Top Tips for Travelling with Children
Image Credit: Jordan Sanchez
When travelling with children, a little organisation goes a long way! Here, life and business coach Allison Marlowe give us her tips for making journeys with young ones go as smoothly as possible, whether travelling by road, rail or air.
Be Organised
Create a checklist to help you pack. Keep it on the computer so you don't have to write it over every time you leave home. Use it as a template and update it before each trip to include anything new such as medications, toiletries, accessories, etc.
Keep all information related to your trip in one place. Create a folder for papers such as reservations, passports, tickets and insurance documents. When you need your information before, during or after your trip it will be all to hand.
Stay Flexible When Booking
Choose your destination carefully. We plumped for an all inclusive family holiday in a purpose built destination that is used to young visitors and caters for the needs of all ages - including two grown up kids! Remember this is a holiday and you want to have fun.
Too many new sights can over tire your baby and toddler. Keep daily plans to just one main activity a day and you'll find it much easier to make adjustments that way. Skip over-crowded tourist destinations and places without shade.
Pack a Goody Bag
A good way to keep the children content on the journey was to provide each one with a drawstring goody bag which cannot be opened until we were on the road.
Inside each child had several small wrapped gifts which provided a surprise ever couple of hours. I started collecting things like story tapes, small cuddly toys, pens, crayons, puzzle books, bright paper, stickers and playing cards a few weeks in advance.
Keep the kids amused with these Top Ten Travel Games.
Also I provided each child with a carton of drink, a snack, like raisins or other dried fruit and a few boiled sweets. Each child also had a spare pair of pants and socks, toothbrush and hairbrush, just in case our luggage was lost. They really enjoyed being responsible for their own hand luggage.
The Challenge of Air Travel
Explain to older children what to expect so they are not concerned if their ears pop. With a young baby or toddler either breast feed or provide a bottle or cup to suck from during take off and descent.
If you are taking your own lightweight stroller you can get it checked at the gate and it will be ready for you when you come straight off the plane.
About The Author: Allison Marlowe coaches, inspires and challenges women in business to achieve new levels of success. She blogs at allisonmarlowe.com.
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