4 Tips to Make Travel Less Stressful with Young Children

Do you love traveling but can’t handle the stress of traveling with your young kids? We can’t blame you; children can be a handful, especially when they’re in an unfamiliar place. The quarrels, endless demands for entertainment, and never-ending questions, including ‘Are we there yet?’ are enough to frazzle anyone’s nerves.

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The attractive destination of Pigeon Forge in Tennessee is just a day’s drive away for two-thirds of the US population. However, it can be overwhelming to pack up the whole family, including kids, and travel for any amount of time. With a bit of preparation and planning, though, your next trip to Pigeon Forge can be much more enjoyable!

Pigeon Forge gets millions of visitors each year, and the town has a range of lodging options for all sorts of groups. There are also amazing attractions like mini golf courses, go-kart tracks, roller coasters, museums, and so much more!

So, Pigeon Forge can be an excellent travel destination for families with kids. But if you’re worried about the stress factor that comes with a family vacation, here are some tips on making travel less stressful with kids.

1. Slow Down, Do Less

If you’ve traveled solo before, you might have tried to cram a load of experiences into every hour. When traveling with kids, though, you have to plan for the opposite. The trick is to slow down, have fewer goals, and allow for extra time in everything.

Instead of visiting every attraction, only visit the ones both you and your kids would enjoy. If you want to take your kids to a museum without it feeling like a museum visit – you need to visit the Titanic Museum. You can look up Titanic Museum Pigeon Forge online, and you’ll see why. There’s something for everyone here, including an awesome LEGO Titanic model, secret dinner parties, and a large collection of artifacts.

Traveling with toddlers can be challenging because there are so many things to keep track of, such as strollers, backpacks, stuffed animals, travel documents, and their health. As a result, it’s important to be mentally prepared for delays. Whether you’re touring a museum, buying meals, or exploring the outdoors, give yourself extra time to account for these unexpected setbacks.

When you’re at the travel destination, limit your exploration goals, too. Perhaps a walking tour and a go-cart race aren’t possible in one day. Slow down, enjoy what you can experience, and go with a flexible schedule.

2. Pack Light

Parents might think that their kids need a lot of familiar items to stay calm on a trip. But other than their favorite stuffed toy or blanket, they might not need all that much. You don’t want to lug around extra luggage, so try packing as few items as possible.

Here are some tips for packing light when traveling with kids:

Make a list of the essentials; these include medication, clothes, snacks, etc.
If you can buy something at the destination, don’t pack those items. Examples may include extra bottles of hand sanitizer, soap, etc.
Don’t ask young kids what they want to take along. Older kids might have a sense of what’s necessary, but the little ones will probably want to pack all their toys if allowed. Try to pack their bags yourself; this way, you’ll also know the location of their belongings
While packing, make sure to leave some room for souvenirs

3. Pre Book Whenever Possible

When you travel solo, it’s possible to show up somewhere and then decide where you’re going to stay. With children tagging along, though, you have to prepare for accommodations beforehand.

You want to get to the destination, drop off the luggage, and get the kids down for a nap. They need a safe place to go to the bathroom, maybe have a nice meal, and then go out to start exploring.

To save a bit of money, look up some strategies for timing your ticket. Here are some more tips on booking ahead for the most comfortable experience:

If you prefer to move around the region, book ahead for just a night or two. Once you’re at the accommodation, look around the area and decide whether it’s suitable to move elsewhere after that time.
If something is available for booking ahead of time, avail the opportunity. This includes museum tours, concert tickets, park tickets, private transportation, and so on.
Make sure to check out any discounts or deals while booking. Ask about what’s on offer before paying with your credit card.

4. Discuss the Trip

Going on a trip can be a major upheaval in the kids’ routines. It’s difficult for the parents but perhaps more distressing for the kids. Here’s what you can do to help avoid any feelings of distress:

Explain where you are going, what they can expect there, and what you plan to do
Get them excited about the potential adventures ahead
Prepare them for the not-so-exciting parts of the trip, such as delays at the airport
Take into account the foods they like to eat, have them choose some snacks, and especially prepare for the picky eaters (don’t forget to pack some snacks for the harried adults, too!)

If the kids are uncomfortable and confused, they’re not going to make positive memories. If there’s too much going on, they will also feel overwhelmed. When they do know what’s going on and what will happen next, half your work is done! They will probably be on their best behavior or at least show a little more patience.

Conclusion

Preparing for the journey is the best way to ensure a (somewhat) smooth family trip. Traveling is an excellent way to open up a child’s mind and give them valuable experiences. Of course, parents have to be on their toes when they take young children on any sort of excursion. The payoff will be worth it, though, so why not start planning a trip today? Make sure to implement the points above, and you’ll hopefully have a memorable trip without too much stress.