Ever been in a situation where you arrive at you friends’ house eager to hear about their wonderful family trip, only to find exhausted parents as if after a long and tiring day?
That’s exactly the way I found my friends Lin and Jacob last weekend. They came back from a two week trip to Italy. Lin seemed worn out, mumbling something about it being "nice", but shared the details of the heavy rain they had, on how their eldest had a tantrum at the entrance to the museum and the mess their little one made at a restaurant.
Now we deserve a real vacation, concluded the two, and I couldn't help but understand them…
That’s exactly the way I found my friends Lin and Jacob last weekend. They came back from a two week trip to Italy. Lin seemed worn out, mumbling something about it being "nice", but shared the details of the heavy rain they had, on how their eldest had a tantrum at the entrance to the museum and the mess their little one made at a restaurant.
Now we deserve a real vacation, concluded the two, and I couldn't help but understand them…
So here are my tips for traveling with kids:
- Allow the children to take part – include them in making the plans for the trip, teach them interesting facts and stories about the country you’re going to,.
- Plan with flexibility in mind, so you’ll be able to make changes where needed.
- Tell the children about the different modes of transport you’ll be using, and even look them up on YouTube.
- Prepare the kids for the many periods of inactivity expected – waiting for the flight, the duration of the flight, waiting for the train or bus and the cues at different sites. You should have games, tablets and coloring books ready which can help pass the time, and not less important, let us parents keep our peace of mind.
- If you want to visit places that may not interest your children, it’s better you don’t take them with – what doesn't interest them can lead to unnecessary headache and prevent you from enjoying it properly. You can try to arrange a babysitter. Many hotels offer this service these days.
- Learn together a few words in the local language and you’d be surprised with the smiles your kids will attract and the pride they will feel.
- Always start the day with a hearty breakfast and take sandwiches, fruits and snacks for the day. Usually our kids don't appreciate the foreign kitchen, so find familiar foods at the grocery store.
- Give each child some responsibility – offer them to navigate the underground, be your guide at the zoo, be in charge of safety rules and so on. They can also choose the responsibility for themselves. You’d be surprised at creative ideas they’ll come up with.
- Allow the children to make decisions – from the food they’d like to eat to what they’d like to do today.
- Slow down – One or two attractions a day, no more… It’s better to see less while having a good time than turning the trip into an exhausting race. If you’re left with spare time or you don’t have the budget for another attraction, you can always make a day by hanging around the park with some fresh air and good energies.
- Give each child some money to buy a small present to remember the trip, and a camera so they can capture their experience. For infants buy a local toy that later in life brings back memories of the trip.
- Don’t forget to go with the flow and be flexible! 😉
Enjoy the journey! 🙂
