Travel is another area well suited for providing children with diverse experiences. Concierges can help a family plan trips that revolve around philanthropy, education, adventure or other very specific interests.

We recently helped a family plan a trip to Africa that was designed to be both an adventure and a philanthropy lesson. This family, which makes substantial donations to support AIDS treatment and prevention in Africa, wanted their children, ages 12 and 15, to see firsthand how their money was helping make a difference. They started their trip by visiting an orphanage for HIV-positive children that they helped fund and met with several of the teachers and children. They also met with women at a basket-weaving business-part of a project to teach people how to become economically self-reliant. The family safari in Kenya continued with stops at a Maasai village where they met children of similar ages who were training to be warriors. The kids were able to see firsthand how the Maasai live and witnessed a traditional village ceremony.

Parents are also calling on concierges to help their older children transition from college into the workforce. Concierges, for example, can help children settle into new cities and prepare for their first jobs. This can include helping new graduates find apartments close to their first place of employment, including coordinating the move and scouting the area for gyms, dentists and doctors. A concierge could be involved in even finer details, such as setting up Internet and cable television service or helping the client navigate his or her new city or town.

This is just a sampling of the activities concierge services can provide for families and their children. With the time demands faced by wealthy parents, it may be a good time to evaluate whether a concierge can help your clients enhance their lifestyle and make the most of their time together.

Kathy Reilly is founder and CEO of Lifestylist Marketing, a lifestyle management and concierge firm in New York City. She can be reached at [email protected]  

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