7 Tips For Traveling With Kids

Traveling with your children is a wonderful opportunity to share an experience, explore and learn about new places, and just spend some time together. Now that school's out for the summer this is a great - but prime - time to travel and vacation. 

Before you book your flights, consider these tips for making your summer travel fun for you and your kids.

1. If you have older kids, let them help plan the trip. Talk about places they might want to go, activities they might want to try, and sights they want to see! You're much less likely to have a moody child if they've helped pick out the tours or activities on the itinerary.

2. Bring entertainment for the travel. This is the time to loosen any restrictions you have on screen time. Watching a movie on the plan with a tablet and headphones is a great way to make the time pass and reduce "when are we going to get there" conversations. Choose headphones made specifically for kids as they have volume controls that don't allow the volume to get dangerously high.

3. Consider all-inclusive resorts. Most all-inclusive packages include meals, drinks, snacks, and sports packages. This can be really helpful when you have kids in your group.

4. Look for hotels or resorts with specific kid packages. Many hotels and resorts will have a kid center or kid's activity zone that may include babysitting, games, and other recreational activities so you can take a snorkeling lesson while your child is safe and having fun.

5. Bring children's medicine. It's a good idea to bring your own children's Tylenol, cough medicine, and antacid. If they end up with a fever, cough, painful scrape, or upset stomach you don't want to risk trying to dose down on an adult medication. This also includes sunscreen and bug spray. 

6. If you're traveling internationally, plan ahead with passports, which can take up to three months. Remember that children's passports expire in five years. It can be stressful and expensive trying to expedite a forgotten passport.

7. Try some new things and keep some things familiar. It's exciting and fun to try new cuisines and new activities but sometimes a familiar meal and a low-key afternoon help to rejuvenate before the next adventure.

Whether you're looking for a beach vacation, a cruise, or a DisneyWorld  trip, I can help you plan a perfect kid-friendly get-away!