When you’ve got young children, you don’t need to wait until they’ve grown up before you embark on your first family holiday.
For the majority of parents with babies or toddlers, the concept of sitting on a plane that’s full of people trying to catch some sleep before their vacation starts is a nightmare. From tired, screaming toddlers to boredom and travel sickness, this can be a recipe for disaster.
However, with some careful preparation and planning, there’s no need to be terrified of travelling with young kids. Instead, holidaying with your little monsters can be an exciting and fun experience that you’ll all treasure forever. Just follow my simple tips and get planning a wonderful family holiday.
Pick the Right Destination
If you’re traveling with an infant, you’ll want to keep things simple. This may mean choosing a direct flight and one that lands as close to your end destination as possible. You might also want to consider English-speaking countries with familiar foods, and places that aren’t going to pose any health risks to your children (e.g. malaria).
Look for family-friendly hotels like Princeton NJ Marriott Hotel, too, as this will give you peace of mind that your kids are going to be well catered for. And if you’re jetting to an exotic resort, be sure to look out for great kids’ clubs.
Fill Your Phone or Tablet with Cool Apps
Before you set off on your journey, make sure your phone is full of apps and games your toddler will love. You might also want to download plenty of cartoons for the plane journey too. Some people frown at giving children tablets to play with, but this is far more likely to keep them entertained while there’s nothing else to do on the plane, and they’ll love acting like a big boy or girl as they get to use Mum’s iPad.
Consider Your Child’s Sleep Patterns
Long-haul flights may be difficult to time around your child’s sleeping patterns, but if you can, try not to disrupt their natural sleeping pattern. Book flight times that don’t involve getting up at the crack of dawn so your child will easily adjust once they get to the new destination.
Pack Some Extra Clothes
When you’re heading off on a long journey with toddlers, it’s a good idea to pack some extra clothes, just in case, there are any mishaps with food etc en route. Accidents do happen and if you’ve got some backup clothes, it’s much easier to deal with the situation and much less stressful for your child too. Don’t forget to pack plenty of nappies as well.
Get the Kids a Camera
Finally, one great way to keep your kids entertained while they’re on vacation is by giving them a camera. This doesn’t have to be a high-tech one but a child-friendly design or even a disposable camera. They’ll love to take photos of their adventure and it also provides you with a great activity when you get back home as you can create a scrapbook of their first family holiday.
Even though travelling with toddlers can seem daunting, especially when you’ve never done it before, it needn’t be. All it takes is some preparation ahead of your travels, some savvy parenting skills while you’re travelling and plenty of entertainment at your destination.
