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TRAVELING WITH KIDS
Traveling is fun when you journey hassle free.This probably would have happened long back when you were kids and shoved all the responsibilities on to your parents. I still remember leaning on to my mother’s shoulders or slumping on to her lap as soon as the vehicle took off and dozing away, nothing to worry about, till the time the final destination arrived.
But when we grow up and become mothers ourselves, we tend to realize how difficult it is to travel with kids. Right from when they are babies strapped on to their prams to the time they become teens stuck to their i-pods, it’s one big journey of responsibilities.
In our country atleast, children take the priority when a holiday is planned. The travel destination is usually decided, keeping kids in mind. The place of visit needs to be child friendly, with not much of historical or sightseeing spots, not much of walking or exploring around, but yes, equipped with an amusement park, a gaming centre and a fast food joint is always welcome.
If you are aiming to discover the innumerable wonders of the world with kids tagging along, then please forget it.They’ll either nag you to bits for taking them on to a worthless holiday or offer you an option to leave them behind at the hotel so that they can comfortably watch T.V or play some video games.You’ll then wonder why the hell you had to spend thousands to bring them all the way just to watch T.V. However you are left with no choice whatsoever. Either they go with you or you stay back with them.
Nevertheless, many destinations these days offer child care and amusement centres at their hotels and resorts where the children can be left behind and catered to as the parents shoot off to their sightseeing and shopping spree.That way atleast both are happy and hassle free to a certain extent.
Here are certain tips to keep in mind while traveling with kids:-Always carry the required medicines in sufficient quantities for, the place where you stay might have a pharmacy but might not have the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor.
A first aid kit is ever essential and so is the personal contact number of your child’s physician.- Carry some breakfast bars, lasting snacks, biscuits, canned juices in your duck bag so that incase you don’t come across hygienic eateries, the kids can still survive on the tit-bits.
- Story books, C.D’s , travel games can be lugged, to keep the little ones entertained.
- A pair of warm clothing is advisible b’coz you never know the turn of weather or incase the child falls sick you might find need for it.
- While traveling abroad, it’s better to get the medical insurance done orelse you’ll be spending through your nose incase of an emergency.
- Food can be a big issue in foreign countries, especially if the kids are fussy about smell and taste. Better go equipped with ready to eat stuffs.
- Brief the kids beforehand about the destination you are going to, the place you’ll be staying at and the safety measures to be followed.
- See to it that the kids carry the contact numbers of their parents, number of the hotel where they are put up, the travel agent’s number, so that incase they go missing, they can still contact one of them for help. It’s better to pin up the list along with the required address on their inner pockets and brief them about the same.
- Advise the kids not to get too friendly with strangers and stay with their group as much as possible.
- Brief them up about the exchange value of your currency when you go abroad so that they know the value of the items they insist on buying.
- Last but not the least, give them a camera each to handle and ask them to click whatever fascinates them. This usually gets them involved and gives a break to their constant nagging. Later when you are back from the holiday you can ask them to paste their favourite photos on to a scrap book with some light hearted descriptions of the place they were taken from.That way you can get them to value the place they have visited and also make them look forward to visiting another exciting destination.
A final word:- Despite all the hassles and tasks to be handled, it’s always fun to go on a family vacation. But then, my personal suggestion to all the women out there-- (married/ unmarried/ moms/ grandmoms/) would be to go on a trip just by yourself. There are several travel agencies these days who cater to women only and tailor make the trip according to your individual choice and personal taste. So, leave the kids behind for once and take on this personal journey.
And believe me, it will be once in a lifetime experience which you’ll cherish for years and years to come.
