10 Things You Need To Know When Traveling With Kids

So we’ve all been in this situation: you’re in the airplane, or on the train or whatever mode of transportation you favor, and there’s a screaming little machine in the form of a baby or child next to you. It might be yours, or might be another passenger’s. It doesn’t matter whose child it is, we all have the same reaction – an urge to want to spank said kid, and I don’t think I’m alone on this one.

Travelling with kids is usually a challenging experience. Here are 10 tips to make it an enjoyable one:

1. Plan ahead: If possible, book accommodation and transportation at your destination in advance. Even if it’s just for the first few days until you settle down, planning ahead would save you frayed temperaments and meltdowns. Trust me, you do not want to be stuck outside in deplorable weather looking for a taxi with kids in tow.

2. Prepare them: Let the kids know what to expect at every point in time. Guide them through the security process. Simply telling them things like, “You’ll have to take off your shoes when we get to the blinking gate”, will go a long way. Guide them through what will be required of them before leaving the house. Remind them to be security conscious by letting them know to not talk to strangers or to stay close.

3. Take your time: Factor in toilet stops, falling, faffing, missing shoe laces, etc into your time frame. Ensure that you arrive at the take-off point with time to spare.

4. Pack a first aid kit: Kids always seem to get ill on holidays, so prevent this by packing essentials like antiseptic wipes, plasters, antihistamines like Piriton and hydrocortisone cream for itches and skin allergies.

5. Entertainment: During the trip, kids need to be engaged to prevent boredom and avoidable tantrums. Pack healthy snacks that would not make a mess. Yes, you could carry their toy box around, but you don’t want to be that person: the noisy toy person. Take a book, scribbler/crayons, load your smart phone with kid-friendly apps, and you’re ready to hit the road, air, or water.

6. Clothing: It is important to wear comfortable clothes that can be easily taken off during those numerous toilet stops. You need to keep the climate of your destination in mind, and pack travel wear accordingly. If you’re travelling by air, make sure you and the kids are wearing shoes that are easy to slip off at security.

7.* Preserve memories*: If you can, buy disposable cameras for the kids. Encourage them to take pictures of what they see, eat, etc. You might be pleasantly surprised to find gems among the pictures taken from their knee-high view.

1. Bugs-be-gone: Anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer are handbag essentials. A wipe of the cutlery in restaurants where you’re unsure of hygiene, or a squirt of hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands, can zap a few germs and prevent the kids from catching some common bugs.

2. Luggage: You may find yourself alone with the kids and mountains of bags, so be realistic about the amount of luggage you can manage while watching and maneuvering kids. If possible, send suitcases and bulky items ahead of you to minimize what you’ll need to carry during your trip.

3. Confirm baggage allowance: If you’re going by air, confirm how much baggage you can carry with the airline before you start packing, and if it’s a road trip think about how much space it will take in the boot of your car or how much you’ll be charged to carry excess load by bus. You don’t want to end up haggling with those bus park guys with kids running around.