Everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty of a comforting vacation, traveling around the world to satiate their curiosity, learn new cultures, and of course, experience good, old-fashion fun. However, like many things in life, having children can change your day-to-day planning and needs as it comes to traveling.
For starters, you may need to dial things back a little. Extreme sports, intensive temperatures, and active adventures are hard to engage with when you have a little one who relies on you for everything.
Luckily, a family vacation can be a beautiful experience too, even if it may be a little dialed back. Moreover, planning and making sure you have the right tools with you are important. You most likely know the basics, for example, bringing a travel cot that offers the same comfort as your 4-in-1 crib at home can be a good way to nurture the healthy sleep of your child, and making sure certain planned visitation locations are pushchair accessible is a good stepping stone.
From there, you might consider some of the following advice, going forward:
Disclaimer: Links in this page are meant to help you find relevant information and book attractions easier by linking directly to specific pages on partner websites (i.e. TripAdvisor, Vegas.com). If you click a link, we may earn a small commission on transactions. This helps support the cost of running our website, and it adds absolutely no extra cost to you as the consumer. Thank you, we appreciate your support! You can read more on our disclosure policy.
Make A Plan & Bring Supplies
It’s very important to make sure you have a checklist of everything you need while packing. You can purchase the items you may have missed later, but it’s good to avoid that stress. This might include diapers, wet wipes, talcum powder, feeding bottles, sanitization pods, baby bowls and cutlery, toys, children’s books, and snacks. We have great list of fun road trip toys and games that will keep your little entertained on long trips.
In some cases, travel versions of small, useful tools that help your child feel comfortable can be helpful. For example, travel mobiles that provide a comforting distraction to your child in their play area or travel crib can help them get to sleep. Of course, if you need medical supplies for your child (such as a particular medicine they need), it’s good to have that in a separate travel bag, and to make sure you have the right medical insurance should you need to purchase that abroad.
When it comes to traveling with children, Adobe Express proves to be an invaluable companion. With its QR code generator, parents can easily create codes for important travel information, such as emergency contacts, medical records, and itineraries. Adobe Express simplifies the process, ensuring a smoother and more organized travel experience for new parents.
Get Used To Watching Intently
You’re already an attentive and focused parent. But when you head into a new environment that feels unfamiliar, it’s important to be extra careful. This might mean making sure the car seat in the rented vehicle you’re using is fully secured and attached before you set off, to making sure your child is secured in the pushchair, or watched closely if wandering on the beach.
You can use body harnesses to keep your walking toddler close to you without making them feel uncomfortable. Of course, it’s easy to say “watch your child,” but you’ll be quite surprised at how observant and focused you are when abroad. Once you get more comfortable you’ll be able to relax, but don’t be afraid to be that vigilant to begin with, it’s a natural response.
Remain Selective About Your Accommodation
Many hotels and accommodations will be happy to offer rooms to families with children, but they’re not always suitable for the needs of parents, despite appearances. For example, if there’s a busy nightlife near a particular hotel, or if the hotel is cheap and in walking distance of a big event, you can expect those locations to be quite loud at night. You can alleviate this a little by asking for a room on a higher floor of the building, but this isn’t always going to help.
It’s good to look for reviews of each hotel, especially those that offer insights from parents that have visited. We have an extensive list of family-friendly hotels in various destinations to help make traveling with your kids easier and more fun. For example, it might be that a hotel has nice rooms for families, but the children’s options for food in the restaurant are lacking, and the main event space is open at night, which can be distracting. Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with calling the venue itself and asking if they can accommodate you in certain ways. You might have a child with added needs, for example, and require a family room with disability access and specifically designed bathroom facilities.
Try To Sustain Your Child’s Routine
Routine is very important for children, their growth and development, and as such, it’s important to loosely sustain that when you’re abroad. I am a big proponent of adaptability and family travel will definitely help with developing kids’ adaptability. So don’t be too hard on yourself. You sometimes are at the mercy of the travel and there is nothing you can do, but help your little one be as comfortable as possible.
When routines are disrupted it can lead to temper tantrums, falling asleep when you’re trying to get from point A to point B, and more. For that reason, it’s good to try to plan your events around their bedtimes and need for rest, as well as healthy and nutritional mealtimes, even if that just means bottle feeding throughout the day.
When you can manage your child’s routine effectively, it should reduce the strain of car journeys or flights that can be quite intensive. Moreover, it’ll give you the opportunity to catch up on your own sleep, after all, parenting is hard and you need good rest to do it well.
Pack A Diverse Weather- Wardrobe
We all know that even in relatively sunny environments, the weather can be unpredictable, and the law of averages suggest that whenever you’ve paid for a holiday, the chance of bad weather following you somehow increases.
Packaging a diverse set of weather-appropriate clothes can be important. Even if you’re heading somewhere warmer, don’t be afraid to bring a rain jacket for you and your child, protective layers for your pushchair, good shoes that can help you and your little one walk around (if they’re off toddler age or higher), and also sunglasses, thin shirts that breathe more easily, shorts, caps, and of course all of the other accessories and supplies like sunscreen.
Involve Your Child in The Vacation
Of course, you’ve paid for the vacation, you’ve planned it, and so it’s good to do exactly what you’ve set out to experience. That said, it can also be nice to involve your child in the planning, provided they’re old enough to give small suggestions or answer a “this or that” question about where you should go today.
For example, perhaps in the morning you’re going to explore a local quaint village and go shopping, but after lunch you’re happy to head to the beach, the local playframe, or even go on a small boat trip. It can be fun to discuss thai with your child and showcase the benefits of each option, and ultimately give them a few decisions to help yours. Even if you gently influence them into one decision (don’t worry, you’ll be forgiven), they can feel very grown-up and engaged when they feel as though the holiday includes them, as opposed to feeling dragged from place to place.
Be Prepared for Delays
From delayed flights to hotels that had their check-in time listed differently on the website instead of in-person, sometimes travel can be unpredictable and frustrating. It’s good to have distractions to hands like activities or games they can feel comfortable in, or at least a comfortable reclining pushchair they can sleep in, to get over the hump of these delays. The last thing you want is a screaming and annoyed child (don’t worry if this happens though, you’re not a bad parent for it), while you’re trying to administrate everything else.
That’s A Wrap!
With this advice, you’re sure to enjoy your travels as a new parent. Don’t forget to have fun, and enjoy building those wonderful memories with your loved one!
Disclaimer: Links in this page are meant to help you find relevant information and book attractions easier by linking directly to specific pages on partner websites (i.e. TripAdvisor, Vegas.com). If you click a link, we may earn a small commission on transactions. This helps support the cost of running our website, and it adds absolutely no extra cost to you as the consumer. Thank you, we appreciate your support! You can read more on our disclosure policy.
Like it? Pin it!
