Traveling With Kids Before School Starts
Tips for Traveling with Your Children over Christmas
Anyone who has children knows how stressful it can be to travel with children. There are the myriad stops to use the bathroom, the continuous “Mom, are we there yet?” questions, and families with more than one child probably hear them bickering a lot, too. These tips for traveling with your children over Christmas may help make the trip less stressful for everyone involved.
Your mode of transportation can make or break your holiday travel with children. If you’re in a hurry to get to your family’s, you’ll most likely choose to fly. Use these tips to make flying with your child easier:
* When you make your reservations, be sure that each person in the family has their own seat. This may cost more, but it is much safer than flying with a child in your lap.
* Plan activities to keep your child busy while you’re waiting to get your luggage checked. Try not to become too irritated or stressed because your child will pick up on that and your mood may have an ill effect on theirs. Have several items that will occupy your child packed in your carry-on bag.
* Remove your child’s shoes during the flight to keep the impact of their kicking the back of the seat in front of them at a minimum.
If you’re going to be driving to your holiday destination, you’re more in control than if you’re flying. Here are some tips for traveling by car with your children:
* Try to travel at night so the children will be asleep for most of the trip. Of course, this isn’t always an option, but it is one way to avoid some of the hassles of traveling with children.
* Pack a bag of activities for your children. Include cards, books, toys, and hand-held game systems they may have. If you can afford one, a portable DVD player would be a great way to keep children occupied and hopefully happy during the drive.
* Be sure to allow ample time when driving for bathroom breaks and stretching your legs. It might be a good idea to also let children run around a little to burn off some of their pent-up energy.
* Take along snacks and drinks to help stave off having to pull into too many fast food restaurants while you’re on the road. You’ll have more control over what your children are eating and it will cost considerably less than eating all meals out during the trip.
These tips for traveling with your children over Christmas are not exhaustive. You probably already know how well your children travel and what best keeps them occupied so everyone can enjoy the trip. If this is your first extended trip, using these tips and getting a roadside assistance plan may help make the journey less stressful for everyone.