World traveler and savvy mom, Kammna Bhojwani-Dhawan, and founder of MomAboard.com, recently spoke with Marti and Erin Erickson on Mom Enough. She shared some practical, concrete tips on traveling with children.
Here is what she had to share:
- Bring adaptability into your child's life at an early age so when it comes time to travel they aren't so reliant on a certain sleeping arrangement, how and when they eat, etc.
- If you need help while at the airport, just ask!
- If you need more time while in line, take it. Don't worry about the person behind you!
- Allow extra time especially when flying (she recommends 3 hours to navigate the lines, etc.)
- Plan flights around naptime.
- Pack a host of snacks and food (prepare for delays).
- Plan activities and snacks that aren't the ordinary (watching movies if it is something they do on a normal basis or have a special traveling backpack that contains toys they don't normally get to play with.)
- If your child is under the age of 1, consider wrapping a new toy in gift wrap. It will keep them entertained as they figure out how to peel away the paper.
- Destination: consider the age, interests and personality of your child(ren) and plan accordingly.
- If your children are toddlers, consider a location with open schedule and open space that they can run around such as beaches and mountains (amusement parks may be too overwhelming.)
- Consider the length of your vacation-don't spend more time traveling then actually being at your destination.
- Keep it simple!
- When taking a road trip, do not have a schedule or deadline. You are going to amend it! Make it about the journey!
- On a road trip, start early in the morning. Kids are typically happier then. Drive when kids would be napping and plan for breaks to stretch legs, pick up snacks and show them sites.
Kammna's website is filled with tips ranging from planning, flying with children, where to buy diapers and how to warm a bottle in a hotel room. In addition she has started a Mombassador program where moms who travel to destinations to can provide the inside scoop on where to shop, where to eat, and where to play in particular cities.
Remember keep it simple and enjoy! It is the unexpected, small things (a random stop at a neighborhood park) that your children will remember when they are older!