A Survival Guide for Traveling with Kids
"Are we there yet?" "Mom, he's touching me!" "Well, she's
looking at me!" "Are we there YET?" "I've gotta go!" "Aren't we
THERE YET?"
It's phrases like these that drive fear into a parent's heart,
and make you wonder why you ever thought taking a family
vacation was going to be "fun!"Florida Forum
So what is a parent to do? Traveling with kids doesn't have to
be a bad experience. Instead of deciding to leave the kids home
for the next "family" vacation, relax! You can make traveling
with the kids an enjoyable and stress-free experience by
following these simple tips:
1. When possible, travel at night and let the kids sleep. But be
cautious, because it's easy to get tired. If you find yourself
getting sleepy, roll down the windows, play music, or better
yet, find a safe place to pull over and take a 20 minute nap.
2. Plan your trip during the day with stops about every 90
minutes. By planning ahead, and using travel planning software,
online trip planning sites or travel associations, you can find
-- and stop at -- kid-friendly places such as parks with
playgrounds, historic monuments or view areas where everyone can
get out and walk around for a few minutes. Giving the kids even
a 15 minute break will give them a chance to "get the wiggles
out" and work off some energy.
3. Bring along some sing-along music. Although your kids may
groan at first when you start singing, they'll soon join in,
especially if the songs are either well-known, absurd or
"gross." Think of your own childhood favorites, or camp songs.
Singing can really help to pass the time, and creates happy
memories later on. To help cut costs, you can even record your
own CDs? If the kids don't know the words, create sing-along
books for everyone by typing them in your Word processing
program and printing them out.
4. Create a goodie-bag. Good ideas are travel toys and games,
bubbles, inexpensive art books and pencils, even the latest in
collectible cards or action figures. (To save money, look for
seasonal sales or buy something every payday.) To cut down on
arguments about sharing, you can set a time limit for playing
with each game, before everyone has to switch. Individual
presents can be wrapped or not, and given out at whatever
schedule fits your needs and your kids' boredom levels. You can
even choose particular games for particular stops, such as
bubbles, Frisbees or small balls, which will encourage running
off energy.
5. Bring along individual "quiet time" activities. These could
include an art box (keep the supplies inside an inexpensive
plastic shoe box), postcards or writing paper, or even a journal
given to each child at the beginning of the trip. Encourage them
to write letters, or record their thoughts and feelings. You can
also bring along hand-held games, or inexpensive CD players and
earphones, so that everyone can listen to the music or books of
their choice. Depending on the space you've got and the length
of time you'll be gone, each child could have their own box or
backpack, to keep their things organized and accessible.