Travelling with kids? Read this guide first!
It's that time of year again! The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer, it also means that weeks of sun, sea and sand are fast approaching! You've been looking forward to your family holiday since the moment you booked it - and rightly so, you've earned it! But, traveling with the kids is never easy, and it can sometimes take a few days to get over the trauma of travelling before you feel ready to enjoy your break.
But how can you make traveling with the kids easier? Well, here you'll get the lowdown on how you can be ready for anything, whether you're on the road, in the air or heading out across the sea. Bring it on!
Remember, if you're traveling abroad then you should always think about taking out travel insurance. A good policy will have everything covered, from a hospital stay to dealing with dental emergencies while abroad. So, check out a policy before you travel. You'll want to make sure you've done your research on the country you're traveling to to understand the best option. Knowing whether you need to take out visas or get travel vaccines are important things to sort out before you set off for the country.
Check when you're travelling
If you're traveling long haul, then this is perhaps a little difficult due to flight times. However, as a rule of thumb, its much better to travel with a well-rested child then one that is utterly exhausted and won't listen to reason. If possible, try to travel first thing in the morning. Make sure your child goes to bed a little earlier than normal the night before, just to make sure that they've had a good nights sleep. This is the same routine that you should follow if you are planning to drive instead of getting a flight.
Pack extra clothes
Yes, the suitcase might contain a whole new summer wardrobe for the kids, but while traveling, you need to be prepared for everything. Juices, food, dribble, sick, nappy leaks and even explosions can happen, usually when it's the most inconvenient! And always have these clothes in a separate bag with you. These spare clothes are no good to anyone in the boot of the car while you're on the motorway or in the baggage hold of the plane!
Snacks, snacks, snacks!
Never underestimate the power of food! You can never predict what flight delays or motorway tailbacks you might have to contend with, so make sure you have plenty of things for the kids to nibble at while you're waiting. If you're flying with toddlers, simply watch the sugar content and bear in mind liquid restrictions on planes. If you're in the car, be careful of how much your child drinks - especially when the next services are over 40 miles away!
Activities
Traveling is dull. Even more so if you're a child that's strapped into a carseat for hours. Help alleviate the boredom by packing some activities. Sticker books, coloring, a magazine of their choice from the shop, some small toys, play eye-spy and maybe let them take a turn on your smart phone or tablet for a little while. You can keep kids entertained with technology for a long time, which can be great for us parents. We even changed internet providers before we travelled, so the kids could access their favorite channels anytime they wanted. By the end of our trip, I've watched more Sponge Bob Squarepants episodes than I knew existed. But as long as the kids enjoy it, that's all that matters.
Breathe
Traveling with kids isn't easy, and things will go wrong. The best thing to do is breathe, relax and remember that whatever you're going through right now will be worth it when you get to your destination!
This is a collaborative post. All thoughts and text are mine.
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I've got to say that the snacks suggestion is particularly good. There are few things worse than hungry (and thus complaining) children!
Snacks are definitely important when you are going out on trips with your kids. And extra clothes are a definitely necessity, especially depending on the things you do with them on trips. Being prepared is so important when you are with kids.
I have twins and they have travelled with us since birth. Long trips and short trips, it never mattered, they were always on their best behavior. I also tried to keep our routine the same as much as possible, like wake up and bed times. That really helped out tremendously.
Snacks is the big one for me! We just made a trip this weekend and had 5 hours in the car with 4 hungry kids! I wish I’d stopped for snacks!
Those are some great tips. I agree with you while traveling with kids some extra clothes and snacks really comes handy.
I agree with everything that you said! We have been bringing our kids around since they are months old and despite that, we always have new experiences along the way., It's better to be prepared.
I love all of these tips. We are off on our holidays soon and me and my 3 soon to be 4 year old can not wait.
Snacks are my sanity saver! I like things that take a while to eat. My older kids eat shelled nuts so they have to work to snack. With a bag for shells, there's not really a mess and it keeps them from plowing through them a little.