Kids and Traveling Do Mix!
10 Tips for traveling with your kids.
Traveling with your kids should be one of the best experiences you have as a family. You expose your children to new learning opportunities through visiting historical landmarks, eating new foods, hearing different languages, and so much more.
We want to help you make this experience as easy as a walk in the park. Check out our top 10 tips for traveling with children below:
1. Take it Slow and Leave Plenty of Time
Keep your schedule loose and leave plenty of room for adjustment. A flexible schedule will create less stress for you and your family and lead to a happier trip overall.
2. Don’t Over pack
The less you bring, the easier it is to pack, the less you have to carry, and the more room you have for souvenirs.
3. Explain the Trip
Once your children understand what’s going on, they are less likely to ask questions while you’re trying to take care of travel logistics. They will be happier, more comfortable, and excited about what’s coming next.
4. Snacks, Snacks, Snacks
Having a few small and easily transportable snacks with you at all times can keep everyone happy until you can refuel.
5. Ask for Child Discounts
You never know unless you ask. We’ve found that businesses are often willing to give us a discount for our kids. If we hadn’t raised the question, we never would have known. It pains me to think of how much extra I’ve spent on trips when I didn’t think to ask for discounts for the kids.
6. Give Kids Your Contact Information
If a child gets lost despite your best efforts, you’ll want them to have your contact information.
Your contact information should include the following items for all of the adults on your trip so you have multiple opportunities for help locating your child.
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Local address
7. Travel with Basic Medicines
It’s always a good idea to take a few over-the-counter medications your family might need while traveling. Over-the-counter medications may include:
- Headache medicines
- Allergy medicines
- Medicine for upset stomachs
- Motion sickness prevention medication
- Other medication that might apply to your family or the specific trip
8. Identification Documentation
Having the proper paperwork is especially crucial if you’re traveling without your child’s other parent or if you’re traveling with children who are not your own. In either of these cases, some countries may require that you have documentation to prove you have permission to travel with the child.
Required documentation may include:
- Birth certificates
- Copies of birth certificates
- Notes from the child’s non-present parents
- Other items
9. Give Kids a Camera
Having a camera and trying to get the best photos will help your child focus more on the things they’re seeing all around them. It will help them see the beauty in the landscape, the amazing features in the architecture, and the details of the crowds and bustle of the city.
The photos they take will be great for showing friends and relatives when they get back home and for helping them remember the trip for years to come.
10. Be Flexible
Be flexible, go with the flow, and have a great trip with your family.
SAE Global: Looking for a way to experience different cultures without leaving home? Hosting an international exchange student is the perfect way to have your children experience a new culture from the comforts of home. You’ll learn the student’s language, customs, and traditions, amongst other learning opportunities. Meet our current students needing a host family here: http://saeglobal.org/student-exchange-photolisting/
Original article by upgradedpoints.com
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