Travelling With Kids for Fun and Sanity!

It may feel like Summer but before you know it a chill will be in the air and we’ll be trekking our families all over the place for holiday travel. It’s never too early to get those thoughts in our minds so before you get lost in the details of your family meal, let me share with you my tips for travel sanity with kids in tow.

Whether you are travelling near or far, by plane, boat, car or train, having kids in tow does add an extra element of planning as well as a tad of stress. The logistics of today’s travel are not always simple with the added security measures implemented due to recent events. The best way to ward of unnecessary travel stress and to make your trip as fulfilling as possible, is to plan ahead a bit, do some research before you go, and find ways to actively involve your kids in every step of the process from planning to packing to hauling bags!

Like just about everything in our lives, the world wide web holds the key to timely information. One of my favorite sites is  Taking the Kids by Eileen Ogintz.

Taking the Kids discusses some of holiday issues to consider when travelling and has some great tips. As Eileen Ogintz, syndicated travel columnist, writes:

Anyone who has flown with kids recently or crammed the gang into a rental car (why are full-sized rental cars always so small?) knows space is at a premium whenever and however you travel these days. You don’t want to be that mom rearranging the shoes in your kids’ suitcases at the ticket counter so that you don’t have to pay a fee for bags weighing more than 50 pounds. (Why do teenage girls think they need five pairs of shoes for a one-week trip?) You don’t want to be the one arguing with the gate agent that your son’s overstuffed carry-on bag will fit into the overhead compartment. (Does he really need to bring all of his Power Rangers?)

When travelling during the flu season, it’s really no different than any other time of year other than you want to exercise a bit more common sense and make sure everyone has had their flu shots. I talked with Eileen about ways to keep everyone healthy on the road last year when the H1N1 virus created a bit of a stir. You can read more useful tips by me and Eileen here.

Eileen’s article has some very practical tips for how to pack, what to pack in, and how to keep your kids happy during the travel day. Additionally, Eileen also has a collection of general travel links that spans the gamut from health information to how to get baby gear delivered to your vacation spot, as well as web resources that may be of interest to your kids for learning more about your final destination.

While you are on the road with your kids, don’t forget to load everyone up with cameras.  I can tell you that photojournalling is an amazing experience for kids. My kids love using our old digital cameras and jotting down notes of our trips on their computers. My brother actually posted his family’s recent trip on a web site with all the photos and text created by his 6 year old son. And, my overseas brother posts pictures often on Facebook so we can all stay up to date with his family.

Whether the picture is in focus or not, the point is to just shoot away and capture the moment. Having a camera in hand truly does add some zest to travel…and soften the blow of even odd travel times like unexpected delays in airports. So, keep those cameras handy…they may be your saving grace at the seemingly most frustrating of times.

Once the flu and travel season truly build momentum, I’ll post more information but for now this should get you on your way.

Save travels where ever you may be heading.

(Original post: December 2006; Updated August 2010)