Tips For Traveling Internationally With Kids
Traveling internationally is an amazing opportunity to create memories with your children. Your entire family will get to experience new cultures, foods, smells and languages together. However, the concept of traveling with kids just across town can be daunting enough, let alone traveling across the ocean. We’ve put together some essential tips on traveling with children overseas that will help your family’s international vacation go as smoothly and pleasantly as can be:
Visit the pediatrician at least 3 months before the trip and ask them what immunizations to get. Many international destinations require special immunizations that your children would not need otherwise. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your child isn’t at risk of picking up anything while traveling. While you’re there, ask the doctor what medicines to bring with you that may not available overseas. Some children’s Benadryl and Tylenol are always a good thing to have on hand.
Plan for patience. When traveling with children, having an overbooked schedule is a recipe for a miserable time. Young children often enjoy taking their time exploring new things. Not only will rushing them around wear you and them out and put everyone in a bad mood, it will make it more difficult for your child to make memories of those places.
Give them a camera. Believe it or not, those cheap, durable disposable cameras are still available for purchase. Before your trip, grab one at the store. When your family arrives at their destination, give it to your child and tell them to fill it with photos of the trip. Once you’re back home, print them and have a great time going through them together. Not only will they enjoy remembering their favorite parts of the trip, you’ll also get the unique chance to see the trip through the eyes of a child.
Pack your own meals for the plane ride. Airplane food is often far from delicious for adults. Imagine trying to get your picky toddler to eat it when they’re already in a bad mood. Although you can’t take large liquids on board, you can pack a lunch box full of snacks and sandwiches for your child to eat while you’re traveling. Throw in their favorite snack, even if they don’t get it very often.
Bring entertainment for the flight. Now isn’t the time to limit your kids’ television time. Bring a tablet full of their favorite movies to keep them distracted for hours at a time on those long-haul flights. Download a couple games on there too that don’t require internet access to play. Don’t forget to get kid-sized headphones as well. The other passengers on the airplane will thank you.
Bring a bit of home with you. It’s perfectly normal for kids to get homesick when traveling to a new place. Even in the safety of the hotel room, they may feel overwhelmed by all the new sights and smells and long for the comfort of home. Pack a blanket and pillow that smells like your house in your luggage. Pull it out and let your child cozy up to it at night. The smells of home will help them sleep better and adjust to their new environment.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to pack hand wipes! They’ll be a lifesaver for the entire family when public restrooms and hand washing stations are hard to come by.
