Traveling with children? Here is what you need to know

Before becoming a parent, one of the first tips that we give you is: "Make sure to ALL travel before procreating!" The feeling seems to be that once you became a parent, you Should take your pbadport, but it is not true! Traveling with children helps to expose them to new things and allows them to gain a learning experience in an entertaining change of scenery.

The fact is that it is not always easy. What can you do to make traveling with children easier? Here are some things to keep in mind.

Packaging

Little children often need a lot of clothes (think of diaper explosions and splashes of food, etc.), but the tradeoff is that their clothes are, well, little. If you're trying to reduce your luggage, save space by packing your kids' clothes by rolling them instead of folding them. You will be surprised how much you can sneak into the corner of a suitcase.

Should older children be responsible? Give them their own suitcases and teach them the duty to take care of their belongings at home and on the road.

In the plane

Planning a trip requires in particular additional planning when you have children in tow. Remember to schedule flights at bedtime so that tired children can nap while they are flying. Also review your airline's hand luggage policies, especially if you plan to bring strollers, diaper bags and car seats. In babies, feeding them during take-off and landing can help them avoid ear pressure pain, and older children may be able to protect it by chewing gum or putting on earphones. .

Worried little moans during the flight? You can follow the trend of making pretty gift bags for people sitting around you to apologize in advance, but you can also try to bring toys (comforting and distracting), pacifiers and almost everything that works so that your children stay calm (even if you do not give them to them). Being on a plane is a source of frustration for many adults. So we should be equally aware of how children feel, especially those who can not express themselves or who fully understand what is happening.

For the safety

Small vagrants may be distracted by the hustle and bustle of the airport or the streets of the new city you are exploring. Child safety leashes are always available, as are GPS followers that you can attach to a child's shoe or bag. You can also buy a locator, which comes with a transmitter that you keep so that, if you lose your child, you can trigger the alarm and follow the sound. You can also use a simpler technology and write your cell number on your child's arm. If they go astray, a Good Samaritan will know how to contact you.

Entertainment

Involve children in the planning and execution of the trip – if they have an idea of ​​what they would like to do or see, keep this in mind so that they feel that their trip is theirs also. Encourage older children to keep a logbook to document their trip – these memories are invaluable. With the younger ones, remember that they will not have the same attention and energy as the older ones and plan accordingly (with lots of breaks and snacks) so that your day does not dissolve into a crisis of anger.

Think about games that your whole family can play if you're late and try to pbad the time, and keep a stuffed animal or a favorite game in a bag for easy access. Last but not least, take lots of pictures and videos – and give the camera phone to your children so that they can also capture their own point of view. You may want to remember all the fun you had together, so do not be afraid to smile and say "Cheese!

Do you travel with your children? If you have any other helpful tips for making family travel easier, share them in the comments!