Taking family trips with your kids is a great way to make lasting memories. These tips for traveling with kids will help make your travel experience smoother and more stress free.Build to a big trip
Rather than embarking on a long vacation with young kids, try taking a few short weekend trips or staycations to help your kids adjust to the schedule and routine of travel. Once you’ve been on a couple overnight stays, your kids will know what to expect when you plan for a big trip.
Build to a big trip
Rather than embarking on a long vacation with young kids, try taking a few short weekend trips or staycations to help your kids adjust to the schedule and routine of travel. Once you’ve been on a couple overnight stays, your kids will know what to expect when you plan for a big trip.
Create anticipation
Let your kids be part of the trip excitement by talking about the trip often and discuss ideas for what to do and see. If your child has never traveled before, creating anticipation is a great way to make travel a positive experience and to lessen any of your child’s worries. Try talking through exactly what you will do on departure day, so your child knows exactly what to expect when the day finally arrives.
Make a doctor check-up
Make a doctor appointment before you travel, if you are concerned that your kids are feeling slightly under the weather. Takeoff and landing during airplane travel will make your child’s ears pop, which can be painful if he or she is already experiencing ear pain. Consult your doctor if it is safe to take a decongestant or antihistamine before boarding, which can open up the nasal passages and ear tubes. This will help your child adjust to the changing air pressure.
Plan your packing
Write out a list far in advance of everything you’ll need to pack for your trip and itemize it for each family member. A week in advance, start packing your suitcases—it’s never too early, to make sure you don’t forget anything. Plan your kids’ outfits in advance for each day of the trip and pack them in a plastic bag or container. You can also ask your kids to help pick out each outfit, so they learn how to plan for travel. Then, mark the outside of the bag or container with the day it should be worn. This way, you can take out the bag or container marked ‘Monday’ and the outfit is ready to go! Now the morning dress routine is simple and easy—getting you out the door faster, with more time to explore.
Identification
Have your child wear an ID bracelet or keep a note in his pocket, with his name and a phone number in case he gets lost. While this is the worst-case scenario and not likely, it’s always better to be safe should your child wander away—especially if you are trying to get around in a busy airport terminal.
Pack snacks
Each child should have his own bag of snacks and drinks for the car or plane, to prevent arguments and cranky tantrums. Try to avoid sticky snacks, and stick with fruit snacks, freeze-dried fruit, cheese crackers, and string cheese. A candy bracelet is also a great way to keep your child entertained throughout the trip and in a happy mood for receiving a treat! Pack a wipeable placemat if you want to keep your space clean, while your child eats or colors.
Entertainment
Make sure your child has enough entertainment for the duration of the trip. Video tablets pre-loaded with kid-friendly movies are perfect for keeping your little one preoccupied. Also make sure to bring paper or some coloring books and crayons, so your child can draw and color. For a car ride, bringing a heap of toys is no problem. But for a plane ride, try to only bring a couple favorite toys due to the limited space and to keep your carry-on bag weight manageable. Audiobooks are perfect for long car rides as well as personalized storybooks, to keep your children engaged and entertained. Car games like “I Spy” or personalized matching card games, which your kids can play in the back seat, bring the whole family together during the journey.
Pack surprise gifts
As soon as your child starts getting restless, surprise him with a gift bag full of goodies: activity pages, crayons, toys, snacks, stickers, and more. This will be a delightful surprise for your child, keeping him entertained for the rest of the travel time.
Create an emergency kit
Bring this with you in the car or on the plane. The emergency kit should include an extra set of clothes for you and your child (in case of spills, throw-up, or bathroom accidents), a set of wipes, hand sanitizer (carry-on size), band-aids, medicine, extra diapers, an extra burp cloth, and any other extras item that will help with emergency travel situations.
Know before you go
Make sure to do some research on the airport in advance, to locate any play areas for kids. Many airports have playgrounds that kids can use. Your kids will be able to play as you wait for boarding, making the time fly by. If you are driving, plan out your rest stops and research the best places for stopping with kids. Consider your rest stops as bonus experiences, where you can play, sightsee, and take in the adventure. Seek out important landmarks along your trip, or a national park or playground. Kids will love experiencing something new at every rest stop, while you capture moments on camera or film.
Resources
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/keep-kids-ears-popping-airline-flight-102468.html
https://www.babble.com/latina/15-must-know-traveling-with-kids-tips/
