Kidzies : Tips for Traveling with Kids

Since my family seems to always be “on the road,” Amanda suggested my first guest blog be about traveling with small children and I agree. We are constantly traveling. With my husband working swing shift and getting week-long furloughs each month, we are able to take impromptu trips that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do with the standard Monday through Friday job. Our travels include going to visit my husband’s family that lives about 2.5 hours away from us. Our kids LOVE spending time with their grandparents, so we make this trip quite often. Brody has a few health problems that require us to see specialists at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital about once a month. This is a two hour drive for us, as well. Also, we recently returned home from our annual family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. We had a fantastic time!

I wish I had a plethora of proven facts on traveling with young children, but I don’t. I wish I could chalk our smooth trips up to my super-mad parenting skills, but I can’t. First things first, though, I have to give credit where credit is due… My kids are awesome and very laid back which makes traveling with them a breeze.

I remember the first trip we ever made after our daughter was born… she screamed the entire car ride. By the time we arrived at our destination, we were all miserable. I convinced myself that it was because she was a colicky baby and would eventually grow out of it. After about a year of miserable car rides, it hit me like a ton of bricks… It wasn’t her, it was me! If I changed my expectations and became more flexible, we would have better experiences. And… we did!

Here are a few things that I always try to keep in mind when traveling… I hope these help!

1. Don’t rush! Always allow extra time for trips. If they need to stop every hour to stretch their legs, let them. Being rushed is stressful and confusing for toddlers and preschoolers.

2. Put their comfort before your own. By this I mean, if they want to sing “The Wheels on the Bus” over and over and over until your throat hurts… Do it. Before you know it, they will be teenagers in the backseat listening to headphones and ignoring you. Embrace the time you have to entertain them, because in the near future, you will be replaced by Justin Beiber and your best impression of the Fresh Beat Band will be less than fresh.

3. Pack healthy snacks.
Of course we have candy, but I limit the quantity. You don’t want your child riding the sugar rush/sugar crash roller coaster the whole trip. Instead, pack healthy snacks aimed at sustaining healthy blood sugar levels. My go-to snacks are fruit cups, peanut butter crackers, pretzels, granola bars, string cheese, cheerios, and juice boxes. For sweet treats, I usually pack dark chocolate squares and suckers. This allows us to get our sugar fix without over doing it.

4. Encourage them to participate. Kids want to be included and will sometimes act out when they feel excluded. Allow them to take an active role in your trip. Stop at a welcome center and let them pick out a few brochures. Once you are back on the road, let them pretend to read you directions from their “map.” We do this a lot and our kids love it!

5. Keep them entertained. My kids each have portable dvd players, which have been fabulous “babysitters.” I also pack plenty of books, toys, and age appropriate games for them. Don’t forget about the classics like “I Spy.”

6. Set a good example. If they see you smiling, laughing, and having a good time, they will follow suit. If you seem rushed and stressed, they will react negatively, as well.