Traveling With Kids
by Kim Grant

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard the saying that traveling with your children constitutes a trip. Without them, you’re vacationing. So which will you be doing this summer? With the following tips, we can almost guarantee that you’ll be doing a little more vacationing, even with the kids.

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

The scriptures say if we are prepared, we will not fear. A vacation follows the same premise. Know as much as possible about your travel destination. How do you get here? What are the surrounding towns or cities? What sights do you plan to see? With internet access, you should be able to find much of what you need to know in advance.

Most theme parks and museums have web sites that will list hours of operation, show times, prices, and discounts available. Some even let you purchase tickets beforehand. You’ll know if you can rent strollers or wagons or if there are special arrangements that can be made for babies and toddlers as well.

Most airlines now let you check in and print your boarding pass from home twenty-four hours before your flight. For cruises, fill out pre-boarding information before you go, sign up for tours, and pay gratuities in advance so that you spend less time waiting and more time enjoying.

Keep all necessary identification in the same place or purchase I.D. folders that hang around each person’s neck for quick access. Medex Assistance, a global emergency-assistance company, recommends making sure children are “tagged” with your cell phone number or an emergency contact number in case you get separated.

Check tourism bureaus for well-known and lesser known events and maybe even great deals on attractions, dining, and lodging. Many cities now offer a City Pass for several attractions at one low price.

When you think you have a basic plan for your vacation, make an itinerary. It doesn’t have to be set in stone, but it will give you a direction to follow. Letting your children participate in the planning process can help them feel included and more excited about what you’ll be seeing.

It works best, especially with young children, if you push hard one day and then have a “recuperation” day where toddlers—and you—can nap, older children can unwind, and all of you can clean out the stroller and car, preparing for the next day’s onslaught.

Have a back-up plan for inclement weather or other unforeseen obstacles. Include nearby sites that you might otherwise overlook. Many wonderful museums have been discovered this way.

Write out important addresses, phone numbers, and contact information for the places you plan on visiting. It’s handy to have it all in one place when you’re pressed for time. And don’t forget maps (even though your husband thinks he won’t get lost). Circle or highlight the places you’ll see for a visual aid and to give you an estimate on travel time.

3. Getting There is Half the Fun

For flights and car trips, make sure you have a few snacks on hand and easy access to favorite toys. Consider investing in a portable DVD player so at least an hour or two could breeze by to the antics of their kids’ favorite cartoons. And a lot of airlines will offer access to in-flight DVD rentals now. Cassette tapes or CDs of music and books can help, too. Keep an assortment of new toys on hand as well as travel-sized games and books that take up little room.

Ordering brochures and promotional videos about your location can also orient the family so sights seem more familiar. You can cut out pictures and make a travel “bingo” game personalized to your vacation where children mark off landmarks you’ll be seeing.

4. Pack a Bit of Home

When my husband and I travel, our children call our destination their “different home.” But it can take awhile for new surroundings to become familiar. Bring reminders of home that will make your child feel less uprooted. A favorite toy, movie, or security items like blankets and teddy bears are a must. Take a favorite book to tuck them in at night and don’t forget a nightlight so they don’t become disoriented in the dark if nature calls.

Even keeping up with family traditions can help stave off homesickness. If it’s Monday night, have an impromptu FHE. Bring along your scriptures and scripture readers and don’t forget morning and evening prayer. Church attendance can be a little iffy, because children don’t always adapt to an unknown teacher and class. But Sacrament meetings, especially in a foreign country, can remind kids that there are members of the church all over the world.

5. Relax  

In the end, nothing ever goes completely as planned. Children get sick, the weatherman forecasts nonstop rain, and you won’t be able to see and do as much as if you were on your own or with your spouse. So try and be flexible and accept the added challenges that come from traveling with children. Just take lots of pictures and you will find that (one day) you can look back on your “vacation” and smile.

LDS Living Magazine