Traveling with kids can be fun and a bit frustrating. Fortunately, with the help of some tried and true advice, you can keep frustration to an absolute minimum and sail smooth waters of family travel.
Peruse these ten tips for kid-friendly travel and let the voyage begin.=
1. Don’t overpack. There’s nothing worse than dragging around two tons of luggage, with or without the company of kiddies. Keep the items-in-tow to a minimum. This will allow a freer set of arms catch a kid in flight, without worry that your 14 favorite shirts will be left behind at the train station (emergency restroom stop, hotel lobby…).
2. New toys/gadgets. If the kids are younger, think fresh sets of Legos, dolls and coloring books to be introduced at varying intervals on the trip. If the kids are older, electronics are king. Splurging on that portable DVD player or Nintendo DS will save many a “are we there yet”-induced headaches.
3. “Books.” Why the quotes, you ask? Traditional print literature is great if your kids are interested and willing. However in this technological age, for better or worse, the mini-bookworm is a rarer and rarer find. Thus why not introduce the offspring to the classics via a seemingly-forgotten medium: books on tape. Load them straight to the iPod for a fun and educational activity that takes up no room in the suitcase.
4. Medicine. You never realize how difficult in can be to find that special formula of children’s headache medicine in a foreign country, nature preserve or roadside pit-stop until you deal with tying to find that special formula of children’s headache medicine in a foreign country, nature preserve or roadside pit-stop. Save yourself some stress and dollar bills and leave home completely prepared in the meds department.
5. Don’t over-plan. Yes, I know this may be your family’s only trip to France in next decade (or ever), but to drag the kids to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and Centre Pompidou in a two day span is just mean. Let the kids breath and enjoy the nuances of the cultural experience with a little active downtime. If they’re older, this might mean spending time in a cafe, people-watching. If they’re younger, this could mean finding a park and letting the kids run free of a security guard’s watchful eye.
6. A combination stroller/car seat. This one obviously applies to the younger set (although no judgement here, if not). If the kid can fit in a stroller, bring it. Museum/airport/park-trekking fatigue is going to set in and this is the true remedy…unless you’d like to carry two backpacks, of course. The car seat option is huge if a rental car is in the plan.
7. Fly non-stop. I realize this isn’t always possible, but if you have to jump through a few hoops to make this happen, get to jumping. Bored-kid-on-layover-syndrome is not a pretty site.
8. Pack their bags. If the kid is big enough to carry their own backpack, pack it on. Not only will this keep their activities in a common, easily accessible place, but that’s extra carry-on space you’re giving up otherwise.
9. Stash snacks. Like medicine, you can never truly estimate the future accessibility of healthy munchies. Hungry kids = irritable kids = you potentially hysterical in a public setting. Just pack the snacks.
10. Let them decide. In planning your travel agenda, take the kids’ input into consideration. This will give them ownership over the activities and thus promote interest, cooperation and attention.
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Great list. Traveling with young kids is not easy and everything on your list will definitely help.