Are you planning on travelling with your child? You could be travelling for family adventures, to experience new parts of the world together or to simply drive into a city. In addition, being outside your home gives parents and kids a sense of fresh air and excitement.
It’s no wonder you can always see family sightseeing!
No matter how much you love travelling, there’s no denying that it can be a bit of a hassle – especially when you have to bring the children along for the ride.
While it’s great to be able to show your little one the world, it’s important to be prepared for anything that might come up.
Here are a few things you should avoid when travelling with a child.
Not Using a Booster Seat
How old is your child? If they’re between four and eight years old, you might need a child booster car seat for them. A car seat ensures that your child is comfortable, but more importantly, safe throughout the trip. With this, you can guarantee they’ll less likely fuss around in discomfort.
A booster seat can make your life easier when the kids want to eat or play.
When purchasing a car seat for your child, ensure that it’s appropriate for their age, height, and build.
Trying To Do Everything All at Once
Parents worldwide have a “conquer the world” mindset regarding parenting and preparing for a trip with kids and going on the trip itself.
Just like most battles in life, you have to choose your battles in life. Avoid procrastinating on the tasks you have to do until the very last minute.
When planning the trip, ensure that you only visit a good amount of places that will ensure you won’t get a moody child when you get back to the hotel.
You have to fit nap time into your schedule, and your kid(s) may have too little energy if you visit numerous places, especially if they’re not interesting enough for a child.
Pick a few entertaining places that your children won’t forget. Take the time to relate it to their interests. You can even involve them in the research and decision-making process. It would surely make them excited and behave well on the trip!
Not Bringing a Stroller
You may argue that your toddler walks everywhere at home. Well, that’s true for numerous kids. However, the steps they take at home and the ones they will take on this trip are two different things. In addition, when travelling to huge areas like Disney or even Europe, your child will be bound to get tired and weary from all the sightseeing your family will do.
As a parent, you’re bound to carry them when they’re too tired to walk on their own. However, this can be difficult. While we love our children to bits, carrying them for long periods of time, especially during a trip, can be difficult.
Hence, if the family trip you’re going to take requires a modest amount of walking, you may want to include a stroller in your packing list. When purchasing a stroller, ensure it’s durable enough to withstand numerous miles of walking and traffic.
Trusting Aeroplane Food
If you’ve travelled before, you probably know how inconsistent aeroplane food is. Aeroplane food can be tasty, but most of it isn’t that palatable. If you have a picky eater child, this is a mistake you would want to avoid entirely.
Naturally, we don’t want our children to go for hours on air without food in their stomachs. So, ensure that you cater to your child’s taste buds and pack food for them to eat on the plane. Doing this ensures that they will be comfortable and satisfied with the food they’re going to eat.
Not Using Family-friendly Deals
We’re now in the era of online booking, which makes booking and cancelling your reservations easier.
But it can be harder to find deals on the Internet that you can use during your booking dates. It’s because you would have to meet the terms and conditions to avail of the coupons.
You can get the best of the best all-around deal for your family by calling the hotel or resort. Doing this allows you to discuss your needs and wants during your stay. You will find numerous family-friendly packages that include freebies for children under 12 years old.
There are also several ski resorts where kids can ski free if you book during a specific month or week or if you stay in their lodging.
The most common deals are free meals for kids (on certain days). Sometimes these deals are relatively obvious during booking time. However, you can uncover several incredible deals by speaking with the hotel or resort. Thus, call them up to take advantage of the family-friendly deals your whole family can enjoy!
Final Thoughts
Following these tips will help ensure that your trip is as enjoyable as possible for both you and your child. By keeping these things in mind, you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls of travelling with a young one.
