My kids are road warriors. From birth, both of them have made dozens upon dozens of trips from Florida to Maryland in a car (thats about 900 miles one way). On these trips, we stop on an average of two times. for those of you keeping up with the math, thats about once every 6 hours.
I’ve never really have had a problem with my kids when traveling, I mean sure -we have the occasional breakdown when we hit traffic or get overly stressed in scenarios that we have no control over – but for the most part, my kids are amazing with travel.
I guess my core group of friends must know this, because I’m always getting asked for travel tips with kids. So I decided to share some of my favorite travel tips with you on this week’s episode!
Tip # 1 – Don’t Overpack
I’m a fan of less is more, especially on airplanes. Even with babies and kids under 2, the more thing you have, the more stressful it is to navigate the airport. And the smaller the object, the more obnoxious it is when they drop it and you’re scrambling to pick it up under your seat.
When we’re in the car, my oldest opts to draw while my youngest wants every single toy that she owns to ride with her. We make an agreement on how much she can bring ahead of time, which helps her make a mindful decision on which toys are most important. Oh, and on the drawing part… if you’re going on a long trip – skip the crayons. If you kids drop them, they’ll melt on your seat or floor… take it from me… and stick to colored pencils. The twistable colored pencils are awesome.
Tip #2- Consistency is Key
One of my former clients, who is known as the The Sleep Lady, always preached on the consistency of maintaining good sleep schedules while traveling. This means limiting how many different places you stay at, aiming to keep nap time the same, not allowing them to stay up too late, etc. If you have a child under the age of 5 and need help getting your child to sleep, check out sleeplady.com
Tip #3 – Snacks are Liiiiife
Just in case you’ve packed enough snacks, I’m here to tell you – you haven’t. We all tend to indulge a little more when we’re on vacation and kids are no different. If you’re traveling on a plane, crackers, chips, granola bars, are all great to put into ziplock bags and throw in your carry-on. My kids also love beef jerky and cheese sticks for a little protein.
If you’re taking a roadtrip – pack a cooler! For this last trip, I made muffins, brownies and cookies before I left. My oldest daughter also has a milk fantatic – so I re-used a plastic water bottle and filled it up with the rest of the milk that we had in the fridge. Not only I’m still giving her something she likes while we’re road tripping – but It’s also a time and money saver NOT TO MENTION – it helps clean out your fridge before you go.
Tip #4 – Schedule in Breaks
I like to save time and get to where we’re going as fast as possible. I mentioned earlier that when we travel back north, we aim to stop twice. What we do – is roll our gas stops and potty breaks all into one stop. If someone has to go to the bathroom before we need to get gas again, we try to hit a rest stop as it’s easier to get on and off the road again. If you’re packing a cooler like I just mentioned and your kids are little and need more stops – turn one stop into a picnic at a rest area. Let them run out some energy, sit outside to eat their meal or snack, and then get back in the car. If you’re planning a longer trip – schedule over night stays along your route and aim to do one fun thing in that town before you leave to get back on the road. Even if it’s just a picture at an iconic place!
Tip #5 – Let your kids know the plan ahead of time
Unless it’s a straight up surprise, letting your kids know the plan ahead of time helps them understand what to expect. Now, I do this with basically everything when it comes to my kids. Regardless if we’re going on a long trip or we’re going to a birthday party – I always recite to my kids our plan so that they are able to process what to expect as well. This also helps avoid meltdowns.
Family trips are so much fun and I love traveling with my kids. If you have travel tips you want to share, I’d love to hear them – I’m everywhere on social media @mindbizlife
If you enjoyed this episode share it with a friend and be sure to give the podcast a 5 star review on apple podcasts or wherever it is that you tune in and turn it up.
That’s all for today, I’ll see you next week and until then remember: every level of life is an opportunity to grow. Be well my friend.
