Traveling With Children: 4 Tried & True Tips for Stress-free Family Travel With Kids by 30Seconds Travel
Spending time together as a family is important for bonding and making memories. According to AAA, nearly 100 million Americans will take a family vacation this year, and without doubt, many of those travelers have children in tow. But traveling with kids isn’t exactly the ultimate vacation in regards to stress. In order to make traveling with kids as hassle-free as possible, there are a few things you need to take into consideration:
1. Give Yourself a Lot of Time
Everything with kids usually takes longer than expected, so in order to avoid being edgy, anxious and worried you’ll miss your flight, be sure to give yourself extra time. You can even arrive at the airport a few hours early to avoid being in a rush. In order to prevent the hassle of using public transportation with your kids, consider driving and parking your car at the airport. You’ll be surprised at the cheap fll airport parking prices, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll arrive at the airport with lots of time on your hands. That way, you won’t have to worry about parking, public transportation being late, or carrying your luggage and kids at the same time.
2. Stock Up on Snacks
When you’re traveling, you can sometimes spend an entire day in the process of getting where you're going. While it might be OK as an adult, kids may become bored, want to go to the bathroom often and get hungry. To keep tantrums at bay, always have a variety of healthy snacks in your handbag to give kids when they’re starting to get cranky, which should hold them off until you find a decent place to eat a meal. Snacks also may work as an incentive to get them to follow directions. “Sit here and I’ll give you a snack.” “Talk quietly and I’ll give you a snack.” Make sure you have a lot on hand!
3. Explain the Travel Process
Kids like to know what to expect and why they should put up with the parts of traveling that they don’t enjoy. In order to help them process why they need to stand in long lines to board a plane, you need to explain the entire process. Tell them what the line is for and how important the security check is. Explain how planes work and how it manages to take you from one destination to another. Once you break everything down for them and make the process more exciting with informative stories, it should be a lot easier to handle.
4. Keep Them Entertained
Put together a bag full of activities for your kids – from coloring books, toys and play dough to downloaded videos on your tablet. It is essential that you have fun distractions and activities during long trips. Having different sources of entertainment almost guarantees that your kids won’t get bored and give you a hard time.
If the kids are happy and entertained, then you're off to a good start for a great family vacation. That’s why it is best to be fully prepared to help make the whole travel process as stress- and hassle-free as possible for both you and your kids. And don't forget to bring along incentives like snacks, toys and activities to keep the peace!
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