Leaving the house with young children can be a challenge, so if you’re considering going abroad, you may be apprehensive at the very thought of it. You’re likely to have that little voice in the back of your mind reminding you of the last day trip that turned out to be a total catastrophe – but it shouldn’t put you off trying again.
Going on vacation can be a stressful experience for any parent, but there are strategies you can put in place to ease your worries and help make your vacation streamlined and enjoyable for the whole family.
Here are some top tips you may like to make a note of:
Pre-book everything you can
Being organized before your trip will give you the peace of mind that everything has been sorted out beforehand, so you don’t have to worry when the big day arrives. Airport parking can be one of the most stressful aspects of your trip. With crying children in the car who are bored and hungry, the last thing you want is to be driving around for hours on end searching for a car parking space. The good news is, that you can book your space ahead of time with Parkon.com which will save a great deal of anxiety.
Similarly, booking your day trips before you arrive at your destination will give you enough time to plan an itinerary so you can update the children weeks beforehand on what to expect. Talking through the daily plans regularly can help familiarize children with what is likely to happen and break them out of their typical routine.
Make traveling fun
Kids are likely to get restless at some stage of the journey; especially when it is overlapped with different methods of transport. While it’s important to keep them entertained, don’t offer all of their toys all at once or they’ll get bored very quickly.
Pack electronic devices so they can play their favorite games and movies, or you could even encourage them to record the journey by taking photographs of the scenery, drawing pictures or collecting objects.
Don’t overpack
While it’s always good to be prepared for every scenario when you have kids in tow, don’t overpack. Bring things along that will keep the routine consistent and ensure you have everything you need but aim to pack as little as possible. You’re bound to end up carrying one of the kids when they’re tired, alongside multiple cases of luggage. You can always buy extra essentials once you arrive at your destination.
Safety and security
If your kids are a little older and you wish to give them a little bit of free time to do their own thing, be sure to put strategies in place to maintain their safety. There is nothing worse than feeling out of control when your child is out of sight in a strange place. Try and keep your child in view if possible and give them your contact details so that they can get in touch with you whenever they choose.
This is such an important post! I feel as though people can really overlook the difficulties of travelling with young family members.
Very resourceful for a family. We do need to keep these things in mind when we plan a vacation with kids as they can be challenging to keep up with at some point of the journey.