Everyone knows that traveling has the potential to be an awesome adventure, but it’s rarely without complications. And when you throw young children into the mix, then the capacity for something to go wrong is only extended. But the good news is that you don’t need to be at the mercy of the traveling gods; the quality of your family getaway is largely in your hands. Below, we take a look at some tried and tested tips for taking a trip with young children. Implement them into your vacation, and you might just find that everything runs a lot smoother than you might have imagined.
Pick the Right Trip
It all begins with the type of trip you’re taking. You must, essentially, make sure that it’s appropriate for young children. There are adults who would get annoyed if all they were doing was jumping from one museum to the next; you can’t blame the kids if they get restless jumping from one “attraction” to the next. Instead, pick somewhere that you know will be fun for kids – it’s hard to go wrong with a beach trip, or somewhere that has a lot of family-friendly theme parks and the like. Choose somewhere the kids will like as much as you – it’ll make everything more straightforward.
Plan Ahead
Oh, to be young and free. Remember the days when you could set forth with no particular destination in sight, with only your sense of adventure ready to guide you? There will be times when you want to embrace the unknown with your family, but if they’re very young then now is not the right time. You want to limit the chances of something cropping up that’ll derail the flow of the trip, and that means you better get to planning. If you know where you’re staying and how you’re going to get there, then there’ll be one less thing to worry about.
Give Yourself Extra Time
You can take all the chances in the world when you’re adventuring by yourself, but when you’re part of a big group, you need to be more responsible. This is especially the case when you’re trying to get to, say, the airport for a flight. You never know what small incident might pop up when you’re trying to get there; a child might have forgotten something in the hotel room, another might need to stop for a bathroom break, despite being told to go before you get in the car. If you’ve given yourself more time than you need to reach your destination, then you’ll be able to take these time-consumers in your stride, with no need for the stress levels to spike.
The Right Tools
In your home, you’re completely in control. That’s because you have everything you need to ensure your child is well taken care of. When you’re on the road, you can’t simply open a cupboard and pick out what you need. As such, it’s important that you think ahead, and pack all the things you might need when you’re traveling. A good supply of baby food, wipes, and diapers will be key to avoiding frantic detours to find a supermarket. You’ll also be well served by taking more advanced products, such as the lightweight and easy to set up Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light. As well as being easy to carry, it’ll give your child a comfortable place to sleep, wherever you are so that you can enjoy some peace and quiet for a while.
Things for the Hands
It can be pretty painful to take a long flight with nothing by way of entertainment to keep your hands and mind occupied. But at least you know how long the flight will be, or can think about domestic duties and the like, while you’re in the air. Your child has no such equivalent! They’re going to get bored, and then get restless, and then begin kicking the chair in front of them, as well as annoying you for attention. You can very easily get around this by giving them something to play with, be it a game on a smartphone or coloring book. You really can’t expect a young child to sit quietly for hours on end, no matter where you are.
Well-Stocked First Aid Kit
Children are prone to getting themselves in all kinds of trouble when they’re adventuring. They’ll get cuts, they’ll get dirty, they’ll have issues that make you think “now how did that happen?” The overwhelming majority of issues will, however, not be serious. They’ll just need a little TLC, which is where a well-stocked first aid kit can come in. It’ll save you the bother of driving around looking for a pharmacy just to fix a problem that’s not all that serious, but does need tending to.
Get Them Involved
One of the best, most underrated ways to get children to behave and “be a part of the team” is to, well, make them part of the team! If they’re just lead from one place to the next, it won’t be long before apathy sets in. If they’re part of the decision-making process, they’ll stay engaged for much longer. The trick is to make it look like they’re leading the way, even when they’re not – such as asking, “would you rather do X or Y,” both of which you’ve chosen.
Tiring Activities
There’s nothing better than enjoying a glass of wine under a moonlit sky, is there? Make sure you can enjoy it in peace by tiring your children out during the day. If they’re exhausted their body’s energy supplies throughout the day, they’ll hit the hay early on, and you’ll be able to enjoy that relaxing drink.
The Art of Zen
No matter how well you prepare, there’s always a chance that something goes wrong. But a lot of these small things become much bigger, because we let them! Practice the art of going with the flow, and everything will run a lot smoother for everyone.
