Traveling with Kids: The Basics for Keeping it Fun
I chuckle when I think about how my perspective of “normal” and “safe” have changed since my two littles have joined in on our adventures. Traveling with kids can be stressful, or it can be fun. Most likely it will be both, but I like to do everything in my power to aim for fun.
First priority is to keep these babes happy.
Traveling with Kids: The Basics for Keeping it Fun
Food:
Squeezable organic apple sauce, Graham crackers, raisins, water, juice boxes (in flight special treat for our household), dried cherries and, of course, the always necessary O’s. We ate a yogurt just before boarding. Oh yes, and there are the super special only when flying treats of gum and M&Ms. Ok, food…check.
Necessities:
Diapers, wipes, blanket to change on, extra shirt for mom, extra clothes for the babe…check.
Entertainment:
3 Hot Wheels cars, new mini markers, coloring book, drawing pad, blank stickers to color, iPad with headphones and new Daniel Tiger and downloaded plus some crazy “fill the time” apps alongs with some of our favorites, some funny teeth, glasses and a red nose to put on if things get tense or need a change of pace, a kaleidoscope, pipe cleaners…check.
What I did not foresee was that our seat would be reassigned and we would be split up. Little Man and the Good Apple up front, Little Miss and I just behind…in the middle. On one side we had a doting, lovable, patient and accommodating grandma…the other a hypochondriac. Seriously. Face mask on panicking when the Lil Miss touched her leg. I was horrified for the anxiety we were probably causing her. The woman by my husband was not open to switching seats. Ok.
We have learned to roll with the punches and I think that is part of travel survival. Little Miss was passed back and forth which meant I had time to just relax and write a post. Ahhhhh.
Overall, regardless of what you have packed, having an attitude of “go with the flow” eases the stress of travel and can bring unexpected surprises. When I travelled with my students to Costa Rica and the Amazon “go with the flow” was always our motto and now I found it even more important when traveling with my own family.
Now breathe deep and reflect on how some things never change and also, how they are different.
ABOUT VAL: As the Editor-in-chief of BonBon Break, Val loves finding and creating content to share with their readers.
A former middle school science/math/tech teacher, she put her career on hold to be at home with her son and daughter on an island in the Pacific Northwest.
When Val breaks away from her keyboard, she enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, camping, photography, tidepooling, sailing and potlucks. She gets a kick out of combing the web for recipes and making them gluten free so she can share meals with her husband, family and friends. She is a tech-gadget geek who is poked fun at, but it doesn’t bother her a bit. Combining her love of photography, tech and graphics to create new, fun content for her sites quenches her “thirst” for integrated technology. Read more from Val on BonBon Break.
PIN IT FOR LATER:
CONTINUE READING IN THE FAMILY ROOM
Photo and Graphic Credit: Val Curtis
This post was written by Val Curtis exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC
