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Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 11/19/2007 05:54 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 01/03/2008 09:13 AM
Expires: 01/01/2012 12:00 AM
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Tips On Traveling With Children~By Karen Wildwood
Coming up to what is generally considered the busiest travel time of the year, many of us are already gearing up for travel on that infamous day otherwise known as the day before Thanksgiving. This year it’s reported that more than 27 million people are going to be traveling around the holiday, and, the president himself has pledged to try and keep the flights on time with special military help. But even if the airlines themselves keep everything on track, traveling with family can be a dicey business any time of the year, but during the holidays it can take on the feel of a maze needing precise navigation to get through from point A to point B in one piece....
Now, I have traveled a lot next to the average bear and in doing so, I have traveled very often by myself with my son. I am a firm believer in starting to travel with your children at a young age so they can get the hang of it. There’s also the fact that if you travel with them before they can walk, they stay where you put them and can’t get into any trouble. Anyone who’s chased an errant toddler through a crowded airport, all the while trying not to knock anybody down along the way and still trying to make it onboard your flight on time, knows what I’m talking about.
To say that I’ve had my fair share of travel experiences with my son is an understatement. I am a firm believer in the idea that if you are traveling with your family and driving will only take you anywhere up to 4 to 5 hours extra time, then by all means drive. It’s an easier way to travel with a family because there’s not as much to stress you out while you’re on your way, you can pack whatever your car can hold and it’s just plain easier on the little ones.
If you are forced to travel by air, I have found that there are a few tried and true methods to making your trip in the friendly skies a little less stressful. Not to mention making your fellow travelers trips a little easier too.
The first is to accept that traveling with children is going to be a bumpy ride. This is especially true when the airports are crowded. By accepting this up front, those little things that can, and will, happen won’t bother you so much. For example, at those times when you turn around and find that your child has somehow managed to spill milk all over himself when you took your eyes off him for a nanosecond to get the boarding passes out of your bag because you’re supposed to get on the plane 5 minutes ago, won’t seem to bad when you’re sort of expecting something like that to happen anyway.
This leads to the expect messes part of traveling and don’t get upset when the inevitable happens, just take care of it. Always carry some sort of clean up materials for the those messes that will take place whether those take the form of Kleenex, baby wipes or Wet Wipes. This applies whatever your child’s age, and let’s face it your own age too, because you never know when you may need to clean up after something that they, or you. And try not to get your knickers in a bunch when it happens, just clean it up and move on, accidents happen.
Remember to talk to your children and let them know what’s going on and what’s expected of them. Tell them what’s going to happen at the security checkpoints. Simple things like telling them that they need to take off their shoes and put them in a bin along with whatever else they’re carrying can make things go pretty smoothly. This way there are no surprises for them, they know what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it.
Always make sure your child has something to do on an airplane. Just like you like to take a good book or something to keep you occupied, make sure your child has something to keep them occupied too. And don’t rely on the onboard entertainment systems to do your job for you. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve gotten on a plane and been told that the seatback entertainment systems just happen to not work in the particular row that my son and I happened to be seated in.
Also, get your child involved with what he or she wants to take on board, within reason of course. Let’s face it, you don’t want some sort of remote control vehicle or the Imperial Deathstar to accompany you on your journey, but small toys that they like will help them feel secure and keep them occupied at the same time. And, if they’re helping to decide what they want to take with them, they’re more likely to use those things they take.
I have also learned that bribery in small measures helps to keep your child in good spirits on a long flight. This is to keep you, your child and those around you happy. Not only do you not want to deal with your child’s bad behavior, you certainly don’t want those around you to have to suffer through it either. We can all remember what it was like to be single and see those haggard looking parents getting on the plane and praying they weren’t sitting near us because we didn’t want some ill behaved child to make our flight a nightmare. Always remember what it felt like to have a toddler jumping on the seat in front of you, while you tried to make sure your drink didn’t spill because of the small tray table earthquake their activity was causing.
Normally I’m not a real advocate of bribery, it reminds me too much of corrupt politicians, but be that as it may, if you bring treats in multiple forms with you onboard to reward your child for good behavior you’ll make the flight smooth for everyone. Think snack size packages of Skittles or Hershey bars, small puzzle books or games you can play together. Long gone are the days when children got a really cool kids pack when they got onto an airplane, now they’re lucky if they get a drink and a bag of chips. Come to think of it, we’re all lucky if we get a drink and a bag of chips. But, be that as it may, you need to keep your child happy and occupied so the flight itself will go smoothly. To do this make sure they know that you have treats and surprises along the way, but dole them out sparingly so they last the entire journey. This way your child knows they need to behave to get the surprises and makes the trip interesting for them by giving them something to look forward too.
The main thing when traveling with your children is to make it fun. It’s very easy to become stressed out, especially when you’re going through security checkpoints, waiting for connecting flights and trying to find decent airport food that’s not going to cost you a small fortune. But, when you look back on it, it’s how you handle those in between times that make your trip a good one and allow you to focus on the enjoyment of the journey, not just the destination.
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