I remember the time when it was was just with me and my husband, and we used to at take a time out and go on vacations at any given time. We used to choose the best deals and didn’t care about the small details like the pool, if people smoked around, or if the bar was noisy; we just enjoyed our vacations. Now with kids everything has changed, and we take into consideration a lot of factors like cleanness, that the hotel is kids friendly, and that the restaurant’s menu is healthy.
Traveling with our kids has made my husband and I more concerned about the places we go to, and nowadays when we plan our vacation our top priority is our kids. It is for that reason that we prefer places that are kids friendly as this makes our vacations are more fun and relaxed; for us the important thing when choosing the right place is that it makes it easy to have some fun and create memories for our children.
It can be a very good idea to provide everybody with their own suitcase or backpack. It may sound complicated, but it has many advantages: it helps mom keep all travel stuff organized, it is easier to do a checklist to make sure nothing is forgotten, teaches the children some responsibility , and even the little ones will have fun pulling a little suitcase at the airport.
Keep a list of what you are going to use during your travel. Count the number of days you are going to be off, and pack a set of clothes for every day. Always bring with you a swimsuit and a sweater: the weather can change suddenly from hot to cold or vice versa.
Put the shoes in plastic bags; it not only keeps everybody’s clothes clean, but also the bags on the way back can be can used as laundry bags.
If your children happen to be young than 10, bring with you to the trip his/hers favorite toy; this will keep your little ones entertained.
I know that nobody wants to get sick when traveling, but it is important to bring a first aid kit that include a first-aid manual. Please make sure to include:
- A sterile gauze and pads of different sizes
- An adhesive tape
- Adhesive bandages in several sizes
- Antiseptic wipes
- Antibiotic ointment
- Hydrocortisone cream (1%)
- Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen
- Refills for prescription medications (if the family is going on vacation)
- Sharp scissors
- Safety pins
- Disposable instant cold packs
- Calamine lotion
- Alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Loratadine
Charge all phones, cameras, iPads, and laptops before getting to an airport. Keep all chargers in a special bag, and don’t forget to download movies and podcasts to distract the kids during the long journey. Keep in mind that headphones are useful while on a plane
Add new, creative, and inexpensive toys or games to your child’s personal carry-on so that while traveling he or she can discover them. Some ideas include bringing stickers, cards, coloring book, and crayons.