Easy Tips for Traveling With Children
As you plan your next family vacation, you’re likely spending hours trying to plan out fun activities for everyone, particularly your children. From zooming down waterslides to going on a safari exploration, you want everyone to have a blast on the trip. Before you pack as much as you can into each day, keep in mind that tired tykes make for some unhappy travelers. If they’re done with the day before your adventures are finished, you’re looking at a recipe for a miserable vacation experience.
The good news is, with a little planning and preparation, you can make sure your little ones have the energy they need to enjoy all of the wonderful things you have planned for them.
Fight Foot Fatigue
Being on your feet for long periods of time can really take a toll on your energy levels. Tired, achy feet make for some cranky travelers. If you know you will be doing a good deal of walking during the day, comfortable walking shoes with the proper support are essential.
Be sure that your children’s shoes fit properly and are not too tight so as to cause sores and blisters. Several manufacturers make orthopedically correct walking footwear for kids that are fashioned with wide box toes and internal padding to prevent throbbing soles and, consequently, loud complaints.
Look for moisture wicking socks to keep your feet dry and cool if you’re traveling for warmer environments. Alternatively, if you’re headed into the snow, pack some warm wool socks youngsters can wear inside their boots instead. Be sure to pack a few extra pairs incase that puddle or snowbank proves too tempting for your little one to resist.
While you’re on the trip, be sure to check their laces every now and then. In their excitement, they might not notice if one becomes undone, and few things will make them want to go home quicker than a skinned knee or elbow.
Stay Hydrated
You already know the importance of hydration, but getting your kids to drink their water every day is a chore when you’re just in the house, let alone on vacation. While most parks and attractions will offer water fountains, your little ones might not be thirsty when you’re near one, but will get thirsty when you’re almost to the front of the line to that ride you’ve wanted to try all day.
Dehydration leads to lethargy along with several other serious health problems, so bringing water bottles is worth the effort. Not only that, but it will also keep you from having to get out of line and hunt down one of the fountains.
Collapsible water bottles are a great way to keep water handy while saving space in your bag. Another fun idea is to get your kids their own water bottles; pick a bottle that’s light and colorful and match it to their outfits. Make a game of refilling it whenever you’re near a fountain.
Avoid Sugary Foods
One of the best things when you’re out with your family is taking the time to enjoy a great meal, often with foods that you’d rarely make yourself. However, before you order that extra-large sundae, be sure that you’re watching just how much sugar your kids are consuming.
This is not saying that you shouldn’t indulge a bit on vacation. But candy, sweets, and energy drinks contain high doses of refined sugar. These can cause major spikes in blood sugar, particularly if you work hard to maintain a healthy diet at home. Sugary foods will give your kids a swift boost in energy, but this feeling will quickly turn into a crash that will make them lethargic and cranky.
A little sugar is a great treat, but too much will ruin the rest of their afternoon. Between meals, try and stick with healthier snacks. Fresh fruit and whole grain crackers are a much smarter snacking option, and they won’t melt in your daypack like a candy bar will. These treats are also naturally high in fiber, which helps to slow the rate that their bodies will absorb sugar, reducing the impact of any crash.
Make Time For Naps
While vacation is often considered a break from the stress of everyday life, if can still be exhausting. It’s a good idea to schedule a bit of down time in the afternoon, heading back to your hotel or campsite, and giving your children, and yourself, a little time to relax and recuperate.
Taking this time to slow down not only breaks up the day, it also gives everyone a chance to recharge so they can go back out and enjoy everything you have planned with a renewed energy and excitement.
Another plus of planning breaks throughout the day is that it allows for a lighter carrying load if you make semi-frequent trips back to the hotel. Traveling less weight is a great way to conserve your energy throughout the day, so you can focus on what is most important – fun for the whole family, and keeping that smile on the face of your child.
Vacation is a great time to experience new things together as a family and to create memories that will stick with your children for the rest of their lives. They might not remember you planning everything out, but they’ll remember how much fun they had. With a little creative prep work, you can make sure that each day is one that they’ll love thinking back on. Then you’re only problem becomes how do you top it next year?
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