Alfie and Lily must have known they were on the nice list this year when they saw the giant Christmas gift waiting for them downstairs in their English home.
They didn’t expect their father to be back from three months of military service, so they got quite a surprise when opening the wrapping paper.
Their mother, Ruth Stevens, made sure to record the holiday reunion.
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A settlement has been reached in a U.S. lawsuit with Warner/Chappell Music over the copyright to “Happy Birthday to You” that will put one of the world’s most recognizable songs in the public domain, according to court papers filed last week.
A Chief U.S. District Judge in Los Angeles ruled that Warner/Chappell, and its music publisher, did not own a copyright to the Happy Birthday lyrics.
Now artists are free to use the song in films, on TV and anywhere else without shelling out millions each year to the company that claimed ownership of the song lyrics.
(READ more in this Reuters article)
The holiday season is a time when we’re inspired to give back.
One way, of course, is to donate money to a good cause. Good News Network has found a great one: taking care of one mother and her 4-year-old daughter, who are being asked to leave a women’s shelter because of hitting the allotted time limit.
A GNN reader met Francesca because she had volunteered to cook for the man, who has stomach cancer. To reward her constant generosity, he set a goal of raising enough money to build her a tiny home that is solar-powered–but not only that, the tiny home will be the start of a pay-it-forward housing program, which will grant the home to another homeless person, once she is back on her feet again. If you have enough money to donate and boost our Christmas campaign, which is off to a slow start since I first wrote about it in detail on Friday, PLEASE contribute what you can, here on the fundraising page.
If you don’t have money in your budget for donating, here’s how you can make a real difference with ten simple good deeds for the holiday season…
Other organizations will pick up donations from your house…
(CONTINUE Reading the article in Brad Aronson’s blog)
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is an all-new adventure returning us to the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling.
Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) stars as a magizoologist in this Harry Potter spin-off directed by David Yates, who also helmed the last four Hogworts blockbusters.
The story is set in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident … were it not for an American Muggle named Jacob. The escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts could spell trouble for both the wizarding and Muggle worlds.
WATCH: Using the Force: Yoda Levitates Cake at Int’l Baking Show
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, whose script was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook of the same name which was written by her character, Newt Scamander.
MORE: Precious “Lost” Tolkien Story to be Published For the First Time
The film also stars Katherine Waterston (“Steve Jobs,” “Inherent Vice”) as Tina.
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“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which was home to the “Harry Potter” films, the top-grossing franchise of all time. Some scenes were also shot on location in Liverpool, England.
The Warner Bros. movie is set for worldwide release in 2D and 3D in November 18, 2016.
–Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Photos and story by Julie Makarewicz
Originally published by School News Network
Dale Allers isn’t related to anyone at Sparta’s Ridgeview Elementary School, but he’s “Grandpa Dale” to the 600-plus students who affectionately greet him every week with smiles, fist bumps and hugs.
“That’s why I do it. I love the kids and their smiles,” said Allers, who has volunteered at the school the last eight years and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
“He comes over and says ‘Just try your best’ and he always helps us out. And he fixes everything! He makes our whole school a better place,” said first-grader Madison Sackett.
WATCH: 99-Year-old Wins Shopping Spree at Dollar Store, Uses It For Needy Kids
Powell said she doesn’t know what they would do without him.
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“He does everything we ask and more. And he always does it with a smile on his face, no matter what it is,” she said. “He has such a great relationship with the kids. He’s a great male role model for them, and we don’t have many male role models in early elementary.”
Allers started working in the school through the Gerontology Network of Grand Rapids as a way to supplement his income. The organization placed him at Ridgeview and after a year, when he no longer needed the supplemental pay, he had already fallen in love with the students and school.
“I couldn’t leave. I just love it here,” he said.
Allers said Powell and Taylor have become like daughters to him. “They’re just so good to me and I love being here. I would hate to sit around home and do nothing. That’s not me,” he said.
WATCH: Veteran Swims the Entire Mississippi River to Honor Fallen Buddies
“I couldn’t believe they did that for me. It was so nice and something I never expected,” Allers said. “That’s why it’s so special here. Everybody cares.”
WATCH: Doctor Practicing “Street Medicine” Named Top Hero of 2015
Powell couldn’t say enough about Allers and his work in her classroom. “I can’t imagine teaching without him,” she said. “I wish every classroom could have a Grandpa Dale.”
Taylor agreed. “He’s a cool dude. He’s a tough Marine, but he’s a big teddy bear with the kids, and that’s what makes him so endearing. We are so fortunate he chose our school.”
What would persuade officials at the San Francisco Bay Ferry to allow its first private event ever on its iconic ferry? How about a Magical Winter Ferry Ride for 75 children fighting cancer this Christmas?
It all started when the people of a community outreach group called Vallejo Together wanted to do something special for these California kids struggling with illness. The group turned toward the Waterfront because it is one of the best things about their city.
After calling Vallejo Mayor Intintoli to pull some strings, the ferry tour was booked, but kept a secret from families who arrived downtown for a mystery date.
MORE: First Grader Trades His Christmas Presents for Gifts to the Homeless
“A mother came to us and said that her son was in line and when he saw the ferry, he wanted to ride it,” says the Vallejo Together Facebook page. “His mom told him that maybe one day he will be able to. He said that he hoped so because it was his dream. When the families found out that they were in fact going into the ferry the young boy jumped up and down raising his hands and said “Mom! My dream came true!”’
The cruise visited hot spots like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, and Angel Island.
MORE: Secret Santas Pay Off Nearly $300,000 in Layaways for Hundreds of Families
The inside of the boat was even more exciting for the kids – community businesses and volunteers created 18 stations throughout the ferry, all featuring different activities and food, like cotton candy, face painting, and hanging out with Santa.
Known as SOCK (Supporting Our Cancer Kids), the initiative is just one of many projects that reaches out to those in need.
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A gift was provided to each of the children from the man in the red suit himself, courtesy of A1 Heating and Air.
It’s probably safe to say that none of these volunteers will be on Santa’s naughty list this year.
Photos Courtesy of Rhonda Renfro at Club Stride
It’s the toughest question any child ever faced at Christmas, and the answer these kids gave will remind you what the holiday spirit is all about.
The children were given a choice between taking home the gift they wanted — or the gift their parents wanted.
They could choose only one.
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Making it harder, these children are all from low-income families — many that can’t even afford a tree this holiday. So, there might not be any chance later to get the Christmas gift they, themselves, wanted.
You’ve probably already figured out the choice each kid made, but be sure to watch them explain why.
(WATCH the video below from uptv)
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American veterans with spinal cord injuries may soon be back on their feet, thanks to robotic legs and the Veterans Administration (VA).
The VA has announced it will start picking up the $77,000 cost of the “wearable robotic exoskeleton” for some qualified veterans.
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ReWalk robotics developed the powered legs that have given partially paralyzed people the ability to walk, but most veterans can’t afford the steep price tag.
Army veteran Gene Laureano started crying when he tried the legs two years ago in a demonstration.
“The tears came down,” Laureano told the Associated Press. “I hadn’t spoken to somebody standing up in so long.”
WATCH: Nurse Squeals With Surprise to Find Her Paralyzed Patient Walks
About 42,000 veterans are paralyzed but not all will qualify. Use of the robotic legs, which are not usually covered by private insurers, are limited by the physics of height and weight and they won’t work for quadriplegics.
(WATCH the video from ReWalk Robotics below)
It was a Christmas miracle. Well, more of a Christmas trick played by a soldier on his two daughters with the help of the big man himself, Santa Claus.
When Jordan Baskerville and her little sister went to see Santa at a mall in Clarksville, Tennessee, Saint Nick asked them what they wanted for Christmas.
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“Have my daddy come home,” Jordan answered.
Her father, Trent Baskerville, had been deployed with the Army to Afghanistan for nine months.
Santa already knew Trent was home, and waiting just out of the girls’ sight. He had them cover their eyes and motioned for the soldier to come over and made him appear like magic to his kids.
“Daddy!” Jordan squealed as she ran to hug Trent.
RELATED: Whether Autistic, Deaf, or Tired, Santa Proves To Be Perfect Lap For Any Child
And after Jordan finished hugging her father, she had to give Santa a big thank you hug for her early Christmas gift.
(WATCH the video below from ClarksvilleNow) — Photo: ClarksvilleNow video
Send This Story Home For The Holidays To Your Friends…
A homeless mom who is always volunteering her time to help others is about to move out of a public shelter and into the first solar-powered tiny home born of a plan to launch a pay-it-forward housing movement.
Especially around the holidays we have the chance to make a difference in people’s lives.
Last year Good News Network held a Christmas fundraiser for a family that was about to get evicted, after falling behind on rent. Peter Campillo, his wife, mother and son, were overwhelmed by the warmth, generosity and positive messages from our community. On Christmas Eve, we got his bills paid, allowing hope to be revived in Peter’s heart. And, six months later he found a job in his field.
“It feels wonderful, I feel like I am worthy of breathing the air and of being called dad and husband again. If not for your help I don’t think we would have made it.” He added, “The one thing I would like to do is take the same good will and generosity I received and pay it forward to some other family in need and it would feel real good.”
Paying it forward does feel ”real good” and our Christmas fundraising choice for 2015 will make you feel extra powerful because it is the start of a unique venture that will allow the homeless to help the next in line, while building a transition to success, living in a tiny home.
Canadian Brice Royer, 31, who has been dealing with stomach cancer, wanted more loving kindness in his life so he started a “Gift Economy” from Vancouver in which members ask for, and give, goods and services to each other.
Recently, a woman, Francesca Murray, responded to Royer’s plea for someone to cook for him during his illness. When he found out she was homeless and yet so generous with all the women in her shelter, it inspired him to do something special for her, something big that would top all the giving that had come before.
Francesca used to work as a business analyst for ICBC insurance. After leaving a difficult relationship while struggling with physical and mental health issues, she and her beautiful 4-year-old daughter, Charlotte, had to move into a shelter. Brice learned that their one-year shelter allowance expires in February and their stay would be terminated. He decided this was the time to start a unique “pay it forward” housing program–and build a tiny solar-powered house for Francesca and Charlotte.
“We envision the tiny home being owned and run by a local non-profit,” Royer told Good News Network. “Families could stay by donating part of their monthly government stipend, which would then be used to build more homes.”
Royer met with Heather Deal, who is on the Vancouver city council, and she loved the idea, and saw the community of tiny solar homes as a great way to transition people out of homelessness or prison, and even to assimilate refugees. Each resident would donate part of their government rental assistance, which would then be used toward building another house.
“What they really love is the idea of paying it forward and the sense of belonging to a community that such a group of homes would offer,” Royer told us. “Part of creating a community comes from the giving… When they are giving to a fund that will create another home, it generates the feeling of belonging.”
Also on board with the project is Kayla Feenstra, a woman who builds the 300 square-foot solar-powered tiny homes, and knows at least five options of where they could park it; a husband-wife team of architects, Peter and Alex Smith, who are working to get supplies donated, and have already acquired windows and doors.
There are only 5 days left to raise the final $12,000. This will pay for first home to be built by February, the time Francesca and Charlotte need it.
Please join Good News Network in supporting and pushing Brice past his goal. You will not only be helping Francesca, but the next person to move in, once she has transitioned to permanent housing and a job, like Peter did this year. Donate now because the fundraiser ends on December 25. Here is the link. We can do this together!
Watch the videos below and meet these wonderful people who live by the golden rule of helping others.
PLEASE Share With Your Community, to Make This Vision Possible…
This mom’s expression says it all, after she – first missed, then – sank a seemingly impossible basketball shot from half-court at her daughter’s school.
The basket won her daughter half-priced tuition next year — worth about $5,000.
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Angela Ramey got the chance at the “Half-Court/Half-Tuition” shot after her family turned in the most money for a school fundraiser in Bloomington, Minnesota.
She only had one shot as daughter Grace urged her to “just throw the ball at the goal.”
Angela made an under-handed, alley-oop shot from between her knees, and the ball fell short…
But, then it took a bounce and landed on the rim, where it tipped over and fell into the net.
WATCH: Hockey Team Gets Record 28,000 Toys Tossed At Them– For Needy Kids
The gym burst into cheers and Grace danced around in celebration as Angela stood frozen trying to figure out how she did it.
(WATCH the video from Bethany Academy below) — Photo: Bethany Academy, Facebook
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The “City of Brotherly Love” is showing a lot of love for homeless veterans.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania city leaders announced yesterday (December 17) that every vet in the city who wants a permanent home, now has one.
Since 2013, the city has found permanent housing for 1,390 homeless veterans living on Philly’s streets.
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“You have actually done it. You have effectively ended veteran homelessness,” U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro told city leaders. “The thing is that we can’t stop our work until every single veteran has a place to call home in the United States.”
The Philadelphia effort was led by Philly Vets Home, a coalition of local government agencies, nonprofit groups and the local Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in the city.
It developed a program that moved vets into emergency housing within just a few days of becoming or being identified as homeless. Veterans were then moved into transitional housing within 47 days and into a permanent home within 105.
RELATED: Houston Praised for Moving 4,100 Homeless Vets to Permanent Housing
Since 2013, veteran homelessness has been cut by about a third nationwide, reports Philadelphia Daily News, as states, counties, and cities have stepped up efforts to find every vet a permanent home.
New Orleans, Louisiana became the first city to eliminate veteran homelessness earlier this year. Virginia became the first state to reach that goal on Veterans Day, November 11.
(Photos: miketnorton, CC; bengrey, CC)
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The discovery of the tallest Chestnut tree left in North America may mean new hope for an iconic species nearly wiped out by disease.
Why this tree was able to survive for 100 years to become 115 feet tall, when billions of others died-off is the latest clue for activists and scientists who have been working for decades to save the species.
Ever since the accidental importation of an Asian virus in 1904, the American Chestnut, once abundant along the U.S. East Coast and Canada has become “functionally extinct” leaving ghostly gaps in the landscape.
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It’s believed this tree (pictured left, in the center), and other survivors, are immune to the disease and its DNA could help restore the species. Meanwhile, the American Chestnut Foundation (ACF) with its 6000 volunteers has supported a breeding program to develop a fungus-resistant tree that could be reintroduced to the wild.
ACF’s Lisa Thomson calls the discovery a “unique, unusual, and hopeful chance” of saving an entire species.
A team from the University of Maine, led by researcher Brian Roth, found the tree during an aerial search in July. Chestnuts flower at this time of year when no other trees do in Maine, so they’re easy to spot from the air when the brilliant, white blossoms bloom.
“Old-timers talk about the hillsides in the Appalachian Mountains being covered in flowers as if it was snow, and so we were able to key in on the particular week that these were blooming and … find this tree,” Roth told Maine Public Broadcasting.
CHECK OUT: New York City Plants One Million Trees, Reaches Goal 2 Years Early
Their find could let future generations one day witness a cathedral of blossoms like snow just as the “old-timers” did nearly a century ago. Support the work of ACF with a donation here.
(WATCH the video below from WMTW News) — Photos: WMTW video; Brian Roth, University of Maine
Despite what you might believe, American teens are not smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol at nearly the rates their parents did – in fact, today’s youth are abstaining more often than any time since surveys began in 1975.
On top of that, 40 percent fewer teens are participating in extreme binge drinking compared to ten years ago —10.6% of teens in 2005 down to just 6.1% this year.
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The University of Michigan’s annual “Monitoring the Future” study has been one of the most extensive annual surveys of teen drinking, smoking, and drug use for 40 years. It questions 40,000 eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade students every year from 400 public and private schools around the U.S.
Some of the highlights from the 2015 survey include the fact that the percentage of kids who’d had an alcoholic drink in the past year fell to 40%, and in the 30 days before being surveyed, the number was just 22%. Those are the lowest numbers in the survey’s four decade history.
WATCH: Frat House Writes Name of 12-yo Girl w/ Cancer in Christmas Lights –Watch
Tobacco use was also down, with three-quarters of young people perceiving it to be a health risk.
Only 7% of teens surveyed said they had smoked in the previous 30 days — a statistically significant improvement over the 8% from a year earlier.
More important, researchers say, is the number of teens who’ve never started smoking.
CHECK OUT: Artists Spark Reform in Teens, Rally for Alternative to Prison in Virginia
At the high point of teen smoking numbers, 49% of eighth graders said they’d smoked a cigarette in 1996. Nineteen years later, that number has fallen to just 13% — again, the lowest number ever recorded.
Monitoring the Future also shows a decline from recent years in the use of several illicit drugs—including heroin, amphetamine, MDMA (also called ecstasy or Molly), and synthetic marijuana.
Actually, teen heroin use has been in decline since 2009, points out WWJ News, while other narcotics declined in parallel, indicating no evidence of switching from one to the other.
(Photo: Hepingting, CC; Tim Simpson, CC) Don’t Bogart This News… Share it!
This 77-year-old lady proves you don’t need to be a heavyweight boxer or carry a big stick to keep the peace on Milwaukee’s toughest streets at night.
Martha Freeman believes young people make bad choices in life because they don’t receive proper respect and guidance.
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The former detention center guard, who during the day delivers donated bread to the neediest in her neighborhood, isn’t afraid to confront the teenage tough-guys hanging out on street corners–but she does it with compassion and the concern of a grandmother.
CHECK Out: Veterans Ensure Safe Passage for Chicago Kids Walking To School
Both young and old call her “mama”, and she earns that respect every time she goes out on nightly patrols through poor neighborhoods, telling folks they don’t have to settle for a life of crime — because they’ve got her tough love to fall back on.
(WATCH the video below from CBS News) – Photo: CBS News video
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The guest this bride wanted most at her wedding couldn’t be there — but the six-year-old showed up as an angel in the tenderly constructed wedding photos.
Amanda Crowe Freebird’s daughter died from childhood cancer two years ago, and a special photographer found a way to include Azalee in the wedding album.
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“She went to heaven before her mommy met the most wonderful man named Chip,” wedding photographer Ashley Franz wrote on her Facebook page.
Franz digitally added pictures of the little girl taken years ago, so she appears as an illuminated angel with her mother.
CHECK Out: Airline Reroutes Mom to Son’s Bedside, Before She Even Knows He’s in Hospital
In the most touching image, Amanda is holding Azalee’s face, about to kiss her. In another, Amanda is walking down a country lane holding hands with her son on one side and Azalee’s spirit on the other.
At the wedding, Sunday in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Amanda and Chip released butterflies in honor of little Azalee. Guests watched as the flock floated into the sky, except for one. It landed on Amanda’s wedding gown, perching for a while close to her heart before flying away.
Posted by Frantz Photography on Sunday, December 13, 2015
The lone butterfly remained in a tree at the wedding site until all the guests had left, an omen that Amanda’s daughter will be always part of the family.
Photos: Franz Photography
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He led his teams to national and Olympic championships on the basketball court, but his latest victory in a court of law is a win for charities in his adopted city of Chicago.
NBA All-Star Basketball legend Michael Jordan is taking all the award money from a lawsuit settlement and donating it to 23 nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of the city’s youth. 23 is Jordan’s jersey number.
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He won $8.9 million in a judgement against supermarket chain Dominick’s in August, after they used his likeness and jersey number in a magazine ad in 2009 without his permission. He recently settled the case, and a second, similar court action against the grocery chain Jewel-Osco, owned by the same parent company.
Forbes magazine estimated earlier this year, Jordan’s name and image is worth roughly $100 million a year for product and company endorsements.
“The 23 charities I’ve chosen to make donations to all support the health, education and well-being of the kids of Chicago,” Jordan said in a statement. “Chicago has given me so much and I want to give back to its kids — the city’s future.”
RELATED: LeBron James Pays for College Scholarships For 1,100 Students
Terms of the settlement won’t allow Jordan or the other parties to talk about the actual amount. Jordan has said throughout the lawsuits that the issue was never about the money, but to protect the value of his name in endorsing companies or services.
His spokesperson, Estee Portnoy, told the Chicago Tribune that Jordan’s staff had a “fun week” calling the charities and surprising them with news of the donations.
(WATCH the video HERE from The Chicago Tribune) — Photos: Activeda, CC; Department of Defense
A pair of “Secret Santas” have shelled out a total of $286,000 to give a merrier Christmas to families struggling with holiday budgets.
Two anonymous benefactors have paid for every item put on layaway at four Walmart stores — two in Ohio and two more in Pennsylvania.
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Friday, a man known as “Santa B” in central Pennsylvania paid-off a total of $180,000 remaining on customers’ layaways. That holiday gift cleared the debts from nearly 400 purchases.
Store managers say the same man paid for $50,000 worth of layaway purchases last year.
In northeast Ohio, another secret Santa sent checks totaling $106,000 to pay off what customers owed at two different Walmarts. Items on that list ranged from a pair of socks to a 70-inch television.
Customer Tara Neal had only paid $10 toward a “Frozen”-themed bed for her daughter when the Secret Santa swept in and covered the remaining $80 she owed.
GREAT SANTA: Autistic, Deaf, or Tired, Santa Proves To Be Perfect Lap For Any Child
“It’s such a blessing to know there are still people out there that care. It’s like Santa, like a real Santa to me,” Neal told WEWS News.
(WATCH the video below from WEWS News / READ more at Harrisburg Patriot News) — Photo: Matti Mattila, CC
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Imagine what songs might be playing in your iTunes today had we not lost John Lennon 35 years ago.
The co-founder of The Beatles would have celebrated his 75th birthday October 9th — and to mark the occasion some of today’s biggest stars have joined surviving Beatles Ringo and Paul to honor the rock-and-roll legend in a broadcast set to air on cable TV this weekend.
An A-List music line-up performed some of his greatest hits on December 5 at a charity concert in New York. “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert” airs this Saturday on AMC network.
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John Fogerty opens the show with back to back performances of “Give Peace a Chance” and “In My Life.”
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler does a crowd-pleasing reprisal of his role from the 1978 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” movie, in which he played leader of the Future Villain Band. Additionally, in a duet with country music superstar Eric Church, Tyler belts out “Revolution.”
The roster also includes Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Peter Frampton, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, The Roots, and Chris Stapleton, among others.
RELATED: Ringo Sells Beatles Drum Kit, Other Treasures, Raises $9.2M for Charity
Paul McCartney sent a pre-recorded video and actor Kevin Bacon hosted the concert, which ends with the all-star line-up performing “All You Need Is Love.”
The concert raised money for charity with a portion of the ticket sales going to Robin Hood, a New York nonprofit funding 200 programs to help people rise out of poverty.
(WATCH the video trailer below) —Photo: stuarthampton, CC
Score Some Instant Karma: Alert Your Friends Before Saturday!
Parents of children with special needs do an amazing job of juggling many different factors while keeping calm and providing their children with amazing care. But there are always tasks and experiences that can wear you down and nowhere is that more true than while navigating the ins and outs of air travel. For parents of children with special needs, hopping on that flight to see grandma for Christmas can be especially taxing. If you’re traveling with a child with special needs this holiday season, here are a few tips:
Airports can be noisy and crowded, which can lead to anxious behaviors in some children with special needs. So mapping out your route through the airport will save you much time and stress when travel day arrives.
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You might also consider asking a relative or friend to obtain a security pass so that they can provide an extra set of helping hands to either get you and your family to your gate or to assist you when you arrive at your destination. Just be sure to tell them to bring their government-issued ID as they’ll need it to obtain the pass and go through security.
If possible, try to book only direct flights. Delays are frequent during the holidays so you might risk missing your connecting flight or being stuck at the connecting airport for hours, which won’t make anyone happy.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the organization responsible for screening all airline passengers. In the wake of 9/11 and subsequent threats to public safety, restrictions for travelers have become increasingly strict.
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For example, if your child is on the autism spectrum or has a cognitive disability, let the TSA agent know so that they can work with you on the best way to move your child through security. If your child uses a mobility aid or wheelchair, they will not have to leave the device during screening. If you have specific questions or concerns, call the TSA Cares hotline 72 hours before your departure. Agents on the hotline will be able to help you prepare for the trip. It’s also a good idea to call ahead to clarify with your airline and the airport that you’ll be able to get through security without a major hassle.
With limitations on carry-on luggage, arriving on board prepared with everything you may need to maintain your child’s comfort level in-flight may require some creativity or pre-arrangements with the airline. Obviously, airlines must accommodate equipment such as oxygen and wheelchairs. However, many special needs children are on special diets or have special comfort items that you may have difficulty bringing on-board in your carry-on luggage.
RELATED: My Son With Autism Had Trouble In School Until One Teacher Did This
For example, there’s no guarantee that a sufficient meal or snack will be provided on the plane. If your child has certain dietary restrictions, such as being gluten-free, bring those snacks with you. Thankfully, many kinds of foods can be brought through security as long as they’re properly packaged. And if your child requires medication or has equipment that requires batteries or charging equipment, check with airport security beforehand to find out the best way to bring those items on-board with you. In fact, it’s always a good idea to talk out the specifics with the airline ahead of time so that you don’t have to argue your case five minutes before departure.
An airport rehearsal might sound like a lot of added work, but being able to walk through the process you’ll be required to go through on the day of your departure can help you identify other items you may need, such as a beloved blanket from home or noise-canceling headphones, or arrangements that could be made to make the experience as pleasant as possible for your child and the rest of your family.
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Additionally, an airport rehearsal can help you gauge how your child is likely to react to various situations that may arise, so you can formulate the best coping mechanisms while time is on your side rather than in the heat of a meltdown.
The more time you can allow your family to get through airport security and to your departure gate, the better. Even the best-laid, pre-arranged plans can fail due to a simple lapse in communication between customer service and the airline staff working that day. When you’re early, you’ll have the time you need to make adjustments, which will help you stay cool, calm, and collected. Our kids can certainly pick up on our anxiety so when you’re able to relax and enjoy the ride, so to speak, everyone will be happier.
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If your child uses a service dog, they’re absolutely allowed in the cabin with your child. The Air Carrier Access Act sets out the requirements that airlines must follow. Make sure you’re familiar with it before your travel date.
For example, if requested by you, it states that the airline should provide a bulkhead seat, and if, for some reason, your child’s seat can’t accommodate the service animal, the airline is required to try to reseat them in the plane before moving the animal to checked baggage. If your child’s dog isn’t a trained service animal and you’ll be leaving him behind while you travel, take your child with you to visit the kennel or pet sitter where the pet will be staying so that they’ll know their four-legged friend will be safe.
Above all, treating your travel experience like its own adventure can make it less stressful for you, your child, and the rest of your family or travel companions. Commit to going with the flow and have confidence in your abilities as a parent to effectively advocate for your child’s needs, and give yourself ample time to do so should the need arise.
(Learn More at Jet With Kids)
Lindsay M writes for PublicHealthCorps and, in her spare time, enjoys satisfying her other passions – like cooking, biking and photography. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of twin girls.
Photo by Roberto Trombetta, CC
