As a parent, you have traveled to lots of nearby and far destinations with your kids and maybe it has always been stressful and boring till today. Well, don’t worry, here is how to have the most peaceful and fun journeys while traveling with your children.
As a single parent raising two adorable children aged 5 and 10, traveling has been quite a fuss especially when we first started traveling together. When I got used to it, everything got much easier and calmer. Traveling with children needs total care and attention. From my experience, I had to ensure that I first plan our trip early and make sure that I know what we shall be doing. Sometimes when we travel with our kids without planning and following some safety rules, the trip can become stressful.
Accidents too sometimes occur while traveling with children due to poor planning and arrangement while starting a journey. A simple journey from home to school can completely turn tragic if you’re not keen. Kids are super active while traveling and they tend to get over-excited or tense hence always playing around in the car which causes chaos on the road. For your first trip alongside your children, one has to know some simple dos and don’ts that can help make the journey safe and calm. Some of them include:
Thinking smarter and packing light
If you don’t know how to pack smart and light, your travel will definitely be tiresome, stress-filled and boring because you’ll be juggling lots of luggage and paying attention to your children at the same time. Instead of carrying that heavy car seat one can just use a travel vest which is way easier and lighter to use and travel with.
While packing, make sure the essential things are packed first; like a first aid kit, medicine, and passports. Just ensure you are all set and ready for the journey.
Bring new and old toys, books or even stuffed animals
While traveling, children love to ensure that their favorite toys tag along. Why? Well, they play a major role as it simply gives your children a safe and comfortable environment while on the trip. Some kids tend to keep calm and talk to their stuffed animals.
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Keep your kids excited by giving them new books to read or give them new toys to play with. You might even download new books on your electronic device and letting them read after being exhausted by playing games or watching movies instead of carrying a load of books.
If you’re traveling for long distances, and you’re passing through different stores then you are advised to ensure that you buy your children new toys at each shop making it more fun and exciting for the kids.
Carry Passports and always research your destination before traveling
Nothing freaks out someone more than reaching the airport and realizing that they forgot one of their kid’s passport at home. That disappointment on your children’s face just breaks you down. It affects children too especially if they had been waiting for the trip for so long. Other kids tend to go crazy due to stress from being unable to travel.
This is a serious thing to consider before embarking on a journey with your kids. Make sure that before you choose a destination or step foot in a certain destination, you have done deep research about that place. Try to check out if it’s safe, conducive for your children and also fits your budget. Pre-book the hotel and other things early to avoid confusion. No need to reach a hotel with your kids and be unable to pay for the services because of the prices. Book everything at an early stage so that you can just go to your destination relax and have fun. No complications.
Gather deep information about your destination so as to avoid travelling to a destination that isn’t so friendly for your children. I know you love having that adrenaline rush moment with your kids, don’t let that pressure lead you to unsafe destinations which may be harmful to your child either physically, emotionally or mentally.
Plan and budget well
When it’s vacation or holiday time, many parents tend to undergo lots of pressure trying to provide a perfect trip for their kids forcing them to dig deeper into their pockets. Before traveling with your kids, ensure that you have planned everything from A to Z and you have placed a budget that you know is comfortable with your pocket. Don’t pressure yourself and end up providing a stressful holiday for your family.
While planning and budgeting, you need to know that when travelling as a family, there are advantages and disadvantages. Make sure that you take a keennes on the disadvantages. Don’t just travel with a fixed budget because something may happen, forcing you into your pockets to do something that wasn’t in the budget, especially when the kids see something they like.
My advice to you is easy, before going on your first family trip with your children, ensure that everything is planned well and the budget you’re choosing is pocket-friendly to give your family a good time.
Bring a camera and other electronic devices.
“A picture a day, keeps memory loss away.” Capturing those beautiful moments with your family is one priceless treasure that you carry in your heart, mind and soul throughout your entire life.
Pictures can bring lots of joy to you and your children. While traveling you can also bring other electronic devices like tablets or phones that contain child-friendly games, music, movies, and other applications which allow them to stay busy and occupied through the trip. Kids can also use this to learn something more about their destination through those electronic devices.
Choose snacks instead of Heavy Foods
I always ensure that before I travel with my children, I feed them well in the house and make sure they have gone to the toilet and that their stomachs aren’t bringing problems because once on the road, all that I’ll feed them is snacks and liquids. I once tried to give my children some rice and beef stew while on the road only to end up stopping at almost every fuel station looking for a washroom.
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As much as they want to, avoid feeding your kids cooked foods from stopovers or hotels. You don’t know how they have cooked it or how long it has been on display. Snacks and liquids help provide a calm and safe trip, unlike cooked foods that can truly cause a nuisance while traveling with your children.
Inform your kids about the journey first before traveling and Pay attention to them while traveling and at the destination.
Before you start planning your journey, inform your children and family about the upcoming journey and its details. It’s wise to prepare your children’s minds for the trip at an early stage. It will also help prevent those last-minute surprise travels that always make it hard for kids to handle. By telling them about the journey at an early stage, you enhance a positive attitude and readiness towards the planned journey.
While on the road or travelling by plane, ensure that you always have your children at your sight. I know it’s hard to pay attention while you’re the only adult in the car and driving. Try as much as possible to peep into your rear mirror once a while to see if everything is going on well back there.
When you reach your destination, don’t relax on the duty of keeping an eye on the kids. Make sure that you’re monitoring them closely because you never know who has good or bad intentions out here so keep them safe while on your trip. They may also touch or do something that isn’t allowed hence causing a scene so it’s important to watch over them especially if it’s a quiet event and you have toddlers like mine who can’t stay put and calm for at least two hours.
My final take is, there are more things you should know before traveling for the first time with your children. The ones I’ve talked about are just a few easy, important things to always consider before packing your bags and embarking on a travel. Try following them and you will be surprised at how simple to travel with your children is.
At first, it wasn’t easy but I assure you that once you get a hold of it, you’ll be sliding through that traveling fuss while smiling.
