How to Take Care of a Child during a Trip!

Vacations are one of the best ways to take a break from your power packed super busy schedule and shed out all the burden and fatigue you have been carrying. Whenever people decide to go on a holiday, they expect peace, amity and some kind of cessation to their claustrophobic routine. And you know what the best part is? When you finally take off, leaving everything behind. No worries, no job, no school, no meetings…just you and your family with a week of absolute bliss. The feeling that you just have to explore and experience new things and places, dine out at your dream restaurant and see happy and satisfied faces of the people you love gives you moral orgasm! So, you close your eyes; sit back and relax and suddenly your quietude is disturbed by crying noises. It can be anything in that case; you KIDS might just start jumping on the seat or might just puke on your lap, might throw silly tantrums, might bite your hand for no reason, spill a drink inside your purse, throw your phone on the aisle or worst case scenario, they might just pee or poop in their pants! It painted quiet a picture didn’t it?

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CAUTION ALERT! Travelling with kids can be quiet a difficult job and if not managed properly, it has full potential to literally ruin your holiday and squeeze out fun and joy out of it. You might end up getting frustrated or nauseas which won’t be good either for you or your kid. So here are some things you need to keep in mind when you take a trip with your kids. This will not only save the essence of your holiday but will make coming vacations easier and more flexible! When taking children on long trips or holidays, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. If you’re going by car, plan your travel so there are lots of stops along the way for your children to run around and explore. Plan to take breaks at child-friendly places, such as parks and playgrounds. You might not get there as fast, but getting there is part of the holiday! When having a toilet break, go into the toilets with your children. Make sure they wash their hands. You might like to pack some hand sanitiser, because it’s a good alternative for hand-washing if soap and water aren’t available.

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Food, formulas and beverages become a big problem while travelling with kids. If your baby prefers warm bottles of formula, carry an empty thermos through security and get boiling water from a coffee shop or restaurant at the airport. Adding a splash to the bottle will warm it up and be a comfort to your travelling infant. ALWAYS test the temperature of a bottle before feeding it to a baby. Long waits while traveling are common. Food and beverages are not always available. When you travel with your baby make sure you have a bottle or sippy cup, beverages and enough food and snacks. If you have a child that can chew gum or soft candy, both are great for relieving pressure in the inner ear during takeoff and landing. Sleeping in an unfamiliar place can make for a sleepless night, even if your toddler sleeps like Rip Van Winkle at home. Bring whatever lovely helps soothes your tot to sleep, whether it’s a falling-to-pieces blanket or well-worn stuffed animals whose stuffing is mostly long gone. Hotel cribs are often much smaller than what your growing little guy sleeps in at home, so expect some kicking around and complaints about the lack of space. Hotel beds, on the other hand, are often higher than toddler beds. Some hotels offer bed rails to keep him from falling out. If not, pile your luggage next to the bed to form a barrier or place the bed comforter on the floor to create a landing spot if he tumbles out.

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It’s just like they say when you have a newborn, right? When you travel across multiple time zones, your body clocks are all off. Kids will not sleep when they’re “supposed” to, and if they’re our kids, they may not sleep at all. So when you do see the eyelids droop and the wiggling fade, take advantage of those blessed moments and sleep. It may only last an hour, so jump on those occasions like white on rice. You’re exhausted, and you need to pace yourself as much as your kids.

 

And here is another check list. Don’t forget to tick mark everything before you leave. This will prove to be very helpful.

  • Paper towels or wipes can be used in lots of ways.
  • Take empty plastic bags for rubbish, dirty clothes and dirty nappies.
  • Take a change of clothes for each child. Depending on the season, you might also want to take hats or something warm to put on.
  • Some families take an old ice-cream container for accidents of any kind. It can also work as a potty if your child hasn’t been toilet trained for long and there are no toilets around.
  • If you have a child who wets the bed, take a piece of plastic to protect mattresses.
  • Take some healthy food, such as fruit, to snack on.
  • Bring water to drink, and try to avoid too many soft drinks. Small plastic water bottles with pop-tops can be very good for young children.

Hope these tips will prove to be very helpful. Have a tension free vacation!

Written by Ravi Goel