Holidaying with toddlers - the survivors guide.

Travelling for holiday with toddlers could be very challenging, and it comes with some inherent risks which could be overcome with proper planning and preparedness. Travelling for holiday with toddlers goes beyond packing a few chocolates and nappies into a bag, it also involves planning for their safety and looking ahead for their safety and well-being. The following survivors guide might be of help in helping you take better care of toddlers when you hit the road for a holiday trip:

a. Make allowance for a lot of stops:  Travelling with children calls for a lot of patience and understanding, and you must be prepared to bear with the children without necessarily losing your cool. Children are often apt to use the toilet or need basic attention that will necessitate making crucial stops here and there along the way. You must also be ready to put up with their tantrums and find ways of calming them when they simply stop being reasonable.

b. Prepare for the climate and sudden changes in weather:  If you are travelling to cold regions like Alaska or even coming to Africa, you must be prepared to dress your children for the weather and pack suitable clothes that serve them better during all weather. If you are travelling within Nigeria, you must pack clothing that suits the season you are travelling in, and the northern or southern parts you are travelling.

c. Keep them busy: Whether you are travelling by plane or on land, the trip will soon get very tiresome for toddlers and then you see them displaying the characters that truly make them kids. But you can always keep them busy with a camera with which to snap away, or with an electronic device that is loaded with games and apps. Do not bother to pack children toys into your luggage because your toddlers with surely lose them all, but an electronic device loaded with apps and games is all you need to keep your wards busy and distracted all day-long.

d. Use a child-locator: You know what that is, don’t you? It’s like electronically tagging your child with a little alarm device that you could trigger off if you happen to get separated from your toddler in a busy train station, airport, or some mall. The child locator is tabbed into the child’s belt or even shoe but you hold the transmitter which you could easily set off the moment the notice your child is missing or left behind at some distracting window shop.

e. Pack their medications:  Children easily break down after long trips in the plane or in buses and trains, and this takes a heavy toll on their health and personal reserves. But by packing their medications, you can easily counter the effects of fatigues and fevers by administering their medications. Do not also forget to pack their plasters, sting treatments, antiseptic wipes, and even thermometer among others.