Traveling with Children

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Planning trips when traveling with your children is easier than you might think. Pick your budget, make a list of some places that you are interested in visiting and then call me! Skip doing all the research and itinerary planning, that is why you use a TRAVEL AGENT! One of the many perks of using me to plan your family's vacation is that my planning services are FREE! 

But I will blog about "Why to use a Travel Agent" another day. 

Back to the kiddos...

Here are some tips on vacation and travel safety for children. Let’s get started. It feels great to head off on a family vacation, but you also want to make sure that you are safe for the duration of the trip. Safety in travel begins with the planning. It is important to keep your family’s needs at the top of your list, from travel, transport, accommodations and health, we have you covered! 

Snot Happens.... (well, it does)

When thinking about traveling safely with kids, the issues to consider start before you even pack. It's very important to think about kids' health, especially if they are currently taking a daily prescription medication. Make sure that you have enough medication to last throughout the trip, and get a copy of the prescription from the Dr. just in case you need to refill it in an emergency situation. You never know when a small sniffle will turn into something worse, so take some kids' medicine for cold and fever.  I always carry children’s allergy liquid medicine as well. Cuts and bruises can happen at any time, so a first aid kit is an essential addition to your travel bag. Take a copy of the kids' medical records with you, especially if they have any serious health conditions. It is worthwhile to get travel insurance with medical coverage, in case you need to cover the costs of hospitalization while abroad ( Look for a post soon about the importance of Travel Insurance, never leave home without it ).

Rules still Apply! 

When traveling with kids, it's a good idea to observe all the safety rules that apply at your own house. If you are traveling by car you need to be aware of the current safety guidelines regarding carseats. Babies should be in a rear-facing child seat until they are a year old or at least 25 lbs.  Older children should be in a seat that's appropriate for their age, height and weight. All children under 13 should ride in the back seat of the car. When traveling by airplane, children under two may sit on your lap with a suitable child restraint or you can purchase a seat for them. The American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend that they have their own seat. Children need to know about how airport security works so that they won't be alarmed when their favorite toys are passed through a scanner. Be sure to check TSA travel tips for all current safety and security measures being practiced at the airport as they are always changing. Older children need to be aware that making jokes about bombs could result in a delayed holiday and financial penalties. Airport security is nothing to laugh about.

~It’s Show TIME~

It can take a long time to reach your destination, and this can seem like an eternity to a younger child. It's smart to pack a variety of snacks so that you can keep your child fed during the long trip. I personally like to pack some of the snacks shown here! It is important to feed your children healthy snacks that aren't full of sugar, nothing is worse that being in a car with a kid who has had TOO much sugar! Take plenty of entertaining activities in the form of toys, games and books (check out the giveaway below) so that children can entertain themselves during the trip. We never leave home without our portable DVD player. This will make things run smoother for the whole family. If you are traveling on a plane, take some bubble gum so that older children can use it to ease the pain caused by air pressure during takeoff and landing. Younger children can suck a pacifier or bottle to relieve any discomfort in their ears.

We have Arrived....

You have arrived at your destination. Now check out the best ways to get to and from areas like the pool, the restaurant and the kids' club. Make sure that kids travel in pairs and that you always accompany younger children. We use a backpack pal when we travel with our younger children ( it is not a leash ). When leaving your resort or hotel, it's safest to travel as group. If this is a country where driving is on the opposite side of the road, warn your children about the need to be very cautious when crossing the road because of the traffic approaching from an unusual direction.

When you are on vacation, you are more relaxed and often less careful about personal security and personal belongings than you would be if you were at home. This is the time when you need to be most careful. Kids should avoid flashing large amounts of cash around or leaving treasured belongings unattended. It's an invitation for an unscrupulous person to steal.

Finally, make sure that your kids know what to do if they become separated from you or get lost. For younger kids, make sure that they have the hotel address and your phone number with them. We sometimes use a tag with their name, address, and telephone numbers.  Teach your children to recognize who can give them help (such as the local police) and who should be avoided. Your SET! Now, where are we going?

Enter to win a personalized book from FreckleBox ~ Head over to: frompdxwithlove before 12/15/2010 and check out the giveaway! These books are great for children of all ages! Check out the other great personalized products from Frecklebox. My kids love their stickers. If you have extra swagbucks there are several Frecklebox products in the Swag Store. If you are not using swagbucks, click on my swagbucks button and sign up today.