Have a great Easter Break - Travelling with kids

How to travel with kids and save your sanity Travelling with kids can be daunting but with some good planning, a sense of adventure and teamwork, it is possible to arrive at your destination with your sanity intact. Below are some tips to survive the journey: travel_kids

  1. Have a container or bag ready for motion sickness in the event it is needed.
  2. Keep extra wipes, nappies, clothes, face cloths and extra plastic bags handy for those unexpected accidents.
  3. If possible, pack the car in a way where an adult could seat in the back seat if needed.
  4. Try to time your departure one hour before naptime. The motion of the car helps most babies and toddlers to have a good sleep during the journey and provide parents with some respite.
  5. Take the necessary comforters – blankets, teddy bears, bottles, pillows, dummy etc
  6. For toddlers and pre-schoolers, pack a selection of toys that you can hand back along the journey (but remember if the children are happy don’t disturb them).
  7. For older children get them to pack a small backpack with their favourite things. You can also pack some new activities such as colour books, books, new crayons and pencils, magnetic board games, activity settings or card games. These days you can even buy wipe clean card games designed specifically for car travel and these are fun for the whole family to play.
  8. Bring CDs containing favourite nursery rhymes and songs for your baby and toddler. For older children, you may consider making them their own playlists to play in the car. Audio books can also be an exciting option for preschoolers and older children (these are available through most local libraries for borrowing).
  9. Portable DVD players and iPads can be sanity savers BUT try to remember that travel time in the car is valuable family time and can be a great opportunity to catch up given that day to day schedules can be very busy. Think of it as a time to teach, listen and learn about each other. If you are travelling with several children, decide on movie titles before leaving so as to avoid arguments. Don’t forget the car charger. Look into some great educational games and download before the journey. Something new always provides extra interest.
  10. Family games such as eye spy, count the cars, animals, guessing games, finish telling the story, “tell you what you remember about our last holiday” “what are you looking forward to and what adventures could we have”, sing songs or learn a new song can be good options to foster relationship.
  11. Remember to take photos! For young children a photo album of past holidays, family adventures or activities done at home which can be talked about is fun.
  12. Sometimes it is hard for siblings not to fight and annoy each other. If you are able, pack some soft pillows, blankets and cushions so that they can make a ‘wall’ between them, allowing them their own play areas and rest times.
  13. If you are still toilet training your child, bring along the potty, toilet paper and wipes with you as when they need to go, they need to go. Pull ups are another option.
  14. Remember that kids need to Shake, Rattle and Roll. So stopping along the way for a throw of the Frisbee, play in the playground, kick of the footy or just a plain good fun run around will be essential when planning your journey.

Distraction, distraction, distraction is the key. Yes, you will have to get involved in their play. So think of the holiday starting from the time you get in the car, not on arrival at the destination. Holidays make wonderful memories for the whole family, hence it important to have fun right from the beginning. Remember be prepared, go with the flow and expect the unexpected.

packing_for_baby KidsCar_

Re-posted with permission from Ngala - www.ngala.com.au

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