Traveling with kids can easily turn into a stressful venture. Traveling long distances, both by car or plane, can be hard on a child and make them restless, thus making the rest of the traveling group quite miserable. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Traveling with tots
Plan ahead
Last minute, spontaneous car rides don’t work when they’re children involved. Plan your route and plan for frequent stops, too. Children do better if they can get out of the car and move around for a few minutes at least once every hour. Even if your child is too young to walk, it would be good to get him out of his seat for a while, too.
Prepare yourself
Children’s bladders are smaller than yours, so they need to use the bathroom more frequently. They are also very curious and loud. Don’t act surprised when you have to answer a lot of questions and make more stops than you anticipated. If you know these things before you depart, you won’t be as stressed when they occur.
A new toy might keep them entertained on long car and plane trips. You can bring hand held games for older children, and some travel games for the younger ones. Books and coloring books can make your children car sick. Infants aren’t immune to boredom either, so make sure they have new squishy things to hold or a rattle to shake. Alternate toys to keep them interested.
Have snacks handy
When children get bored, they often get hungry, too. Having a few snacks available can save you money and time spent on another stop. Recruit reinforcements if you can. See if any friends or family members are willing to travel with you. They may be able to keep your kids busy while you get a few moments here and there for yourself, so you can recuperate and refresh your mind.
Space out your activities
If your children are little, try to space out your activities. This will only exhaust them and cause them to be irritable and grumpy. Give them time to do what they want as well, even if that means some time at a video arcade.
Try not to upset their routine too much
Even if you allow your kids to stay up a little later while on vacation, they don’t need to stay up late every single night. It will be hard to reestablish a routine when you head back home. Traveling with children can be a very exhausting task for your mind and body, but try to keep these tips in mind to help ease the process. Try to think and see with their minds and eyes, and it won’t be too hard to adjust your trip. If you don’t, don’t expect a pleasant trip.