Travel With Children: An Unlikely Adventure

Oh joy, it's school holiday time again! Thinking of traveling with the kids?

When I think of traveling with children, I remember a time in 1992 when I drove from Melbourne to Sydney with my then 8 year old son, Justin. My trusted crimson Datsun 200b overheated and broke down a grand total of 4 times, turning what should have been a 10-hour drive into a 20-hour epic journey. To add insult to injury, it was New Years Eve. Getting a grip before I went into total meltdown, I knew that “losing it” was not an option with an 8-year-old in tow. So I turned our travel nightmare into an adventure. We eventually made it safely to Sydney, and years later, Justin still recalls that trip fondly and vividly, along with the farmer and his cattle dog in the blue truck that came to our rescue. What could have been a disastrous travel experience for my son and I turned into an opportunity to bond and share in some life-transforming memories.

If the thought of traveling with children is making you break out in hives, I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that traumatic.Travel with children is not only doable, it provides you with a unique opportunity to see the world with fresh eyes and create some wonderful moments for you as a family. Here are a few tips that will help you navigate the journey:

1) Stay fluid and maintain a sense of humour: If my most important travel tip is to expect the unexpected, all the more reason to go with the flow when traveling with kids.  If you treat your trip like an Indiana Jones adventure, you’ll have a better chance of laughing off any annoyances, mishaps, or obstacles that pop up along the way, and overcoming it with grace. Your kids will love you for it, they’ll keep those memories in their hearts for many years to come, and you’ll have taught them some valuable life skills in the process. Remember that if you’re stressed, they’ll be stressed. If you remain calm, so will they.

2) Be Prepared: If you’re a parent, then you hardly need me to remind you that kids need to be fed, cleaned, medicated when sick, and needing to use the toilet on a regular basis. When you combine that with flights being delayed, your transport breaking down, and you and your family getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, you’ve got a potentially stressful situation on your hands. Preempt the problem by always packing a first aid kit, paracetamol, cough syrup, baby wipes, tissues, change of clothes and disposable nappies, lots of water, and a good supply of healthy snacks.

3) Work Around Routine: Children not only love but need routine. When possible, schedule long car rides and flights around the times when your children need to nap or sleep. Not only will your child reach your destination rested and happy, you’ll be buying yourself a few hours of peace in the process.

4) Research Your Destination: Do your research way ahead of time. Make sure that you line up your transport and a variety of child-friendly activities before you reach your destination. This will save you valuable time, guesswork, and stress.

5) Pre-Plan Your Flight: Check out the layout of the flight with SeatGuru.com and try to pick good seats, mapping out aisles and windows, and thinking about how you’d like your family seated. Find out if there are any special kids meals on the flight. If not, then buy some snacks and sandwiches beforehand to bring with you on board. Remember that a hungry child is an irritable child. And rather than boarding earlier, try to board later, so that your child can expend their energy in a larger, rather than more confined, space.

6) Favourite Things: Never underestimate the value of a favourite blanket, toy or game in keeping your child calm on those long drives or flights. Things like colouring books or story books that you can read together are a great idea. You may want to go shopping before your trip and buy a couple of small new toys that you can keep hidden from your children until you are on the flight. You can pull them out just as the kids are getting frustrated, bored, or disruptive.

Victoria Ugarte is the Founder and Director of Postcards From Millie, a womens travel website. Based in Sydney, Australia, she draws inspiration from the courage of mind and spirit of her muse, Amelia “Millie” Earhart. Victoria spends 3 months out of every year traveling the world and writing about her adventure vacations on her website, keeping her readers posted on exciting destinations, itineraries, travel tips and resources, and challenging women to go beyond their current boundaries so that they may come home to themselves. Join Victoria and Postcards From Millie’s women travel community on  http://www.postcardsfrommillie.com/