Traveling With Kids: The Complete Guide For Parents

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Traveling With Kids

One of the greatest joys of childhood is going on a family vacation. From the excitement of having adventures to trying new foods, sleeping in a new bed, and finding the perfect souvenir, traveling as a kid is just plain fun.

Traveling with kids, on the other hand, can be a lot of extra work for parents. And sometimes, it might not seem like all the extra effort is even worth it.

Impatience, meltdowns, hunger, whining, and exhaustion are all part of the deal when you decide to bring the kids on vacation. But fortunately, all hope is not lost.

Traveling with kids can be a really enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

The easiest way to travel with kids is to prepare ahead of time, be intentional with packing, and then just go with the flow. While traveling with kids may not ever go exactly as you planned, you can still create fun family memories without stressing yourself out entirely.

So whether you’re traveling with a baby, traveling with kids, or traveling with teens, you’re sure to have a great time with these helpful tips.

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Tips For Traveling With Baby

Traveling with a baby doesn’t have to mean endless hours of crying and bouncing a fussy baby. These 14 tips will make traveling with your baby a cinch.

1. Pack Extras

Whenever you travel with a baby, it’s always a good idea to pack extras. If you don’t have an extra outfit on hand, you’re guaranteeing that your baby will pick today to blow out their diaper. And if you don’t have an extra pacifier, the one you do have is sure to fall on the most disgusting floor you’ve ever seen in your life. So make sure to pack extra of the items you really need to make it through the day.

2. Diapers & Wipes

One exception to the always pack extra advice is diapers and wipes. While you certainly want to have more than what you think you need on day one, diapers and wipes take up a ton of room and they’re heavy. So when you’re planning to travel for more than just a few days, save yourself some grief and buy diapers and wipes when you get there.

3. Comfort Items

It’s so easy for your baby to get overstimulated in a new environment with so many new faces, lights, and sounds to focus on. So be sure to pack your baby’s comfort items so that he or she feels safe and secure no matter what’s going on. Comfort ideas can include a favorite doll, toy, or other lovey, pacifier, blanket, or thumbie.

4. Favorite Toys

Babies learn through play, and they can get bored too. And a bored baby is a fussy baby. That’s why it’s so important to bring a few toys with you whenever you travel to keep your baby entertained. Otherwise, they may cry to be held just as you’re hitting traffic on the highway or running to catch a flight.

5. Download Videos

Another handy trick to use while traveling with a baby is to download videos to your phone or tablet before you go. Baby-friendly videos like Baby Einstein, Color Crew, or nursery songs will keep your baby entertained and help them relax. While everyone can agree babies and toddlers shouldn’t watch a lot of TV, there’s nothing wrong with a little here and there. So when all else fails and you’ve tried every trick in the book, don’t feel guilty for letting your baby watch a short video to keep them happy.

6. Scout Out Quiet Places

Babies settle down to eat and sleep much better in quiet places. So be sure to spot out available quiet places wherever you go before your baby is in full meltdown mode. And if you’re a nursing mom, quiet places can also give you the privacy you need to feed and burp your baby without an audience.

7. Formula & Baby Food

You certainly don’t have to be a nursing mom to enjoy the comfort of a good quiet place. Whether you plan to feed your baby a bottle of formula, baby food, or finger foods, a quiet place is just what you need to help your baby focus on mealtime and not be distracted by everything around them.

8. Stick to the Schedule

Babies crave routine, and there’s nothing quite like a vacation to throw your entire schedule out of whack. So make sure to stick to your usual routine as much as possible to help your baby transition to the new environment and not get overwhelmed.

However, don’t spend your entire vacation sitting in a hotel room waiting for your baby to wake up from his or her nap. Move forward with whatever fun plans you have. Just be sure to follow your usual pre-bedtime routine and lay your baby down to signal that it’s time to rest.

9. Stay Calm

Everyone knows what it’s like to feel frustrated, bored, hungry, or tired — especially when you’re traveling. So if your baby is feeling any of these emotions and starts to cry, it’s perfectly natural and okay. The best thing to do is stay calm and take a deep breath. Soothe your baby and yourself and stop worrying about what others around you are thinking.

10. Car Seat

A car seat keeps your baby safe whether you’re in a car, a boat, a train, or an airplane. So no matter how you’re traveling, make sure your car seat is approved for travel, strap him or her in securely, and give your arms a rest.

11. Strollers & Slings

Whenever you’re about to travel with a baby, especially for more than a few days, it’s important to decide ahead of time if you’re going to bring a stroller, a sling, or both. While it’s certainly easier to pack just one option, you may get sick and tired of carrying your baby around all day every day or certain places you plan to visit may not be stroller accessible. So plan ahead and pack both when in doubt.

12. High Chair

Once your baby can sit up on his or her own, you’ve just added another item of baby gear to your packing list. The good news is that portable high chairs are super affordable, easy to transport, and quick to set up.

13. Baby Bassinets

If you plan to take a long flight with your baby, baby bassinets or SkyCots are a must. Simply request a free baby bassinet before your next flight and sit back while your little angel sleeps peacefully in a comfortable bed.

14. Age Restrictions

Nothing would ruin your vacation plans faster than finding out that the age of your baby prohibits you from traveling. So be sure to check out any possible age restrictions before you go.

Tips For Traveling With Kids

Traveling with kids is a great way to build memories your family will always cherish. And these 20 tips for traveling with kids are sure to make the process even easier.

1. Plan Ahead

Don’t waste your precious vacation time trying to figure out what to do next. Plan ahead before you go, and you’ll be sure not to miss any of the incredible activities your destination has to offer. And be sure to get the kids involved in the planning process too.

2. Be Intentional

You only have so much time for your vacation so be intentional when setting the schedule so you can make the most out of your trip. If you’re flying or taking a train, try to schedule fewer legs and shorter layovers so you’re not wasting a bunch of time at the airport or train station. And if you’re driving, schedule sightseeing along the way to make the drive an adventure of its own.

3. Don’t Overschedule

Kids are sure to have meltdowns whenever you let them get too tired and that’s bound to happen if you race from one activity to the next. So make sure you schedule some downtime into your vacation itinerary each day.

4. Buy Tickets

No one wants to arrive somewhere exciting only to stand in a long line and pay full price. So, save both time and money by buying tickets online before you go and using any coupon codes they offer.

5. Leave Extra Time

Let’s face it, kids can get distracted and waste time doing anything especially when you’re in a hurry. Be sure to leave extra time in between any activity so they can be their silly selves and you can keep your cool.

6. Packing Checklist

Running errands is always a million times harder when you have to bring the kids along. So use a packing checklist to make sure you remember everything important. Otherwise, you’ll be rushing out to buy toothbrushes with whining kids instead of lounging by the pool.

7. Bring Extra

Whether your kid spills milk at every meal or uses his shirt as a napkin, it’s no secret that kids have a tendency to get messy. Use a packing checklist to bring exactly what you need and then throw in a little extra just in case.

8. Snacks

If your kid can go an hour without asking for snacks, every other parent in the world wants to know your secret. So remember to pack snacks where you can easily ask them because, let’s face it, you’re going to need them. And while you’re at it, make sure they’re healthy and sugar-free so you don’t have kids bouncing off the walls and driving everyone around you nuts.

9. Reusable Bottles

Unless you want to buy overpriced bottles of water constantly throughout your trip, pack reusable bottles and refill them with filtered water whenever possible.

10. Pack Entertainment Bags

Entertainment bags are the key to keeping your kids happy on long flights, train rides, or car rides. So load up on items like word searches, stickers, sodoku puzzles, colored pencils, and coloring pages in a separate entertainment bag for each of your kids.

11. Create a Memory Keepsake

Documenting your vacation memories is another great way to entertain the kids. So when you’re traveling with the kids, give them a camera, a travel journal, or other memory book and encourage them to create a memory keepsake of their own.

12. Download Movies

It’s always a good idea to have some movies downloaded onto your device before you travel. That way when your kids get tired, bored, or overwhelmed, you have a quick solution. And downloaded movies can be a lifesaver during an unexpected layover and traffic jam.

13. Share the Details

Whenever you’re traveling with kids, make sure to share the details of the day with them before you head out so they know what to expect. Kids crave routine and consistency but the many interruptions that come with travel seem less stressful for kids when they know what will happen each day and when.

14. Allowance for Souvenirs

Even if you don’t want to buy knick-knacks and doodads to remember your vacation by, your kids certainly do. So, prevent the power struggle at the gift shop by setting an allowance for souvenirs ahead of time and letting your kids decide what matters most to them. Plus it teaches the kids a valuable lesson on budgeting and when the money is gone, it’s gone.

15. Stick to the Schedule

Babies aren’t the only ones who behave better when they have a set schedule and get plenty of rest. Even older kids need to eat, rest, and sleep on a consistent schedule during travel. So while it may be tempting to live freely during your trip, you will end up regretting it big time when everyone is suddenly hungry, tired, and grumpy.

16. Bathroom Breaks

When traveling with kids, be prepared to take bathroom breaks and lots of them. While you may be able to hold it, kids often cannot and you don’t want to learn the hard way that your child shouldn’t have gone to the bathroom earlier. The best option is to take kids to the bathroom way before they start whining that they need to go now.

17. Watch Them Closely

Nothing feels quite as gut-wrenching as losing one of your children in a crowded area. Be sure to watch your kids closely whenever you’re traveling with them and get rid of any distractions that take your attention away from their safety.

18. Make an Emergency Plan Together

Emergencies happen no matter where you are and making an emergency plan together can help you keep everyone in your family safe. From discussing what to do if one of your children gets lost to how to safely get out of a hotel when the fire alarm sounds, having a simple plan can take away a lot of the heartache.

19. Remember the Simple Joys

Traveling to any new place is exciting since there’s so much to see and do. But don’t forget to remember the simple joys on your next vacation. Having a relaxing picnic in the park or a stroll through the woods helps you create memories without being rushed, waiting in long lines, or spending a ton of cash.

20. Put the Devices Away

It’s always a shame to see families out and about when one or more of them are glued to their phones and ignoring everyone around them. But the same goes for taking photos or videos constantly and forgetting to live in the moment. The aimless scrolling can be done another day and while a few photos or videos are fine, remember to put your devices away and actually enjoy your vacation and your loved ones.

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Traveling With Teens

While many of the same tips above apply when traveling with teens, there are a few additional tips that can help all of you enjoy your time together even more.

Traveling with teens is a great way to reconnect as a family and these 5 tips will help you make the most of your next family vacation:

1. Technology

Today’s teens grew up with technology so it’s no wonder it’s such a big part of their lives. When you’re on vacation though, it can feel like a huge interruption when you’re trying to make new memories together. That’s why it’s so important for everyone in the family to set some ground rules about technology together before you leave home. For example, checking in with friends by text or social media once a day is acceptable, but non-stop notifications are not. Or listening to downloaded music on the airplane is fine, but not an appropriate choice during dinner.

2. Bring a Friend

Teens are at a stage where they’re really social and exploring their own independence, so wanting to spend more time with their friends than with mom or dad is completely natural. To get the best of both worlds, consider letting your teen bring a friend along on your next vacation. They get to enjoy the social interactions they’ve been craving and you get to see the awesome relationship they’re building with their friends.

3. Get Their Input

Some vacation plans are going to sound more intriguing to your teens than others. Getting their input on which activities you should all do as a family is a way to show them that their opinion matters. Plus, you’ll have a lot more fun with a happy teen doing something they love than a miserable teen getting dragged to something they hate.

4. Give Them Space

While younger kids want to soak up every minute of your attention, teens need their space from time to time. And trying to spend every waking moment with them on vacation is sure to backfire. So if they want to sit by the campground pool and listen to music or read a book on the hotel balcony, let them.

5. Enjoy Them

Any parent of teens will tell you that they can be difficult at times. From eye rolls to sarcastic comments and moodiness, teenagers are experts at pushing back. But vacation time should be all about enjoying them and the amazing people they are turning into. So leave the lectures at home and just have fun with them.

Sources

• Babycenter: How do you “play” with a newborn?
• Delta: Infant Air Travel
• Federal Aviation Administration: Flying With Children
• Greater Good Magazine: What Teens Gain When They Contribute to Their Social Groups
• National Center for Biotechnology Information: Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond
• University of Albany: Study: Daily Routines Impact Childhood Development
• U.S. Department of Education: Independence — Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence

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What are your favorite tips for traveling with kids? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.