10 Tips For Traveling With
Children
Summer and
holidays are busy travel periods as families take off for fun,
relaxing, memorable family vacations. But wait….can traveling
with children really be relaxing? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Nope. Traveling
with small children can be a fun, rewarding experience even for
the parents if some advanced planning takes place.
Here are 10 tips
to help insure that your summer travel plans will provide just
the adventure that you are dreaming of.
-
Prepare ahead of time for activities en route.
Portable game boys, DVD players, travel games and
books can keep kids occupied and happy during a
long drive or flight. Be sure to pack headphones
for DVD and CD players, as well as in-flight movies
to keep sound to a minimum and get a “splitter” to
allow more than one headset to plug in and listen.
Select books that have games and educational
information about the intended destination.
Purchase one or two new movies that have not been
seen repeatedly in order to keep the movie fresh
and in-demand by the kids.
-
Pack a back pack for each child with entertainment,
a water bottle, and nutritious snacks such as
protein bars, fruit snacks, jerky, etc. With fewer
flights offering meal service today, you’ll be glad
you planned ahead and have something to satisfy
those mid flight travel pangs, or to stop you from
stopping frequently on your drive. Be sure to pack
identical items for each child to reduce mid-travel
fighting. If possible, allow each child to bring a
special “snuggly”, stuffed animal or other item
special to the child to make bed time, nap time and
other potential stressful times to a minimum. On
long airplane flights, children appreciate having
something familiar and comforting.
-
Determine a spending money budget for each child
and let them handle their own money, if age
appropriate. Explain exactly what the money is
intended for such as souvenirs, snacks, gifts for
friends, etc. This is a great way to teach kids the
value of money and how to budget appropriately to
last through out the trip. You may need to
facilitate some purchases and this will provide
quality, “teachable moments.”
-
Plan fun activities along with more educational
activities. Try not to spend an entire day visiting
museum after museum with no break for kids to “let
loose” and have some play time. Try planning a
morning trip to the museum, lunch in a near by park
with play time and then a movie, swimming at the
pool or some other fun activity for the
afternoon.
-
Go through the planned itinerary at the beginning
of the trip so the children will know what
activities are planned, and also go through each
day’s planned events at breakfast. This gives kids
an idea of what to expect and will stave off some
of those constant questions about “when we are
going to do such and such.”
-
Get a one time use camera for each child and label
it with their name. Encourage children to take
pictures of their trip and document the vacation in
a travel journal. Teach them how to budget their
picture taking to last throughout the vacation, and
also encourage them to get people in the pictures
and not just scenery.
-
Make sure that children are getting plenty of water
and nutritious meals along with snacks, soda and
“fun food.” This will help prevent sugar highs and
lows, and crabby kids due to not enough “brain
food.” Save sodas and ice cream treats for special
meals, and make sure kids are drinking plenty of
water, especially in hot areas and in outdoor
situations.
-
Get kids involved in planning activities and
solicit input from each family member about what he
or she wants to see and do on the trip. Then, plot
out events to mesh nicely with what the adults want
to accomplish on the trip. Consider doing the same
on choosing restaurants. If the kids want
McDonald’s at lunch, indulge that and then adults
choose for the evening meal, etc.
-
Select your vacation destination based on “age
appropriateness” for your children. Your desire to
explore battle fields of the South, follow the
expedition of Lewis and Clark or visit other
historical sights may not prove to be as rewarding
as you desire if your children are too young to
enjoy and appreciate the trip. Likewise, a visit to
Lego Land may prove dull and boring for teens. A
little advanced research and planning will provide
for a fun family adventure and a memorable
experience for all.
- Prepare
children ahead of time for new or infrequent friends or
family members they will be meeting or seeing again. It can
be unsettling for children to receive hugs and kisses from
“strangers”, even if you are assuring them that it’s okay.
Also, prepare relatives and others ahead of time that your
children may or may not be ready for affection right off of
the bat. Sometimes, a hand extended for a handshake can
break the ice and the more time spent together, the
more relaxed children may become. Let them see you
expressing affection for others and this may help ease them
into this custom.
Make the most of the times and opportunities you have available
to share special times as a family. Studies have shown that
time spent together as a family creates lasting bonds and
happy childhood memories. Take these times “on the road” and
you’ll produce educated, well-rounded children with a sense of
adventure.
Enjoy!
Jackie
Ulmer has worked from home for over fifteen years,
coaching and training thousands on the secrets to success
in a home business. Contact her through her website
at http://www.streetsmartwealth.com
and sign up for
her newsletter and learn what it takes to "Profit in Your
PJs, Online!"
|
