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Traveling with Children
As nearly any parent can tell you, traveling with children can be a very
different experience from traveling alone. Not only are there more wants and needs to satisfy, sometimes even the
most well behaved children in the world mutate into helions when confronted with the combination of a new environment
and vacation expectations. Here are some tips to help to avoid turning travel with children from the happy experience
you planned into a nightmare.
Before the trip
Planning. Get planning
done early and get involvement from all age appropriate children. This doesn't mean that the children should make
the final decision on your plans (your budget and interests need to determine those) only that they should be as
involved as possible--it may prevent major problems later. Planning a vacation early is important so you don't
find your children "sold" on a particular destination, only to find that lodging or transportation isn't
available!
Itineraries.
With their involvement, make an itinerary and share it with the children. This can help to iron out disputes before
they erupt in mid-vacation. Remember, it is the family vacation: not the parents' vacation or the children's vacation. Everyone should have at least some opportunity to do the things they
like to do.
Limits. Set
some, in advance, whether monetary or time. Every family member should know whether (or not) you are going to spend
$2000 on souveniers or 10 hours on the beach every day for a week. Have everyone aware of what the general limits
will be before
you leave.
Packing considerations with children.
- Whether you are traveling by car, plane, train or ship, there will be
"downtime." Anticipate boredom an prepare for it by bringing books, games, activities, CD players, etc.
seem to occupy the children the longest.
- Double check the packing of any prescription medicines, allergy treatments,
insect bite medications and the like. Pack them in a carry-on.
- See additional general
packing hints.
During your trip
Involvement. Get
everyone involved with the trip activities, just as you did with the itinerary planning. Discuss what you have
seen, what you are seeing, and what you are going to see.
ID Cards. Have
identification cards for children with their name, your name and the name and phone number of where you will be
staying (hotel, resort, private home, etc.). Very young children can have the cards pinned to their clothing and
older children can carry the cards.
Prepare for exhaustion.
Your's and the
children's. Just the anticipation can tire out a child (or an adult) let alone the actual activities!
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