Traveling With Children. A Parent’s Guide

Children aren’t your burden, but your happiness, and all parents should understand this truth. Here you’ll see that trips with your kids can be nice. Here are some tips for traveling with children. 

Traveling With Children. A Parent’s Guide

Children turn the life of the family upside down. Even those parents who seemed to be ready for their children, who state that nothing will change, turn out to be overwhelmed by things that happen. Well, now your child is 3-4 years old, you think that the worst is over and it’s the right time to start traveling together. You’re wrong.

Do you remember the times when you and your husband were alone and saw the couples that took their children with them? What about flying in a plane with crying and shouting babies? Being in one hotel with such families? Only a few kids can behave properly; the majority of them are always disappointed by something.

There’s no point in blaming parents for them, and we won’t do it. In most cases, parents feel more awkward and guilty of the inconvenience they cause. But is there any way to travel with children and have only positive emotions and memories? Of course, yes. Parents can’t forget about trips and rest from work because of their children. All young parents just need to have a guide that’ll facilitate traveling.

Don’t consider hiring a babysitter and leaving your children at home a suitable option: they also want to see the world, get new emotions, and broaden their horizons. The tips below for traveling with children will suit both couples and single parents.

• Choose a convenient way of transportation

If you are afraid of people and what they’ll think about your child, travel by car. But this means of transport suits only those tourists that travel within a country.

There’s something special about car trips: you see nature and can sleep wherever you want. If sleeping in a car isn’t convenient for you, buy a car tent. It’s a new device many travelers appreciate. Check the best roof top tent reviews here, and even your child will be glad to sleep there.

If you want to travel by plane, book an early flight when there are not so many people in the airport and plane itself. You may tell your child about the procedure of boarding if he or she is old enough to understand the rules.

• Pack well in advance

  Packing for a family trip, especially when traveling with children, might be a difficult chore. Begin with a packing list in advance to ensure a stress-free trip. To help you pack more efficiently, make a list of everything your family will need for the vacation, including clothes, snacks, toys, and toiletries.
   
   
  It’s better to choose big suitcases for the kids to hold all their possessions and eliminate the need for supplementary baggage. Make sure to opt for hardshell and durable suitcases such as Eminent extra large luggage, so that your essentials are safe and sound. To keep things orderly, use packing cubes. Keep in mind that children may desire their favorite toys, clothes, and other stuff to make them feel more at ease on the journey. With careful preparation and clever packing, you can make the most of your family vacation and arrive ready for fun. Invest in a quality travel bag and easily plan your next family vacation

• Do something to engage your child

You won’t avoid problems if your child has nothing to do on a plane or car. Give him or her a book, a smartphone to watch cartoons, travel toys or a paper with pencils to draw pictures. Kids are too old just to sit immovably and look out the window — they get bored fast.

Don’t worry if you don’t have anything to give to your child. You’re a parent, and you know what interests your kid more than anyone else, so try to tell him or her something interesting about the plane or car, the place where you are now, encourage him or her to ask questions, and answer them. 

More tips for flying with a toddler.

• Have some water and snacks

No one knows what will occur in the plane, train or car. We advise you to buy some water, juice or other drink your child likes. Don’t forget about tasty snacks: be sure you’ll be glad to eat some food after your long road.

You may think that traveling by plane doesn’t require you to take snacks, but consider that your child can start acting up or just don’t like the food that air staff will offer. Prevent all problems, and your flight will be perfect for you and all other passengers.

• Book family hotels

If you don’t want people to be disappointed by your child, book family hotels. It will be great for your child because he or she will make a lot of new friends.

Perhaps, you may want to rest from other families and kids, but here you need to make a choice: either you feel comfortable because your child is happy, or you feel tired and try to calm the child several times a day.

Family hotels have an important advantage: all parents adore animators. If you want to have a walk around the city or need to stay alone, you may trust your child to these people and mind your own business. 

• Be ready to fight sickness

Almost all children face it during plane flights or road trips, and there’s nothing awful in it. Children’s organisms aren’t formed yet, and they may have such a reaction when traveling.

Any mom or dad must carry a first-aid kit, especially even if you travel by car. Motion sickness pills and some other medications can prevent your child from feeling sick.

We advise you to consult your physician and never buy pills for your child without the doctor’s recommendations. Buy travel insurance for yourself and your child to make sure you’ll get first aid in another country. 

Plan your trip in advance and think of every possible situation that can occur in your trip and find the ways to solve them.

*This article on traveling with children is a collaborative post – for more details please see my Disclosure Policy