Does the idea of traveling with small children scare you? Are you not sure how they’ll react and whether it’s a good idea to go long distances for the first time without trying a shorter trip first? Traveling with kids needn’t be frightening, difficult or impossible. It can actually be really exciting as long as you’ve taken the time to ready yourself for it.
Here are four foolproof ways to travel betterwith kids:
- Make your children part of the planning process. That way, they feel as much a part of the trip as you do. They’ll be able to assist you in knowing the things that they want to do and experience. It also gives them something exciting to look forward to so that they’re less antsy while travelingand more prepared to do the things that they helped you plan to do.
- Allow them to bring some of the comforts of home with them. Familiarity is important to small children especially. Pack a backpack full of their favorite things so that they won’t be without them. You can add books, coloring books, crayons, small games, stuffed animals, snacks, and even a small blanket. The idea is to make them feel less stressed about being away from home by making your temporary accommodations feel more like their own bedrooms.
- Do a trial run prior to your big trip. Take an overnight trip to test the waters. See which things your children excel at and what needs to be tweaked before traveling a greater distance. For example, is a nap imperative between activities? What about a snack? Work through the problems so that you don’t get stuck experiencing them mid-flight with a plane full of people.
- Allow for plenty of downtime in your schedule. Kids need to recharge their batteries as much as you need to. Instead of filling your schedule to the max, why not take the time to plan some quiet activities for inside the hotel room? The kids can work on their travel scrapbooks, read, do puzzles, and even watch TV. That way, they’re ready for the next round of activities that you have planned.
Make traveling with kids easiergoing forward. You now possess the knowledge needed to do so with little effort expended. There will be fewer mishaps and far more smiles that way. Traveling with children of all ages is doable with a little advanced preparation.
