I have some wonderful essential tips for traveling with kids.
No matter if you are planning your first trip with your kid or kids or it’s your fifth one, traveling with children always seems daunting. It can get very overwhelming from deciding what to pack, how to get there, and where to stay to what to eat, it’s full of possible worries.
However, there are a few tips that can help your better prepare for this experience and find out what to expect, especially if you are doing this for the first time. Some quality tips can be enough to help you from going insane.
Essential Tips for Traveling with Kids
Here are 15 tips to keep in mind when traveling with kids.
Just do it!
A lot of people when never go beyond planning their vacation worrying too much about how they are going to manage everything with kids. Even though the idea of traveling with kids can be very overwhelming, it is important to remember that there will be some good moments and some tough ones, but whatever it is, it will end. You will travel, reach your destination and you will survive.
Take it slow
From your previous experiences, you might be used to rushing to the airport and catching your flight just in time, making use of the secret shortcuts you have picked up over the years, but those days are behind you. When traveling with kids you have to sit back and let everyone else rush around you, while you just go with the flow.
Rushing your kids can make you even later, so keep in mind you are not in charge anymore.
Don’t overpack
These days, you can literality get everything no matter where you are going, even in a foreign country. You might not get the same brand, but you can surely manage. Diapers are often a big concern of parents, but if you are really worried, just look up an easily available brand where you are visiting, to be prepared.
Hotel or vacation rental
With hotels, you get a lot of perks like room service, customized meals, laundry, babysitting, and more. Whereas a vacation rental is more like living in your home and making your own meals. This might be a more appropriate option if your child has a special diet.
If you are going to a small town to experience nature and relax, you might want to try Gatlinburg cabins or somewhere else with a similar experience to enjoy some quality time with your partner and kids.
Book wisely
In case you go the hotel way, make sure you take your time before booking. It helps to book a hotel where you have stayed before and loved their services. It also helps if your hotel is near to places you are planning to visit while traveling.
Pool vs sea
Even when you are planning to go someplace beachy, it is still good to have a pool around. A lot of children love being in the sea, but some don’t enjoy it as much. A pool is great for kids to play around and get exhausted in.
Pack smart
Your nappy bag will go as a carry-on, so it makes sense to make sure you have everything in your bag that you might need. You can put things like baby wipes, diapers, spare pacifiers, snacks, plastic bags, a change of clothes, a toy, a book that your kid likes, headphones, extra batteries, and some more baby wipes. You can avoid many possible problems by being well-prepared for a number of scenarios.
Baby carriage vs. stroller
This is one of the most common questions of parents traveling with young kids and there is no right answer to this. It mainly depends on where you are going. Find out of the streets where you are going will be even and paved or will there be potholes? Will, there be off-roading involved? Is it going to be cold or humid? What is your kid used to?
All things considered; a light stroller is a good option. But answering these questions will help you make the right choice. Whatever your choice makes sure your kid is comfortable using it.
Packing baby food
A lot of airports allow you to carry baby milk and baby food over 100 ml in containers, through security checks. They might open the containers to screen its contents, but it doesn’t take a long time and you can rest easy knowing you can easily feed your baby.
Plan your flights
It can be nice to plan your flight around nighttime, your kids may even get through the entire flight sleeping sound. Besides, if you have to catch a connecting flight, you might want to leave a good amount of time in between so you don’t have to rush through an unfamiliar airport.
Lookup your destination
The more you familiarize yourself with where you are traveling to the better you can plan the trip around your kids. If you breastfeeding, make sure to find out if the country you travel to is a bit public or private about it.
Research and more research
Make sure to research every aspect of your trip, before getting on the flight and during the trip. Does your baby need a visa to enter the country? Do you or your kids need any jabs before traveling? Do you need to bring any medication with you? Do the theme parks and other Pigeon Forge attractions or museums, parks, and other places in where you are going charge additional for different ages of kids.
Check-in online
Checking in online is an important part of your preparedness and it helps you minimize the time you have to spend waiting in line once you reach the airport. Checking in online a great way to get yourself some extra time in case something goes unplanned. All you need to do is drop your bags and get through the security. Besides, many airports have a separate family area at the security check, so your kids can be around other kids traveling with their parents.
Leave plenty of time
Even when you check-in online, make sure you still leave some time to avoid rushing in any case, make sure to leave home with an extra hour or two to spare. In case you get to the airport early, you can use their play area, the more energy they spend on the ground the more likely they are to fall asleep on the flight.
Besides, you never know who wants a snack or who wants to use immediately use the washroom, so it better to always be an hour early if not more.
Track them
Parents traveling with toddlers for the first time are often most worried about them running off faster than they can keep up. If you are also worried about it, you can put your name and contact details on your kid. If you want you can also get a GPS tracking device and put it in your kid’s backpack or tie it to their wrist. You can track the GPS device with the app on your mobile phone and make sure you always have eyes on your kids when they are running towards some candy shop or some other kid.
Essential Tips for Traveling with Kids is a feature post
