Traveling with children does not have to be a daunting task anymore.
For many parents, traveling with children might seem like a daunting task. However, with the right tips and tricks in your toolbelt, it does not have to be. Today, we are going to go over everything you need when traveling with children. From getting to your destination with ease to enjoying yourself when you get there, we have got you covered. Let’s get started.
1. Flying: The Sooner, the Better
One of the best things you can do when traveling with children is flying early in the day. For many parents, choosing to fly later in the day might make the most sense so that so that the nighttime coincides with your kids sleeping schedule. However, there are more perks of flying earlier in the day than later.
For starters, when you take off during the earlier hours, you have a higher chance of sticking with your schedule. Earlier flights are usually most likely to avoid delays at takeoff and landing. Not only that but when you take off earlier in the day, you can expect to find flights that are less crowded too. When you are dealing with an unruly child, a less crowded plane can do you wonders. For starters, you are more likely to find open seat that will allow you to give your child extra space to relax in.
2. Invest in a Great Jogging Stroller
Another one of the best things that you can do for yourself when traveling with children is bringing along the right gear. When it comes to what you should bring along with you, you can never go wrong with a great travel stroller. Unlike a traditional stroller, a jogging stroller will be able to withstand a range of terrains. You can easily withstand rough gravel pathways and even rugged hiking trails. While, there is a range of jogging stroller you can choose from, there are a couple of brands that you should look out for him. For starters, the brand Baby Trend is a provider of so many great jogging strollers. These strollers are great because of the prefore in nearly any environment.
Once you have narrowed down the brand, you need to keep this thought in mind. Shopping for jogging stroller with rubber wheels can be an absolute game changer. Rubber wheels will be able to withstand any bumps that your little one may come in contact with. Not only that, but a rubber wheeled jogging stroller is more comfortable. Take for example the Baby Trend jogging stroller. You can shop any stroller in the Baby Trend brand and you cannot go wrong. Some of the best strollers in this brand are not only comfortable and effortless to push, but they are extremely versatile. You can easily navigate them with one hand when your other hand is occupied. If you are traveling with children that are rather young, bringing along the right jogging stroller can make or break a trip.
3. Bring Plenty of Snacks
One of the best tips when traveling with children is bringing along plenty of snacks. In fact, it is quite imperative that you bring along as many snacks as possible. For starters, snacks will help keep your child occupied when they started to get a little fussy. Offering them enough snacks will buy you some time for them to stay calm throughout your trip. If you are about to get on an airplane and you are worried whether or not they will behave, snacks can help him straighten out their behavior. Especially if it is a snack that you know they like.
Another reason why snacks are so vital is that your little one will certainly encounter the frustration of popping ears due to air pressure. Having something to snack on can help alleviate some of this pressure. Some other great snacks that can help alleviate this pressure are little bits of gum for them to chew on. Opt for flavorful gums like bubble gum or Trident Sugar Free Gum. The citrusy flavors along with the chewing will help distract them when the air pressure starts to kick in.
Lastly, be sure to used snacks wisely. For example, if you are going to be on an overnight flight, then you will want to avoid sugaring them up. A little sugar before bed is all they need for them to be riled up for a long and restless evening. Some great low sugar snacks that you can opt for include Cheerios, pretzels, nuts, crackers, string cheese, and granola bars.
4. Sanitize Everything
We all know that one mom who goes overboard when it comes to sanitizing. For the most part, sanitizing everything during your day to day routine has been shown to do a little more harm than good. However, when it comes to traveling with little ones, sanitizing things will be your best friend. When you are traveling through airports, trains, and other forms of public transportation, you will want to put the utmost emphasis on staying healthy. This means keep the germs as far away as you can. Because the last thing any traveling parent needs is a sick child on their hands.
To help get you through the sea of the germs that are lurking everywhere, be sure to bring along plenty of hand sanitizer. While hand sanitizer will not totally keep you immune to the germs, it is a great first line of defense. Along with your trusty bottle of sanitizer, be sure to bring along some wipes as well. Wipes can be perfect for cleaning off seats and handrails that your child will be frequently touching.
5. Pack Appropriately
When it comes to traveling solo, ask any traveler and they will tell you that less is more. Traveling with less baggage gives you the freedom to roam around and not have to worry about your things. However, when you are traveling with children, you can throw this rule right out the window (For the most part, that is.)
When you travel with children, you need to prepare for everything. Because of this, you will most likely need to bring along almost everything. That is everything that your child absolutely needs. For many first time traveling parents, the common question is exactly what will they need. No worries, we have got that covered for you.
`For starters, you absolutely must bring along your child's comfort item. For some kids, this is a blanket, or a pacifier, or even a stuffed animal. While it might seem like unnecessary baggage to bring along, a comfort item can do the trick most times when your child is starting to get unruly. Along with a comfort item, be sure to bring along plenty of hand sanitizer, wipes, pull ups, and diapers.
When it comes to traveling, you want to make sure your child is comfortable 90% to 100% of the time. There are plenty of ways you can ensure this. For starters, a good rule of thumb is to change your child's diaper about once every hour that you spend traveling.
Be sure to also bring along plenty of paper and crayons. Kids of all ages especially young ages tend to do well when they can doodle. Having the proper art supplies ready for them can earn you a generous amount of downtime while you are traveling on a plane or train.
Lastly, be sure to bring along plenty of plastic bags. Plastic bags are perfect for collecting and carrying belongings. They can be perfect for dishing out snacks and having your child you responsible for them. Not only that, but plastic bags serve as the perfect travel disposal system. Use them to discard any trash that your kid is sure to make as you are traveling around.
6. Bring Along a Smartphone or Table
On any other normal day, giving your child a smartphone or tablet might not be the best thing for them. However, when it comes to traveling, you can throw that rule right out of the window. A smartphone or tablet can be the perfect way to distract your child when you need them to stay calm and collected. For example, there is nothing more nerve racking than having an unoccupied child in an enclosed space such as an airplane. Letting them play on a smartphone or tablet can help keep them quiet and well contained.
If you feel guilty about sticking a screen in front of your child, then there is some wiggle room. You can preload your tablet with kid friendly movies that also happen to be educational. If games are more your child style. Then load up your tablet with educational games so that a little bit of your mom guilt can take a rest. However you spell it, it is no doubt that when you are traveling with children, one of the best ways of calming them down is offering them a tablet.
7. Stay Organized
If you ask any mom, they are sure to tell you that organization is key in any part of a child's life. This could not be any truer than when it comes to traveling. When you are traveling with children, do yourself a favor and make sure that you stay organized throughout. Along with that, be sure to know where everything is at all times. If you are bringing along medicine, or any other personal hygiene products, you need to not only know where they are, but you will need to be able to access them quickly.
When you have an unruly child on your hands, all it takes is a couple of seconds to have an unpleasant experience. Do yourself a favor an organized all your belongings so that vital items like a pacifier or snack are easy to reach.
8. Let Your Kids Carry the Load
Kids of all ages love to help. Especially younger kids. One of the best tricks to traveling with children is letting them practice their helpfulness. To help make the travel burden a little lighter on you, give your kids of freedom of bringing along their own luggage. If you are traveling with a child who can carry their own belongings for the most part, then take advantage of it.
The best ways to take advantage of this is by backpacks. Invest in a comfortable travel backpack for your child. This backpack can be something that they are totally responsible for in the fact that they are in control of everything that goes in it. (With your guidance of course.) As you are going through the airport or through the train station, have your child take responsibility for carrying their own load. Not only does this lighten the load for you. But it gives your child a sense of responsibility and something to focus on.
For older kids, a backpack is still a great option. However, you can also bring along a rolling backpack if they prefer to carry around their luggage that way.
9. Stick to Your Child's Sleeping Schedule
Whether you are traveling a couple states over, or across the world, one of the best things that you can do when traveling with children is sticking to their sleep schedule. Sticking to their sleep schedule gives children a structured routine that helps them navigate their day to day functions. There's no reason why this should change when you are traveling. Having them stick to their sleep schedule offers so many benefits. For starters, you get to avoid the unpleasant side of your child that comes out when they have not gone to bed yet. Not only that but your child will wake up feeling fresh and ready to explore with you. When you are traveling with children, their happiness and comfort are of the utmost importance. Save yourself a headache by sticking to their sleep schedule when you travel.
10. Board Your Plane, Train, or Boat Last Minute
When it comes to traveling with children, you should make it a habit to be on top of everything around the clock. When it comes time to actually board your transportation for your destination, you will want to ignore that rule for a bit.
For example, when you are getting ready to board, you want to make it so that you are the last person to get on. When you board last with your children, you give them the opportunity to stay in an open space for as long as possible. This is a stark contrast to the space that they will be in when you are traveling. While this may be counterintuitive for the parent that wants to have plenty of time to settle in and situate themselves with their child, it is rather counterproductive.
Think of it this way. If you board with your children first, then you and your child will need to wait for all the other passengers to board too. This means that you have just created an extra 45 minutes to an hour of wait time inside the aircraft or train where your child can begin to get unruly and agitated. Instead, avoid the unnecessary frustration. Do yourself a favor and hold off on boarding as long as you can.
11. Get Travel Insurance
No matter how well of a planner you are, things will always manage to find a way to go wrong. When you are traveling with children, it seems that the chance for something going wrong increases tenfold. If you are planning a family vacation, then chances are the trip isn't cheap. When it comes to a trip like that there is no room for taking any chances.
If you have the opportunity, then it is an absolute must that you invest in some good travel insurance. Travel insurance can help protect you against things out of your control such as delays and canceled flights. Not only that but if something were to happen where you were unable to board your flight and take off for your destination, travel insurance can come in handy. With some things, it is best to play it cheap, but with other things, spending money is a must. Traveling with children is one of those things where spending a little extra on the travel insurance will do you more good than harm. One great option for travel insurance is Travel Guard. Click here to learn more.
12. Stay in a Family Friendly Hotel or Resort
When you are traveling with children, considering their comfort is something that you will need to keep in mind throughout your travel. If your children are not comfortable, then you are sure not to be comfortable either. When it comes to planning your accommodations, you will want to shop for hotels that are super family friendly. Look for amenities such as nearby recreational areas and indoor pools. When you have these amenities, then your kids will get to experience the treat that traveling is. Having a positive experience of lounging around in a hotel pool or running around a new park will allow them to enjoy themselves and have plenty of fun.
Not only that, but your children will be more likely to behave well. This is in part due to the fact that they know there is a lot at stake. Do not skimp out when you are booking your accommodations. Look for rooms that offer plenty of fun and adventure. That way, your child has plenty of chances to have lots of fun.
Lastly, if your travels offer you the ability to book your stay at an all inclusive resort, then you should take advantage of this. Plenty of resorts offer neat features such as babysitting services and children's activities. Not only are these great ways for your children to have fun, but they offer you a break as well. Your child can spend a portion of their day interacting with other children and having a day full of adventure and excitement. All the while, you and your spouse can take a break as you venture out into your destination for some alone time. When you are traveling with children, you will want to aim for hotel accommodations that cater to not only to your needs but your children's needs as well.
13. Invest in a GPS Tracking Device
The world is a big place. The last thing you need is to lose your child in it. When you are traveling with children, there is no such thing as being overprotective. From their jacket to their luggage to even their skin. You want to brand and label your child with vital Information in case they get lost.
When it comes to traveling with children, one of the best ways to ensure their safety is by investing in a GPS tracking device. Many GPS tracking devices such as the popular Tile, and the Samsung GPS Tracker can help you locate your child all with the click of a button. You get a sense of peace of mind knowing that your child will be safe with you no matter where you go. To check out some of the best Bluetooth trackers for your adventures, click here.
For a more traditional method of keeping track of your child is using the good old children's leash. While the child leash has had some hot debate spinning around at the past couple of years, there is no mistaking its benefits. You can keep an eye on your child no matter where you go thanks to this ingenious idea.
14. Do Your Research
No matter where your travel plans take you, you will want to make sure that you do plenty of research. One of the best things that you can use to your advantage is knowing what to expect at all times. For example, if you are traveling with younger children who are still nursing, then you will want to make sure whether or not breastfeeding is a socially accepted thing in your destination. Not only that but if you are traveling outside of the country, then you will want to do basic research such as whether or not your child will need a Visa or not.
Other additional things to consider include their health and well-being. Are there any shots that they need before they venture out into the world? Are there any medical restrictions that airlines will not allow you to take on board with you? It is questions like these that you will need to consider when you are planning to travel with children. There is nothing worse than getting all packed up and ready to go only to be met with a roadblock that you did not plan for.
15. Prepare Your Child About Your Adventure
Like with many things in life, having the proper preparation can make everything go that much more smoothly. The same rule applies to your children. If you will be traveling on a plane or train or boat, then you will want to explain this to your child. Do not let new experiences like traveling frighten your child. instead of throwing these experiences at them as they come, sit your child down beforehand and prep them for what they are about to experience.
Not only will your child have more confidence in traveling with you. But they will have an understanding of what is to come. Having a child that is confident in their travels can make or break an adventure for both you and your child. So plan accordingly by explaining everything to your children so that they know what is to come.
16. Check If Your Airport Offers a Meet and Assist
With many airports around the country, you will find plenty of neat services called “meet and assist”. Essentially, a meet and assist service helps families traveling with children, or parents who are traveling solo with children. Essentially, an airport staff member will meet you upon your arrival and help you get to where you need to go. This can include things such as helping you with checking, carrying your bags, and getting you to your terminal in a speedy golf cart. For many airports, the service is completely free. So be sure to check out if it is something that you can take advantage of at your departure airport.
17. Have Plenty of Patience
Traveling with children requires a great deal of patience. When you ask your child to conjure up a great deal of restraint, you must do the same as a parent. Having a little more patience than usual can go a long way when you are traveling with children. Whether they are fussing and whining or have spilled their lunch all over the floor, practice restraint and be patient.
When you are patient, you show your child that everything is okay even when everything around you is falling apart. Not only that but staying calm and collected will keep you level headed. This will allow you the best opportunity to think through your situation and come up with the best decision. Lastly, losing your patience and getting upset will do you no good whatsoever. Not only will losing your cool not help you achieve your goal, but it will disgruntled your child even further. Do yourself a favor and practice plenty of restraint and patience when you are traveling with children.
18. Enjoy It
Traveling with children can seem like a daunting and even burdensome task. However, it does not have to be this way. Part of traveling with children is the fact that you will get to experience going on an adventure with your kids. One of the best ways to relish this enjoyment is by savoring every single moment. From their first peek at flying over the Earth in a plane, too there wide eyed amazement at their new destination. Traveling with children can offer so much more good than bad if you look at it through the right lens. Don't overburden yourself and don't stress out too much if things don't go exactly as you have planned. Instead, try to do an equal amount of sitting back and enjoying the wonder that is traveling with your child.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are traveling cross country or to a whole new continent entirely, be warned. Traveling with children is certainly so much more different than travel without them. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you will be required to change your approach to traveling when you bring your kids in tow. The next time you plan a trip, be sure to keep these tips for traveling with children on hand. These tips and tricks will ensure that you and your kiddos have as much fun as possible on your adventure.
Related Article: The Top 5 Ways to Overcome Airport Anxiety
