When you are traveling, it can be stressful, especially if you have kids. From the endless toilet breaks to the boredom of traveling setting in after just 30 minutes, there’s a lot that can make a get away with the family a nightmare. Kids can be challenging when you are traveling, either short haul or long haul, but don’t worry there are some really useful tops and hints that will allow you to actually enjoy traveling with your kids.
Let Them Navigate
If you are on a road trip, give your child or kids a map so they can see where you are going. If you mark out things to look for on the route, it will help keep them focused on where you are going.
Take Plenty Of Snacks
No matter how short or long the journey, snacks always come in handy, so ensure you have enough to last you the duration of the journey. Also, make sure you carry some extra snacks just in case of an emergency. For example, if you are flying and your flight is delayed, or you are driving somewhere, and you get a flat tire.
Plan Your Adventure Out
No matter what you are doing, from camping to starting to research Maui family resorts, make it fun and involve your kids. Letting them know what they can do when you get to your final destination will keep them interested in why they are traveling.
Rest Where You Can
Often overlooked but majorly important – you need rest. Especially when traveling with children, there can be times when you are physically and mentally drained, so it is super important to rest where you can. This doesn’t always mean sleeping, but it can mean taking a 1-hour pit stop off the road if you are on a road trip.
Let Them Have A New Game
Giving your kids something new to play with will help relieve any boredom they may be facing. Don’t give them their new game as soon as the trip has started; instead, keep it until you know they are getting irritable and fed up.
Change of Clothes
Whether you are traveling with younger children or older kids, a change of clothes is always necessary. It is not nice to be traveling in dirty or wet clothes, so take away the stress of this and pack extra clothes.
Check List
Give your kids a travel checklist that will encourage them to engage with you and their surroundings. On the checklist include around 6-10 items that they should be on the lookout for, and when they see them, they can then tick or cross them off. For example, if you are traveling by airplane, you could have suitcases being put on the plane or the flight crew.
Take Plenty To Drink
This is just the same as taking enough supplies of food. Taking enough of your kid’s favorite drink will ensure you don’t have tantrums and meltdowns during your journey because perhaps you can’t buy that one drink that they like, or maybe even the only thing they will drink!