Everyone enjoys traveling now and then, whether it’s a short weekend trip to the countryside or an extended vacation to the beach in another country. Of course, if you are an avid traveler, you would already know how to plan your trip, especially if you are going alone or with a few friends. But traveling with your family is different; you need to make sure everything is planned correctly, especially if you’re going with your children.
Make Traveling with Your Kids More Fun
When family trips with children are spontaneously made, it could turn out to be a stressful time, which sounds ironic since you’re on vacation to de-stress. For some adults, the prospect of skipping the planning part and just directly going out of town seems adventurous, but for children, it could be different. Of course, there is nothing that good planning could solve. So, below are some things you have to do before you hit the road with your family:
1. Set your kids’ expectations
So you have decided to go on a trip. It would be sensible if the first thing you do is to set everyone’s expectations of your plans. Suppose you are going on a hike, camping, beach trip, etc. These things will evoke reactions from your kids, which you can gauge if you need to work more in convincing them that it will be a fun trip. Let them know what’s in it for them and the things that they will end up enjoying so that they would have something to look forward to, especially if they’re not the outdoorsy types.
2. Make a list
Whether you’re the kind of person who tends to forget some things when traveling or remember every essential thing, you need to make a list. It gives you peace of mind that you have everything you need, as you can just cross out items off your list once they are already packed. The essentials that you should not forget are food, snacks, water, clothes, medications, phone, charger, insect repellant, sunscreen, and toiletries. Of course, the things you need to bring depend on the kind of trip that you will have, so if you are camping then don’t forget your tent.
Depending on your children’s ages, you should also bring some things that bring them comfort, like their books, Nintendo, and stuffed toys. If they are pretty young, bringing some diapers will also help. Dry cleanersare available everywhere, but it is better to be completely prepared.
3. Book in advance
Imagine having to drive to every hotel until you find a vacant room for your family while your kids are complaining that they’re hungry. You wouldn’t want to go through that, so do everyone a favor and pre-book your flights, accommodations, restaurant reservations, and activities. Doing this will save you the hassle of having to go through a stressful scenario with your family.
Also, when you’re booking your trip, you should declare that you’re traveling with kids as many places offer discounts for children. You could be saving a lot of money when you do this.
4. Secure everything
When you watch movies, you’ll notice that it’s pretty common to see parents being preoccupied with something that their children would wander off somewhere and get lost. These things also happen in real life, and it would be stressful for everyone if it happened to you. So make sure you keep track of your children and never let them out of your sight. You should also talk to them and let them know that the world isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, and they should always stick to mommy and daddy.
You should also give them a mobile phone with your contact information in the event that they do get lost. Doing this will make it easier for you to locate each other, saving each other the hassle and stress.
5. Bring other forms of entertainment
Yes, you might have already packed your children’s Nintendo, mobile phones, and comic books, but there are other things that they will end up enjoying too. You could let them take photos or write their travel journal, so bring a camera and a notebook that are kid-friendly. These activities might not be ideal for kids, but they could also spark their interest in taking photos, writing, and other things.
Enjoy Your Family Trip
Once you have covered everything, then what’s left is for you to enjoy and have a good time with each other. Make memories that will stay with your family forever.
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