Let’s face it, traveling with your youngsters can be downright scary and over-the-top stressful.
The entire family abandons their normal schedule and everyone is thrown from their comfort zones. It’s a recipe for disaster really.
But it doesn’t have to be so. Here are three tips that can help you quiet the storm that is your kids while traveling.
1. Check-Ins
It’s 2017, and the age of the Internet is upon us.
This means, no more waiting in lines that wrap around the airport. You can now check in to your flight in the comfort of your own home and in advance of arriving at the airport.
Lovely. This modern convenience waves iotas of trouble from your kids. Because we all know that our children’s attention span lasts for no more than two minutes - if that.
So check-in virtually from home, print out everyone’s boarding passes, and skip the line and drama of waiting to check-in at the airport.
2. Board Early
On most major airlines, their boarding policy allows for families with small children to board ahead of the other passengers.
This is a great perk for you and your family.
You get to be one of the first boarders, which means you get the whole plane to yourself so that you can properly seat your family and stash any carry-ons before the mayhem of the other passengers.
So pay attention to the announcements and let your ticket agent know you’d like to board early. It can make all the difference in the world for your family to be boarded and seated with ease rather than chaos.
3. Scrutinize Hotels
Since your family will be spending a decent amount of time in your hotel room, picking one out simply based on its low price isn’t going to suit you well when your kids are bored and moody.
Research what the hotel has to offer in terms of activities that are age-appropriate for your kids, read tons of reviews and look at any pictures you can find to get an idea of how other families enjoyed their stay and amenities.
Most of the time, it’s the little things that can help make traveling with kids easier - think of asking for a room with a small fridge. This way, you can keep things cold for when the family wants a snack, thus avoiding the need to eat out and spend money at the vending machines or hotel restaurant.
Lastly, when looking at hotels, do mention that you'll be traveling with children. Lots of hotels now offer plenty of fun (and sometimes free) activities - some even offer babysitting - that your kids can enjoy while you watch from afar, reading your e-Reader perhaps? Hey, us mamas can dream, can’t we.