While there are all different kinds of travel, the type everyone knows is more stressful than most is travelling with kids.
It requires specific advice and specific planning. Most people believe that family travel has a limiting impact on where you can go and what you can do. Want to make your travels as stress-free and enjoyable as possible? Read our top tips for travelling with kids.
The sooner children begin travelling, the easier it gets as they get older. People used to travelling, no matter what their age, automatically have a less stressful time than those not used to travelling. This is because they get used to the way things work. Therefore it’s not necessarily important to wait until children are older before taking them on their first trip.
Give yourself plenty of time when travelling with kids, particularly younger ones. Toddlers love to explore, and won’t share your concerns about sticking to the schedule. Always allow extra time for exploring, stalling, toilet time and the odd tantrum. That way, you’ll be much better at keeping your cool.
It’s always important to make sure your bookings are in place ahead of time and that these are within easy reach. Invest in a travel wallet or small folder in which to keep all of your booking confirmations, tickets, travel insurance, and other important documents. This means everything will be at your fingertips and, if you’ve had a long flight and arrive tired, you won’t have to worry about keeping sleepy kids from their beds for too long.
Travelling with Kids of Different Ages
Long-haul travel can be particularly stressful for those travelling with kids at potty-training age. Your toddler might still have the odd little accident. Unfortunately, a new environment can only exacerbate this problem. However, you can save space by packing pull-up nappies in your carry-on luggage. While gurus may disagree, in the long-term it should not affect the process. It will also save you a lot of stress and potential embarrassment while travelling.
Give your older children input on packing their own luggage, but don’t let them do it completely on their own. “My backpack is too heavy!” This complaint may lead you to discover that your child has brought along their entire collection of books or fossils ‘just in case’. Keep your wits about you, as they can be sneaky!
To give them something to do during delays, encourage children to keep a travel journal. They can write or draw about the things they’ve seen so far, things they’d still like to do, and special foods that they’ve eaten. This could even encourage them to try new things! It’s something that will indulge their creative side, get them engaged, and help them build memories to look back on when they’re older.
You will always want to take your kids on holiday. In fact, it’s important to do so. Time away is time spent without the toll of daily life; time you can spend bonding and creating lasting memories and funny anecdotes. Keep all of these tips in mind and we promise you’ll feel less of the burn. After all, happy kids make happy parents!
Until next time, stay safe and travel happy!
