I don't believe you should travel long distances with really young kids (under two). It just isn't fair for them to be strapped into a car/plane for hours on end for a holiday you want. After all they would be just as happy at home spending time with you. However as they get older you begin to itchy feet and the delights of a home grown holiday seem less appealing – well it did for me. So if you are thinking of jetting of an a holiday that will involve lots of travel time then you need t do some serious planning to ensure those little ones are as entertained as much as possible. A bored child is a ticking time bomb and the last thing you want to deal with a major tantrum whilst 30,000 feet in the air.
In am in no way an experienced traveller but what I am good at is entertaining kids and finding ways to distract them to avoid tantrums. If you follow my tips they should help keep your travelling a little calmer.
Each child has an entertainment bag.
We like to pack both our kids an bag for of fund things for them to plough through on their journey. Whether it is a short break or full blown vacation we do the same. The key to success with this is to put only new stuff in the bags, anything they have seen before will quickly get dismissed. If you have more than one child then always ensure that they both have the roughly the same items. If you don't a fight will break out as one tries to 'borrow' the others items.
Ideal items to include:
- Notebook
- Pens
- Colouring books / spot the difference
- Books
- Small toys (sort of things you would put in a party bag)
- Hot wheels
- Princess toy
- Magazine
If your journey is going to be split between a long car journey and long flight, I would suggest making a seprerate bag up for each part.
The Joy of Tech
The recent explosion in things like smartphone s and tablets has made travelling with kids a dream compared to the good ol' days of relying on what t airplane would have on their TV service. So get your smartphone fully charged and loaded with the latest thing that your kids watch. iTunes and the Google Play store will be able to provide with enough content you can download straight to your device. If you have any well loved DVDs get them converted ready for your device before you go. I use software like Toast and Handbrake to this for me, both will provide a file that you can transfer. The only issue with this process is that it can take hours to convert a full length movie, so make sure you don't leave it to the last minute.
If you are able to remove your battery in your device, many android phones can do this, then bring spare batteries. Having a child full entertained and knowing the movie is two hours long brings a great sense of relief. If however that device runs out of battery if will hurt you both.
Bag of spare Clothes
Often forgotten about travel essential this but just think about it for a second, how much mess do you kids make when eating? If they are like mine then giving them smacks will inevitably mean one of them dribbles in some way. So unless you want to travel looking like 'Stig of the dump' then bring a few spares, for you and them.
Little Emergencies bag
Kids are little drama queens and they don't half make a fuss when they have got a minor injury (something like a grazed knee). The beast way to get rid of such drama is to bring out the magic cream and plasters. Preferable plasters with some kind of favourite character on them.
When all else fails
When the kids are getting too much and the complaining is beginning to escalate then your last chance is a little bag full of treats. For one of my kids this will be sweets and lollies, the other chocolate. These has helped me on numerous car journeys and enabled that final leg of the journey when amp reading is required to go that little smoother.
Get to know your neighbours
Don't presume that all your travelling companions will be annoyed by your kids noise. People will surprise you and you will often find that they are far more accommodating that you thinks. Most people have some kind experience with kids they understand what you are going through. So say hello and try and be friendly to your travelling neighbours.
Travel at the best times, not the cheapest
Don't even think about saving cash by getting the flight that leaves at 3am, this will disrupt your child's routine and make your have a terrible journey. The excitement of travel will disrupt your routines but try and keep this to a minimum by at t least having similar wake and sleep times.
Citations:
Written on behalf of Potters holidays
