Tips for stress free travel with young kids

Whether you’re just going for a weekend jaunt, or planning a major international excursion, traveling with young kids can be a great time for everyone. If you’re aware of the special needs of little ones, and plan accordingly, you can minimize stress and maximize the fresh perspective of your young traveling companions. Here are my best tips for traveling with young kids.

1. Remember how important security is to little ones. But don’t worry, because kids get that sense of security from you, the parent. If you are relaxed and having fun, they will too. Minimize your own stress by stopping for breaks often, maintaining your healthy diet on the road, and keeping up a stream of positive self talk if things don’t go as planned.
2. Be prepared. You know the routine- juice in sippy cups, favorite toys, kid friendly snacks, books on tape, lots of lap top activities. Picture your family on the plane or in the car before you leave, and anticipate as many wants and needs as you can.
3. See the trip through your kids’ eyes. This is the best part about travelling with kids. They love to experience new places, and you can make it extra fun by enjoying the sites with them on their terms. Exploring an unfamiliar park, enjoying a local sweet treat, checking out the childrens museum in a new city: seek out ways for them to experience the everyday things they enjoy at home, with a local twist where you are traveling.
4. Turn the trip into a family story. At the end of the day, repeat the story of events and sights you experienced together that day. Recall the jokes that were told, the food eaten, the excitement of a skinned knee at an unfamiliar playground. Most of the experiences are bound to be commonplace, but for kids they are the memories that will last a lifetime. They are the stories that follow the words, “Remember that time…….”
5. Try to minimize the times when the kids feel like just another piece of luggage. You may have to wait in line at an airline ticket counter for an hour, but is there a way to make that time easier on active kids? A few books in a purse could turn the wait into story time. Hand games like pat a cake are great for energetic kids, and they love doing them over and over. There are also toys that could appear out of your purse at the right time: an etch-a-sketch, for example, or an electronic game. If you find yourself completely unequipped, there are always hangman and tic tac toe.

Don’t let the fact that your kids are little deter you from taking a trip. The five and under set are really pretty open minded when it comes to new experiences, and can have fun almost anywhere. Just don’t forget to pack the juice boxes!