On the Road Again: 4 Travel Tips for Your Family
By Brittney Stefanic
Travel with kids in 2021
Travel with your kids, they say. It’ll be easy, they say.
Oh wait… Maybe no one actually stated the latter, especially not after 15 months of being home-bound! Are you ready to “escape” your house, get back on the road, head out camping or even fly on a plane again? We sure hope so!
Traveling with kids can be a great experience, but if you are worried about how they are going to do with naps, schedules and not sleeping at home, you aren’t alone. Many parents are wrestling with a big fear that vacation will go south quickly because of cranky and tired kiddos.
But we are here to report that you do not have to cancel the travel plans and stay confined to the house any longer! It is possible to have a great summer travel experience with these 4!
4 tips for parents traveling with kids
Tip 1: Do your best to not over pack. It’s true… They have SO.MUCH.STUFF. Between the pack and play, car seat, stroller, stuffed animals, cups and water bottles, snacks, clothes, changes of clothes, diapers, swim diapers, books and toys, it can be a lot. Especially if you are on a road trip, be mindful of what REALLY needs to come into the hotel. Otherwise, it may take you all night to unload your car! If you are flying, note that all infant items (carseats, travel cribs and strollers) can be checked for free. When you leave the luggage at check-in, you don’t have to cart it through the airport which can better allow you to chase after the wild little ones.
Kiddos sure do come with a lot of baggage but much of it can be left at home or purchased upon arrival. All they really need is diapers, clothes, a safe place to sleep, a few toys and snacks!
Tip 2: Kiddos find a way to touch EVERYTHING. From grimy stairway handles in the parking garage to handles and faucets and even the floor, our little people explore through touch so they literally cannot keep their hands to themselves. Be sure to bring hand wipes and sanitizer to clean up before eating, when back in the car and before naptime!
Tip 3: Screen time limits should fly out the car window as soon as rubber hits the road! We live in a super device-driven world and that is something we should take full advantage of when traveling with kids. A little pre-downloaded Netflix onto an old iPad can easily be strapped onto the headrest of the backseat to create silence for at least a few minutes. Okay, maybe not silence, but the sweet sound of toddler nursery rhymes on repeat instead of toddler meltdowns. Now that’s a win win for everyone! Remember that screens can have a real purpose and travel is absolutely one of those times!
Soak it up, mama
Tip 4: Take a deep breath and remember that these memories are worth making. We know after 2020 that traveling, adventuring and leaving our homes is a luxury that should not be taken for granted. Your family will look at the pictures over and over, watch the video memories on repeat and thank our lucky stars that we are able to leave the walls of our homes. Sure – schedules might be tough, there will certainly be some meltdowns and it wont be picture perfect all the time, but near or far, travel during 2021 is certainly something that will always be remembered!
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Brittney Stefanic is a whole-family certified sleep consultant and founder of Sleeper Teachers®. As a travel-hungry mama, she loves the fact that her family can travel again, and she knows firsthand that when you don't sleep, you don't function, especially when traveling. Brittney and her team love educating and support families around the world in finding sleep solutions through their customized sleep plans. You can follow the Sleeper Teachers® on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @sleeperteachers for funny Reels, lots of blogs and frequent sleep Q&A sessions.