01/17/2020
It's winter, but we're all dreaming about summer vacation. To help ease the stress of traveling, here are some helpful tips for traveling with kids. These were shared with us by Daniel over at www.dadsolo.com. His kids are past the BabyBackups stage, but he sure could have used them when they were younger!
7 Essentials That Can Keep Your Next Family Trip Worry-Free
Family vacations should be filled with adventure and memorable moments. So, if you are worried about whether stress will keep you from enjoying a vacation with your kids, you have to find ways to keep that stress minimal. That may sound like a challenge, but with a few travel essentials, like the ones below, you can prevent travel stress from ruining your family vacation.
Wireless Internet
Having the internet is a must for long road trips, especially when your kids are along for the ride. If your car has the capability, consider connecting it to wireless internet before you set off on your big family adventure. With your very own hotspot in the car, your entire family will be able to stream movies, television, games, and music without annoying interruptions.
Tablets or Smartphones
Don’t have a tablet or smartphone for your children? Well, you may want to consider getting one, especially since you may be using your own phones for navigation and other travel needs. Thankfully, you can find age-appropriate tablets that will fit any budget and kid-friendly phones. That way, you won’t have to give up your phone or worry about your kids damaging it in the car.
Handy Travel Apps
Speaking of smartphones, if you plan on traveling with a baby, you may want to consider downloading white noise apps to keep your little one calm and sleepy. Some apps even start playing when they detect crying so you won’t have to stress if your baby gets upset. While you are downloading helpful apps, be sure to check out some useful travel apps for your phone.
Portable Chargers
Having a tablet or phone can keep tools and entertainment at your fingertips when you are traveling with your family. However, you need to keep those devices charged in order to take advantage of these useful features. Keeping a couple of car chargers on hand can help out but if you plan on bringing multiple devices along, you may also want to buy a portable charger. That way you won’t need to worry about finding extra outlets for extra devices in your car.
Healthy Snacks
Car-friendly entertainment is a must for parents who want to keep their travels free of added stress, but snacks can be important too. Because a hungry child can be a fussy child, you should keep travel snacks in your car and don’t worry about buying separate options for older kids, since they’ll love these snacks as well. If you plan on flying, you can also bring snacks, but just make sure that any foods packed in your carry-on bag meet TSA rules and regulations.
A Family First-Aid Kit
Cuts, bruises, and bug bites can also make little ones cranky. They can also be tough to deal with if you don’t have the right first aid supplies. As you prep your travel shopping list, be sure to include some first-aid essentials to keep in your car or luggage. Bandages, Band-Aids, and ointment are a must, but also include some basic medications for both children and adults. Pain relievers, antihistamines, and antacids are all safe bets for your travel first aid kit.
Travel Safety Tips
Last but certainly not least, if you don’t want your fun family vacation to turn into a super stressful disaster, you need to keep some travel safety tips in mind. Teach your children to be mindful of their surroundings and keep tabs on your kids at all times. This is especially important for smaller children, who can easily wander off and end up in dangerous situations. It’s also especially important if you plan on spending any time outside or around animals. Also, be sure to go over your travel safety rules with kids so that they are prepared for emergencies.
Traveling with children, especially smaller children or a large family, is always going to be a little stressful. As a parent, you can’t help but worry about your children’s health, safety, and happiness. However, you can help yourself from stressing out over little things on your family vacation by making sure you have the essentials above packed and ready.
