ALT-3 Tips for Thanksgiving Travel with Kids
Some parents seem to have a great time travelling with their kids. Everybody is relaxed and having a good time. For other families, traveling is an ordeal. The kids are having a meltdown and the parents are on their last nerve—or have just lost it. No parent or child is perfect, and there will be moments when you just want to be at your destination or back home. But you can do several things to make the trip easier and more enjoyable.
The keys to actually enjoying a trip with the kids are; plan ahead, travel with their schedule in mind, stay engaged with them, and bring along something familiar and something new to keep their interest. Also, have as much done ahead of time as possible, If you will be preparing something for the dinner, and you are planning to drive, prepare your dish a week or two ahead of time and freeze it. Then pack it into the cooler for the car trip.
Plan ahead
Whether flying or driving, start planning your trip well in advance. Make a list of necessities, such as plenty of diapers for the baby (did you ever try to buy those at an airport?), a change of clothes, snack foods, and a few small toys that are easy to tuck in. More on that later.
If you fly
Decide what to check and what to keep in your carry-on. Sometimes it is better to ship the bulk of things you will be using on a longer trip ahead to your destination. Most airlines charge for checked luggage, especially if a bag is overweight. Make sure you ship things well in advance so they will arrive before you. Then you will only need to keep up with the items you will need during the trip.
Fly on a day that is less busy. The heaviest traffic for Thanksgiving will be on the day before, Wednesday. If possible, plan to fly on Monday or Tuesday, or even on Thanksgiving day. If two parents are involved, and work schedules are a problem, one could leave earlier with the kids in tow while the other works. The second parent can take the Wednesday flight. On the way home, switch the order.
If you will have to work on Monday, try to get the kids home on Saturday. This will allow them time to settle into a normal routine and be ready for school. Sunday is a much busier day at the airport than Saturday.
To get through the security check without undue stress, get the shoes off before you arrive at the head of the line. Have baby bottles in one area of the carry one, and put them out for inspection. If taking along camera equipment or a laptop, or electronic games for the kids, have them ready to put in bins. If using a stroller, make sure it collapses easily to go through the x-ray machine.
Once you get through security, purchase water and juice boxes for on the airplane. Thirsty children don’t wait for the stewardess very patiently. Arrive at the gate with plenty of time to take advantage of early boarding for families with small children. Get everyone settled in their own seat, then provide a small toy or activity book to keep them occupied while other passengers are boarding.
For takeoff, provide a bottle for very young family members and apples for 3 year olds and up. It takes about half an hour for a three year old to eat an apple. The chewing will help keep the air in her Eustachian tubes evenly distributed. Have some moist towelettes handy for sticky fingers.
If you drive
For a long car trip, say 8 hours or more, plan to drive at least part of the time while the kids are asleep. This can be done by getting everyone to bed at the normal time for the kids, say between 8 and 9 PM. Set the alarm for 2:00. Tuck the sleeping—or at least sleepy—kids into car seats, and drive for about 4 hours before stopping for breakfast.
If you drive on Thanksgiving day, plan to take along cereal, a thermos of coffee or tea, and milk in the cooler. Decide on a place to stop before you start out. Few places will be open on Thanksgiving day, so check to make sure you will have a site where you and the kids can have a bathroom break and enjoy breakfasting together. Join the kids in a good walk. Run around and make some noise to let off steam. Then take another bathroom break before piling back into the car.
Plan to stop every 2-3 hours for at least 30 minutes, depending on the age and inclinations of your children. Young children need to run around and stretch before getting back into the car for another leg of the journey. Make a rule that everyone gets out of the car for every stop.
If you have a DVD player for the car, reserve it for quiet times. Limit children to one or two movies a day instead of leaving the player on for too long. Anything that is always there becomes background noise. Keep this for a treat, and they will be more engaged.
Travel on their schedule
If your kids will sleep on the plane or in the car, try to schedule travel time for their usual nap time. Take along the blanket and toy they usually sleep with. Prepare them for the trip by playing a soothing CD at bedtime. Make it the same CD every night and every nap time. If going by car, you can pop in the CD after tucking the kids in and handing them their blankies. They’ll nod off more easily.
Stay as close to the child’s normal schedule for meals as possible. Nobody is in a good mood when they’re hungry and no food is in sight. Pack some nonperishable protein snacks to tide them over if you are delayed. A few treats they don’t usually get may also keep them cheery, but don’t load them up with too much sugar.
Also, make sure travel clothes are comfortable. Young children can easily go in their pajamas and older children in sweat suits. Then you can pop them into their nice clothes just before you arrive at your destination so they can greet relatives in style.
Speaking of snacks
If you will travel on an airplane, remember not to bring along liquids except for baby formula. You will have to purchase juice boxes and water after going through security. Do take along snacks in case mealtime is delayed. If you know you will be in the airport at lunchtime, bring some sandwiches so you can avoid the preservative laden airport food.
If driving, expand the menu to include plenty of water, juice boxes, milk, a lunch everyone will enjoy, and fruit for snacks. A few home-baked cookies if you have the time, or bakery cookies if you don’t can serve as a special after-nap treat. Take along some paper towels and moist cloths for handling spills.
Take something familiar and something new
The aforementioned sleep time items are a must for peaceful travel. Also take along a favorite book. Young children love to hear the same book again and again. Try to make this a soft-bound copy to save weight and space.
To keep interest high, providing an intriguing new toy or activity book for the trip will also be helpful. If you will be flying, you’ll need to keep it small enough to tuck into a corner of your carry-on.
Stay engaged
Read or tell stories to the kids to pass the time. Sing songs together. Play travel games. Talk about what you see out the window, what you will do at your next stop, and who is waiting at your destination. If you participate in the activities you have brought along, children will stay interested longer and enjoy the experience more.
Let them journal
A small journal complete with drawing and writing materials can pass the time for older children and will make a nice memento of the family journey. Reserve some pages for photographs, some for writing about highlights of each day, and some for kids’ art work. My 18 year old granddaughter still treasures the journal she kept of our train trip to California when she was seven.
Let them help
Children like to drag along a small rolling backpack when traveling. It makes them feel important, and lightens your load a bit. Coach the child ahead of time about going through security and, if possible, let them place their own bag on the conveyer belt.
Travelling with the kids need not be a trial for either them or their parents, as long as the trip is well planned and accommodates the needs of children. Enjoy your kids both while travelling and when you get to your destination.
References and further information:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/holiday-travel-with-young-kids/
http://thanksgiving2010.net/thanksgiving-travel-with-kids
