children from birth families.

Samoa is not the only birth country Focus on Children deals with, however,... more

Continued from here ...

This story on a large study ... almost 70,000 children of families with depressive parents ... will, I'm sure, be mentioned in connection with adoption in future. This could be a major concern, so I'm hoping the study will be looked at closely from many angles, and that the research gets a thorough... more

From a reader:

Question: Hi, I was wondering, regarding international adoption - which countries allow one parent to have been (in the past) taking anti-depressant meds? I understand China does not allow this. Are all international options off limits to those that this applies?

The upcoming imposition of new adoption regulations in China, starting the first of May, that preclude anyone with a history of... more

New China regs in a nutshell from IAAP:

1. The adopters must be a male and female couple with a stable marriage. If this is the first marriage for the couple they must have been married two years before submitting a dossier. If the husband or wife has been divorced they must now have been married for at least 5 years. They can have no more than two divorces.

2. Both Husband and wife must be at least 30 years old and under the age of 50. For parents adopting special needs children they must both be at lease 30 years old and both must also be under 55.

3. Both parents must be physically and mentally healthy and... more

Ahhhhhh.

It's so good to be home.

There's nothing like a week away to have me appreciating just about everything about home. Even the quirky and normally annoying aspects of island life ... the chaos of baggage claim taking more than an hour at 4am, subsequent power cuts, and a total dearth of yogurt available anywhere ... meld into the warm fuzzies of dogs happy to see us, the comfort of my own bed with a view, the loving embrace of friends and family, and everything else that spells H O M E.

Cj was so happy to find herself... more

Apologies in advance for the repetition to all who've been reading along from the beginning, but to you new-ish here this week's entries are meant to give a smattering of what goes on here, but certainly not the whole picture. I hope to publish most days from Singapore in addition to these wanders down memory blog, but can't promise anything. Starting with international adoption-related information, this post about dossier prep from the 9th... more

Continued from the previous post

Foreign exchange for purchases from overseas and payments due in US Dollars, GB Pounds or Euro takes at least a week to get, you must have a really good reason for wanting the money and be able to prove exactly where it will be going.

To renew my US Passport, which requires a Bank Check (or as it's known here, a "Banque Cheque") for $50.00 made out to the US Embassy in Mauritius. If you think... more

Preparing for an international trip while living in Seychelles involves some rather important details that need working out in advance. Since we've been organizing for our trip to Singapore for a while now, I'm of a mind to let you in on some things that are just a bit different in this part of the world.

In addition to tickets and passports, exit visas, departure tax, seat assignments, boarding cards, and so on, one thing people need to have with them as they prepare to board their flight to where ever is money ... and Seychelles Rupees don't count.

Our local... more