Every year, every parent wants to go out on a vacation with their kids; to unwind, to bond or to experience new adventures. But family vacations, no matter how great your intent or reason is, can become stressful. A lot of undesired events can happen. But these can all be avoided so that you and your whole family can enjoy and have a relaxing time.
We at Yoyoboko have compiled a series of helpful tips for you to have an easier time traveling with your kids. We hope that these tips will help you have a relaxing and enjoyable trip with your children. So, without further ado, here are our tips for you.
Pre-Travel Tips
First on our list is to plan and be flexible with planning. Experts say that planning before a trip can help make it more enjoyable and fun for everyone. Make sure to include your children when planning your vacation. This will give them a sense of ownership over the arrangements. This will also make them more excited about the vacation. You may even end up motivating your child to pack his own stuffs.
If you are going for a long car, bus, ship, plane or train travels, it will be best to plan an entertainment for your kids. Bring their favourite toys, books or a tablet to make sure your kids will have fun and behave properly during your travel. You may also buy a robust, easy to use camera for your children. This they can take photos of your journey and your travel will be stress-free and fun as well.
A week prior to your vacation, create a list of essentials and encourage your children to create a list of their own. If your child or children still don’t know how to write, you can ask them what they want to bring to your vacation. Be open for negotiations. Then check your list at least twice a day every day to make sure you didn’t forget anything and encourage your kids to do the same thing.
Packing for Your Trip
‘Packing should start a day or night prior to your vacation. Make sure that when you are packing your children’s rucksacks that you have your list with you to ensure that you have everything your child will need for your trip.
Also, do not include baby bottles and toys on your kids’ bags. Instead, put them on your children’s carry on rucksacks, so that they will be easier to access while you are in a bus, plane or car.
Make sure you also have extra clothes in there with their toys so that if they spill a drink or wet food, you’ll have clothes for changing that are easier to access. If your child has a ‘blankie’ or a toy which he or she cannot separate from, be sure to bring it along as well.
And lastly, minimize the number of your luggage. Aside from being able to decrease your travel expenses, you’d also have an easier time managing your kids if you have less luggage to lug around.
Travel Tips
During your travel make sure you get a lot of breaks. Have fewer activities. This will make your vacation more relaxing and enjoyable.
You also need to make a lot of stops for meals and drinks so that you have plenty of energy for your travel. Make sure you have water and snacks handy for eating and drinking while you’re on the road.
Do not bring too many things that your children will share. Sharing is hard, especially while the kids are rowdy and hyper. So for example, instead of having your children share a rug and a pillow, bring one for each of your children.
Set your demanding activities early in the morning. Visit local attractions and activities in the morning. Everyone has a lot of energy in the morning. Then, you’d have enough patience and strength to deal with your children’s activities and behaviour. So visit the zoo, beach, playgrounds, fun parks, carnivals and movies in the morning.
Have a personal break once in a while. Most parents spend vacation time running after their kids. But when your children are busy with their activities, or playing with other kids, or if your relatives or their babysitters are looking after them, you should take these times as your down time.
Don’t worry too much if your child gets bored once in a while. While some parents may think this will eventually ruin their children’s vacation experience, the truth is it will motivate them to find an activity, which will be fun for them. In addition, by allowing your child to think of an activity to make his vacation fun, you are also encouraging him to be more independent.
We hope this article will help you have a great bonding time with your children. And if you’re looking for more information about parenting, please feel free to surf through our pages.