Everyone wants to enjoy an epic family vacation. After all, traveling with kids can be a rewarding adventure. Things, however, can also be unpredictable. When you have plenty of places to go with hungry, sleepy or whining kids in tow, travel can be a challenge.
Fortunately, a little planning goes a long way. Flight planning, packing and entertainment ideas can help you avoid (most) of the tantrums, reward you with pretty family pictures and even give you some me-time (pack some face masks and LED teeth whitening toothpaste and gel!).
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Kid-Friendly Flight Plans for Peaceful Flying
There’s nothing more stressful for parents than long flights (This can be especially true for parents traveling with toddlers and infants). Lostluggage and cancellations can start or end your trip on the wrong foot.
These kid-friendly traveling trips can alleviate the stress of flying with the children:
- Check-in early. Early check-ins prevent you from being late. The kids can also have time to relax and play before the flight.
- Schedule long layovers. Long layovers give the kids more opportunity to release some bottled-up energy. Let them run around the airport (under your supervision) while you and your spouse enjoy a few snacks.
- Fly early in the morning. Early-morning flights can be a dread, especially if you’re not a morning person. But these flights tend to be less crowded and experience fewer delays. Plus, most children will be tired in the morning, so they’ll want to sleep while they wait.
- Help younger kids depressurize ears. Pack remedies for ear discomfort. Also helpful for depressurizing is feeding during landing and take-off. If you’re traveling with older children, give them gum. The chewing pops their ears.
- Keep the essentials handy. Have everything that you need close-by. Keep your hands-free by carrying a backpack filled with the essentials: games, toys, headphones and a charged gadget preloaded with movies.
A fitful flight isn’t the best way to start a family trip. Planning for missed connections or delays, packing the essentials and bringing the right supplies to keep the children comfortable, as well as give you peace of mind.
Travel Safety for Peace of Mind
It’s every Mom and Dad’s nightmare: their kid ends up missing in a busy amusement park or a crowded market. Naturally, the anxiety linked with losing a child can put any parent on edge during their trips. This worry will never go away but there are things parents can do to ensure their children will stay safe on their vacation.
- Arrange a meeting place if anyone gets lost. In crowded places, pick a landmark where the family can meet in case anyone gets lost. One adult can stay at the landmark while the other goes and looks for the child.
- Get them a GPS bracelet. Invest in GPS bracelet information, which is handy in keeping track of your little kids. The best part is that these bracelets can be disguised as watches, so your children will want to wear them.
- Practice scenarios. You can tell your children to do something many times, but that’s not always the best solution. Rehearse these scenarios to show your kids what they can do in case they get lost.
- Provide them with your contact details. Make sure your kids have all of your contact information: numbers, local addresses and more.
Travel safety is one of the biggest stressors for parents. By having plans in place, you gain peace of mind and confidence as you travel.
Fend Off Meltdowns with Snacks
A hungry kid is also a pleasant and smiling kid. When tantrums happen, it’s most likely that your child is tired or hungry. So, on day-trips and during your flights, bring a stash of healthy snacks in your bag.
- Bring food for unexpected scenarios. Heavy traffic or a delayed flight can prevent you from getting to the restaurant on time. Keep snacks available for these unexpected delays.
- Skip the sugar. Occasional treats are fine but fill your bags with healthy snacks instead. Skipping the sugar prevents sugar crashes. Plus, healthy snacks keep hungry kids satisfied and well-behaved.
- Pack a water bottle for the kids. Every traveling family should bring reusable travel bottles. It keeps your kids hydrated. You can also use these bottles to fill them up with juice for calorie boosts throughout the day.
Hungry kids are often sluggish, irritability or prone to meltdowns. Avoid these situations by packing a few healthy snacks.
Vacations with the kids can be magical experiences that are rich in memories. To ensure stress-free travel, plan and travel responsibly. Pack for the essentials, equip the kids with the right info and take plenty of photos. Have a happy and safe trip!
Learn more about the best practices to make your travel easier and joy able, on this website: www.gltctour.com