Traveling with Trauma

03/11/2026

Location! LOCATION! Location! – Part 1
Where Should We Go?

Trying to answer this question can feel overwhelming—especially when traveling with children who may have experienced trauma and can be triggered by unfamiliar places, new people, or changes in routine.

Being mindful of your child’s needs while planning can make a big difference in creating a trip that is enjoyable for everyone.

Here are a few things to consider:

Amusement Parks

• Big crowds? If crowds tend to be overwhelming for your child, planning amusement park visits every day of the trip may not be the best option. Consider mixing in slower-paced activities that help children regulate and avoid overstimulation. (Tip: Half way through the day is it possible to return to the hotel for pool time/nap?)

• Have a plan. Establish ahead of time which adult can step away with a child if they need a break from the noise, crowds, or stimulation. (Tip: When visiting my husbands family, it's me that steps away with the child. When visiting my family, my husband is the one that steps away. Traveling solo? Mindful planning for small breaks or opportunities to redirect location can be a big time saver in the bigger scheme of things. Can you create a way to peek curiosity? We often watched for museums, parks...)

• Participation isn’t required. Remember, it’s okay if everyone doesn’t participate in every activity. Sometimes taking a break can make the experience better for everyone. (Tip: Have discussions ahead of time with the adults traveling with you. Is there some event or place you are visiting that is more important to one of you than the other? By having those discussions ahead of time it may alleviate resentment that comes from disappointment that any of us would feel when that "one thing" we are looking forward to the most gets side railed by a meltdown.)

Personal Tip:
When possible, we traveled with additional adults. Throughout the day we would split up from time to time, allowing the kids to spend more one-on-one time with an adult and take breaks when needed. Some of my favorite memories where made when we "split" and the one or two kids with me got to be "in charge" of making the decisions on rides, games, or even a special dessert. When traveling with older kids that could be "mostly trusted" we would establish a boundary and then let them go with their buddy within a time/place giving them some autonomy and giving us all a break of having to move as a larger group.

What are some of your Location Decision making tips?

03/11/2026

Spring break is around the corner! The next few weeks we will be sharing travel tips for traveling with foster and adopted children of all ages that may face challenges!

01/01/2026

04/01/2025

When traveling with children that have high anxiety about where they will be spending the night...a little familiarity can't hurt! We frequently stayed at similar hotel chains intentionally so that the decor and layout would be the familiar. (i.e.-Drury Inn's and Springhill Suites were our go to and even we as parents liked that we could count on things being the same.

04/01/2025

Communicate plans often and in a way they can understand. We frequently showed videos of where we were going so that they would better understand what to expect. (ie-You are going to Florida so you might show them pictures of a beach you may visit, or pictures of the person/family member that you are going to see.) If it was a repeat trip we would show them pictures of when we went last time and ask for input on the upcoming trip.

04/01/2025

Travel Tip:
When planning a trip it's easy to get overwhelmed. Make a list of the most important things to see and do and assign each person who cares about it the most. Take challenges into account and think of strategies so that the person(s) that wanted to do that activity will get to do so.

11/12/2024

Yes!!!! We did this with all the kids!

07/15/2024

I was very much reminded this week how calming it can be when traveling with our trauma kids that we go to repeat places. We love going to Texas and we spent at least half the day in Waco doing things we’ve already done (several times) then sprinkling it with new things. We didn’t stay as long at the repeat places but you could see the effects of the familiarity and it helped when trying new things so the entire day was the “unknown”.

07/11/2024

Planning a trip requires careful preparation, especially when it comes to managing anxiety related to trauma. To ensure a successful trip, I use Facebook group such as 'Traveling to Hawaii with Kids' to obtain relevant information and advice from experienced parents.

07/11/2024

Forget the overthinking and just stick to the basics when traveling with traumatized kids; too many items can disrupt their routine. We’ve learned this lesson the hard way.

07/11/2024

During travels, our kids can become discombobulated, feeling a lack of control. To counter this, we can empower them by giving them responsibilities. For example, each child can have their own designated suitcase and you can invite them to participate in packing as a way to connect. This not only makes them feel more in control but also allows for a teaching moment on the significance of planning. (We often pick up our kids suitcases during Black Friday sales as they almost always have inexpensive suitcases. Much to our surprise the cheaper suitcase has lasted for years and one of them is being packed tonight! lol)

07/11/2024

We travel…a lot…and have found that finding a “home base” on a trip can be regulating for our kids as we return to familiarity after a day of stimulation. While it may mean more driving, this tip has served us well. I’ll put a few examples in the comments!