Traveling with Kids
There are many things you can do to make your trip more enjoyable for the entire family.
1) Plan Ahead!
Probaby the most important aspect of any trip is the planning process that must take place beforehand! If you plan accordingly, you can significantly minimize the stress of traveling! Make a specific packing list for each member of the family. Take in account all rest stops and special events and pack accordingly.
2) Make Frequent Stops.
If you are planning a road trip, allow an extra day or two for your travels that way you can take advantage of side-of-the-road attractions along the route. This is a great opportunity for the entire family to get out of the car, get fresh air and stretch. Not to mention, you can learn a thing or two or find great souvenirs. Rest stops are very popular for travelers, and many offer sprawling patches of free space where children can play a short game of kickball or some other physical activity. Depending on the age of your children, you should be taking rest breaks once every hour to hour and half.
3) Eat and Stay Hydrated
Hydration is always vital when traveling regardless of age. Be sure to pack water bottles in your car and make sure your children have direct access to their own bottle. Encourage your children to drink every thirty minutes if they aren’t drinking on their own. Keep healthy snacks in the car as well, such as pretzels, muffins and dried fruit. Try to avoid sugary alternatives such as fruit snacks or candy, as they may raise activity level in children. Remember that these types of snacks also present a choking hazard and should be avoided while traveling.
4) Stay Active
As mentioned before, if you are taking a road trip, you should stop as often as you can to get out of your vehicle and stretch. This will help keep your body alert. If you are flying, this is a bit more difficult, but it can still be done. There are a number of excellent recommended stretches that can be done while you are sitting in your seat. Aside from that, you can get still stand up or stroll in the aisle. Be sure to always accompany your children.
5) Offer Distractions
Children bore much easier than adults, so be sure to offer distractions along the way. There are several road-trip type game ideas out there. You could have your children write down all the different states on license plates, count how many red cars or play the old slug bug game. Make your own BINGO cards by drawing pictures of or writing the names of objects or attractions you are bound to see on your trip like “picnic table”, “water tower” and “State Line” signs. Have the children mark off each item they spot until all items are marked off.
Another great idea is making surprise bags. This works especially well with toddler. Estimate how many hours it will take to reach your destination, then for every hour on the road, create a special goody bag that your child can open every hour. You can add things such as a new small book, coloring book and crayons, snacks or small toys. They are bound to keep your child busy, and they will look forward to the time passing!
Movies are also a great distraction if you have a portable DVD player. You can also burn your own family cd before embarking on your trip, using some of your children’s favorite nursery rhimes or other fun songs to sing on the road!
6) Be Prepared
When you are packing your vehicle, be sure to pack bandaides, ointments, wet wipes for spills and paper towels. You never know when you might need these items! Give small paper sacks to everyone in the family to put their own trash items in so that your vehicle stays uncluttered.
7) Stay Rested
It is best that if you are planning a very lengthy trip, that you split up the driving time. Plan to stop and spend the night in a hotel along the way so that your entire family can get a restful night’s sleep before continuing on. Extreme exhaustion and drowsiness are very dangerous for you and your loved ones. If stopping is not an option, be sure to keep good communication and develop a system with other adults to trade off on driving when you become tired.
8) Give Your Children the Power
Assign age appropriate tasks to each of your children. One child can count the luggage after you check out of your hotel to ensure no one forgot theirs, or another child can pick where you eat your next meal. Disposable cameras are another great way to make children feel important. Have each of your children take snapshots of important parts of your trip for a scrapbook. Children will always enjoy traveling more when they feel they have an important responsibility.
Traveling with children can be made to be a lot of fun. Remember to take the necessary precautions and do the best you can to enjoy your trip! Try to keep in mind that the needs of children are very different from the needs of adults and try to be patient with your children.
