Traveling can be fun and hectic at the same time, especially if children are going along. Many a time, parents are so worried about what should or should not be packed. In confusion, parents end up packing everything that the child insists upon carrying, including the soft toys placed on their beds. So what are the do’s and don’ts. What should be the checklist? In order to make the trip safe and fun for children and parents, we bring to you some useful tips for parents while traveling with their kids.

Do not over-pack:

Usually when families head out for a vacation with the kids, parents tend to over pack their bags with lots of goodies, snacks, games, toys and almost everything that a child uses at home. This is a bad idea! Parents end up unnecessarily exerting themselves with the heavy baggages. Carry only the essential belongings of children which are required for the journey. 

Speak to the kids about the trip: 

Discuss about the trip and places to visit with children, this helps children mentally prepared for the travel. Children should be well-advised and prepared ahead of time as to what they are going to see and witness. For instance, if you are taking the kids to beach, tell them about maintaining certain precautionary measures and not to swim too far away.

Healthy homemade snacks: 

Time between the meals can get prolonged due to unexpected hassles such as traffic snarls or a tour that takes a bit longer than planned. In such circumstances it is very difficult to make children understand or to ask them to be patient. So it is best to carry some healthy homemade snacks that children can munch when they are hungry.

Watch your child:

First thing on the checklist of a parent is the safety of the kids. Dont allow the children to venture out alone or let them swim on beach without supervision. Avoid letting them eat unhealthy food while traveling because they can easily fall sick. Most importantly do not allow children to have conversations with strangers.

Give the kids your contact information:

Children must have the contact information of the parents. This will help them to connect with parents in case they lose their way or are lost in a crowd. Its advisable to have children learn or carry the hotel’s number, and some other emergency numbers for immediate help incase of a mishap.

Travel with the medicines/medical kit: 

Some children while traveling suffer from vomiting sensation and dizziness and may fall sick during travel. It is wise to keep medicines for children and adults. Don’t forget to carry band aids, anti-itching lotions, bandages, bug sprays, sanitizers, and a thermometer.

Give kids a camera:

As millennials, children like to carry some gadgets with them. It is a good idea to give them a camera so they can click photographs of the new places they are visiting. Having a camera and trying to get the best photos will help the children focus more on the beauty of the landscape, along with capturing the essence of the place.

Get your travel immunisations: 

Ensure children are immunised in advance as some immunisations have to be given before some days of arrival to the desired destination. We recommend to get children vaccinated against typhoid, yellow fever, Japanese B encephalitis, meningitis and rabies.

Check your child’s room: 

Take precautionary measures with respect to the height of balconies and windows and keep them locked. Check for exposed electrical cords around protruding bits of metal or sharp objects. Also check for clean bed sheets, towels. Many a time’s children get rashes if the bed sheets and towels are not clean enough. Do not feel shy in complaining to the hotel staff if they keep any unclean stuff. 

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Let the children carry their own bags: 

Encourage children to carry their bags and water bottles, this will make responsible for their own belongings. Ask them to check their stuff while packing and unpacking their bags.

Bon Voyage!

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