7 Ways to Keep your Kids Comfortable while Travelling
 

Who says you need to stop travelling when kids come along? Well, you can definitely expect much more planning and preparation on your side, but having the kids with you can be a very fun experience as well, especially when you see them learning new things and enjoying themselves.

Unlike adults who can easily deal with the boredom of long journeys by entertaining ourselves with in-flight movies, listening to music or playing mobile phone games, you can expect kids to become fidgety when bored. What’s worse is that sometimes, children are unable to communicate to you what’s making them uncomfortable, which ends up with you having to deal with ceaseless crying and complaints without knowing what to do.

If it’s your first few times travelling with your baby or toddler, you’d need this list of tips to help make your life easier by anticipating the needs of your kids when travelling. Whether you are on a long road trip, travelling by air or on a train, here are 7 ways to keep your kids comfortable and happy on their journey with you.
 

1.Comfort

Depending on where you are going, always remember to pack your children’s clothes appropriately. Carry an extra sweater with you just in case it gets too cold in the car/train/plane. Your luggage can get heavy with too many things when travelling with kids, so pack the bare minimum because you can always buy what you need in your destination. If your kids are old enough, consider getting them to choose and pack their own clothes to minimise complaints, as well as to teach travel skills.
 

2. Fun

To keep them occupied and distracted from any possible discomfort or boredom, ensure that you’ve got some easily-accessible toys, books, iPad and mobile apps to keep you and your kids sane on a long journey. Other than that, you can also keep your kids interested and intrigued by telling them about the places you will be visiting, or encourage them to keep a travel journal to write down their thoughts along the way.
 

3. Food

It’s always a good idea to have some familiar food and snacks with you, since children can be choosy about what they eat. Some of them may not be willing to try exotic food from new places because it will look strange to them. Treats can also sometimes work as a distraction or as a way to get them to compel to your requests.
 

4. Rest

Having not enough rest can make anyone wonky, not to mention your 4-year-old. Flight and car seats are unfortunately, made mainly for adults, which means that it can be uncomfortable for children. However, you can always improvise with the right products to make them more suited to your child. Products such as BedBox and Plane Pal are light and easy to carry on travel, enabling you to easily transform the seats into a travel bed and leg rest for your child.
 

5.  Health

See your doctor at least a month before you leave and bring along your child’s vaccination records to see if they need any extra vaccination or travel-related jabs. Bring along general medications suited for kids, as well as ensure you have ample supplies of insect repellent if you are going somewhere tropical.

For a peace of mind, you should also consider getting a family travel insurance so that everyone stays protected throughout the trip.
 

6. Safety

Safety is of course, of utmost important while travelling. If going on a road trip, ensure that you’ve got the appropriate child-safety or booster seats needed. Some airlines do allow you to use approved car-safety seats or child harnesses. As each airline has their own rules, do check the requirements before bringing them with you.
 

7. Getting About

Your 5-year old may seem really enthusiastic about that walk around the National Park and all the wildlife he’ll get to see, but the truth is kids get tired out much faster than us (even if they seem to have a never-ending amount of energy at other times). Take this into consideration when travelling; whether it is planning for breaks, bringing along a pram or finding a shorter way to get around. A tired child can drain you and your partner’s energy quickly as well, so this is important to keep the journey as stress-free as possible.

The next time you’re planning a family trip, take into account that both you and your child deserves to be as comfortable on the trip as possible. So other than packing the essentials, spare some thought about the little things that can make the trip more pleasant and as enjoyable as possible!

Do you have other tips and tricks you use to keep everyone happy on a family trip? Share your thoughts with us!