For many families, summer time means traveling at least once. If you are someone that values routine, the process of planning for and going on a vacation can seem like work. At times it may seem more like a circus than a vacation...hello chaos and madness!

 

Traveling with kids doesn’t have to be all mayhem, all the time. Here are some helpful tips for traveling with children:

 

Be realistic. More than likely something will go wrong. A flight will be delayed or a room reservation will be wrong. Just roll with the punches and remember to keep calm.

 

Before you leave, make a list of things you CANNOT leave home without. These are things that cannot be purchased if you were to forget them: a special blanket, glasses, medications, or your ipad.

 

Pack snacks and treats for long car rides 

and flights. Suckers are a great way to make sure you get a small break from “Are we there yet?”

 

Remember that a vacation is not the time to do something big like drop a nap or pacifier or potty train. Save those kinds of feats for when you are back to normal.

 

Plan outings on a trip around your child’s normal routine. The younger a child, the more important to stick to their routine. If possible, keep mealtimes, naps, and bedtime as close to normal as you can.Make sure to understand the difference between a road trip and a vacation when planning. For a road trip the getting there is part of the vacation, so you need to make sure to plan stops and fun activities
in the car. For a vacation, the destination is the vacation.

 

Make sure to prepare your children for whichever one you will be going on.

 

Relax, breathe, and have fun.  Things will go back to normal and in the meantime, you have memories to make with your family!

 

Ginger Jones
jonestherapyservices.com

Ginger Jones is a Speech-Language Pathologist and the owner of Jones Therapy Services, which provides speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy in 7 locations across Middle and East Tennessee.  Her column shares helpful tips and knowledge that she has learned in her career of working with children and families as well as being a mother herself.