Traveling as a family has its share of benefits; you get to bond as a family and make new memories. Fun as it is, you must admit that traveling with kids is chaotic to say the least. Factoring a child’s needs into your travel schedules calls for more than packing your bags, hitting play on your favorite CD and driving off.
There is so much planning that goes into it. Here are some tips to make your travel with your children a bit smoother.
Book ahead
If you were used to spontaneous travel before the kids, you will have a hard time adjusting. Traveling with children requires booking and planning all the fine details beforehand. Spontaneity will do nothing for you with a bunch hungry, agitated and tired kids when you are turned away from hotels and camping sites due lack of space.
Keep them busy
Kids get fussy when they are bored. To distract them, buy them a children-friendly camera to take photos of anything that captures their attention. You might be very surprised what combination of creativity and genius they come up with.
Consider the climate of your destination
As an adult, is so uncomfortable if you are dressed in a pile of clothes during the hot season or if you are not well covered during the cold season. This will be even worse for a child. Don’t forget to carry gloves or else you’ll end up dressing them in suits three times their size or leaving them to walk barefoot on a beach laden with sea urchins due to lack of proper planning.
Use alternate means of transport
Children love seeing new things and instead of using the traditional rental cars, use public means of transport, either buses or trains.
If you are touring Utah and want to navigate some rough terrain for fun, try a quad tours Utah for the adrenaline. You can bet your children will talk about this all year round.
What do you do if you are potty training
Traveling with a child during potty training can be a nightmare. The thought of accidents and slips when you are on the plane or train can be agonizing. Imagine, with all the luggage you need to carry, having to include a potty, a whole load of a changes of clothes and as if that’s not enough, pairs of stinky pants. To avoid this headache, put your child back into pull-ups during the train or plane ride.
Carry a child locator
Not knowing where your child is can be traumatizing for any parent. For some reason, children cannot stay in one place for too long. To avoid constant panic attacks, get a monitor usually attached to the shoe or belt. You retain the transmitter and if you lose your child, press the alarm and follow the sound.