Before my son celebrated his first birthday, he had already taken his first airplane trip across the country. Because my husband and I share a passion for travel, our children have hiked to Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls in the Mammoth Lakes area, seen and walked through and around the buildings surrounding the White House (including the Smithsonian), been immersed in the lights and sounds of New York City, witnessed the sheer wonder of the Grand Canyon (in winter, might I add), and swam in the oceans along the North Carolina coast. Not only are we not afraid to show our kids the world, we seek those opportunities out.
But how do we do it? Traveling with kids is admittedly not an easy feat and yet in the midst of diapers, potty training, nursing, teething, and everything in between, we’ve managed to persevere through those challenges because the value in having them see and experience the world is so much more important.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be heading out once again for another adventure and in light of the summer travel season, I thought I would share my best tips for showing children the world beyond their backyard. While many of these tips are more relevant for longer airplane and road trips, they can easily be adapted for shorter staycation-type trips.
1. Understand. Before heading out on any trip, it’s important for parents to understand the age and developmental stage of their child in order to plan appropriately. This will help plan stops, schedules, activities, and more.
2. Anticipate. Meltdowns typically occur when a child is hungry, tired, frustrated or generally experiencing a change in their routine. If possible, try to ensure your child’s most basic needs are met before a long road or airplane trip.
3. Involve. Simply including children in some of the decisions such as where they want to eat or an activity they’d like to participate in can do wonders for changing attitudes and demeanors. Even something as simple as printing off a map so a child can follow along the travel route can help children feel like they are an important part of a family’s vacation.
4. Engage and Entertain. Even as an adult, I find myself getting bored and antsy on long road or airplane trips. In addition to bringing along some favorite books, games, and DVDs, try to include a few new items so children have something to be excited about.
5. Educate and Celebrate. Vacation is supposed to be that time in a family’s life where lifelong memories are created. If a child is old enough, I recommend preparing them mentally before the trip by talking about what they will expect. If time permits, a shorter “test” trip can be planned to see how a child will do and identify any challenges that need to be addressed.
To prepare for our family’s next adventure, I put together travel kits for both of my kids with items I found at Walmart. I included a mix of fun and healthy snacks, new coloring & activity books, a dry-erase board with crayons, stickers, and wipes (for messes!). I’ll also include some plastic bags for trash and a few “electronic” diversions including my son’s DS and my daughter’s portable DVD player. By taking a few simple preparatory steps, families can truly have the vacation they dreamed of, no matter how near or far, with memories to last a lifetime.
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For me, the secret to traveling with my little girl is to always pack an extra pair of leggings in my carry on. That way if she spills something on her pants, or gets cold, it’s easy for her to slip them on. My daughter’s favorite brand is Twirly Girl but obviously there are lots of places to get them.