With summer vacation being around the corner, families will inevitably be looking and booking vacations of all different kinds, whether it be traveling to different parts of the world on airplanes, taking long road trips, hopping on a cruise, or even staycations! Though the possibilities in the world of tourism and vacations are endless, traveling with young children can be a challenge. Young children can become impatient or uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, and it is important for those around them to be aware of this and make preparations to mitigate these potentially frustrating scenarios.
Here are some helpful tips and pieces of advice for traveling with young children this summer:
Early morning departures make it easier!
Booking or scheduling early morning trips can be very effective in traveling with children. Not only will it decrease the chances of delays in taking off or landing if you’re traveling via aircraft, but it will also allow anyone who is still in need of rest (particularly children) to sleep while traveling. This will make the travel time feel much shorter! Early departures via road trip can also be effective for children, not only to let them rest during travel time, but also to help stay in routine, allow them to enjoy planned activities later in the day without fatigue and assist with staying on track during bedtime.
Set expectations
Setting expectations can also be a piece of advice for traveling with children. When children know what they can expect, the chances of surprise or shock in traveling conditions decrease. Talk with your children about what they can expect regarding seating, space, comfort, entertainment, timeframe and socialization while traveling. For example: If you’re traveling on a cruise ship, speak with them about how they might be feeling about traveling via water. It may even get them excited and looking forward to travels!
Do your homework! Study climates and culture
Similar to setting expectations, it is important to do your research ahead of time to know about the place you’re visiting. Educating and familiarizing yourself, the traveling group, and particularly young children about differences in aspects such as climate and culture can avoid stressful situations such as culture shock. Not being properly prepared for weather differences can also be irritating to children and may negatively affect the overall experience. Be sure to prepare and pack accordingly to ensure the trip is the best and as memorable possible!
Prepare for Air Pressure Changes
One concern many parents might have with flying could potentially be the change in air pressure when the plane is ascending and/or descending. You can prepare for this by stocking up on water or other beverages before a flight, as the swallowing process helps with air pressure changes. Other ways to relieve air pressure during flight are: staying awake during takeoff and landings, using filtered earplugs, chewing gum or sucking on hard candy and yawning.
Traveling with teenagers? Get them involved in planning!
Traveling with teenagers can be an opportunity to grant them responsibilities in planning vacations. At their age, teens will be able to explore their interests differently than younger children. Getting them involved in planning will not only form the basis of their future interests in traveling but provide them will valuable experience and organization/time management skills as well.
