Travel Hacks For Vacationing With Kids
Don’t let your family vacation stress you out. Instead, use these tips to maximize fun and relaxation.
Whether your vacation plans are going abroad or staying close to home, traveling with kids can certainly come with challenges. Here are a few tips to help you maximize your time together and have the most fun.
Travel Tips
Prepare In Advance
It’s best to prepare whether you’re going on a long journey or a day trip. Pack plenty of snacks, sunscreen, rain gear, spare clothes, and coloring books or games to entertain the kids during downtime. Also, pack the night before and lay out clothes so the start of your adventure is calm and enjoyable.
Plan
Make sure you know exactly where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and what facilities – like restrooms – are available. It’s moments when you’re running late, not sure of directions, or don’t know where to go for what you need that can cause you to stress – which children pick up on causing them to also be grouchy or misbehave themselves. Writing down things like the nearest restroom, cafes, stores, and places of interest in each area you’ll be visiting can help in case you can’t get a phone signal or cellular data.
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Don’t Try To Do Too Much
Remember to stop and breathe, take in your surroundings, and enjoy the moment! Kids and adults alike need time to rest and recharge, and vacation time is perfect for that, provided you’re not constantly rushing from one thing to the next. Take time to chat, take photos, tell silly jokes, and enjoy a sweet treat together while you’re adventuring. Sticking to a regular bedtime – and nap time, if your children are young enough to need them – routine even on vacation can help things run smoother and provide everybody with the necessary downtime.
Make Sure It’s Fun!
This might sound obvious, but make sure the activities you’re planning are ones that the family actually wants to do. For example, you might think you should explore a specific museum but if none of you would enjoy it, it’s not worth doing. It’s okay if only some family members want to do a particular activity, just make sure there’s something on the agenda that you can all do together. To make sure everybody gets to do at least one thing they’re excited about, have a family meeting to discuss and create a schedule.
Go With The Flow
Be prepared to make your schedule flexible. Things like the weather, everybody’s mood, and energy and interest levels affect what you plan to do, so try and relax about changing your schedule when it serves the family well. For example, suppose everybody is having a wonderful time making sandcastles and relaxing on the beach, but you’d intended to leave to go and explore a new area that afternoon. In that case, it’s okay to cancel that and continue to enjoy the experience. Some of the best vacation moments differ from your original plans.
Summary
No matter how you plan on spending your vacation time, being relaxed and focusing on fun, as well as making sure you’re well prepared, are the best hacks to making sure everybody has the best time!
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