“Are we there yet?” is a common phrase for any adult that travels with a child. Why is this? Children are “antsy” and sitting still with nothing to stimulate their senses causes them to get bored very quickly. So how do you travel with your family with outyou’re your child getting “antsy”? The answer is simple, prepare.
Every family desires to take that family vacation, so make it enjoyable. When traveling with a child be sure to keep their minds occupied. The great thing is that everything you need to do this can fit in a small duffel bag and be brought anywhere, regardless of whether you are driving, taking a train, bus, plane, or boat. To keep your child at ease use the tips below:
- Music—Unfortunately most family members will not be able to agree on a specific type of music so when packing cd’s be sure to bring the portable CD players as well. Another idea would be to copy your CD’s to your computer and then make a compilation CD that has a little of everything to satisfy everyone's tastes.
- Books on CD—This one might be a tough one to sell as children today are less likely to read a book, but everyone enjoys listening to a story. Try to find something that they are interested in, such as “Harry Potter” or “The Lord of the Rings”. These books can last for hours and result in some peaceful drive time.
- Snacks—Stay away from sugary snacks as that can make your children hyper and cause more boredom than necessary. You should pack some sandwiches and some juice. If you are lucky they may take a nap after eating a decent meal.
- Games—Hand held games can be fun, but be sure they have a set of headphones because the beeping can get annoying really quickly. An alternative to the hand held game are games like “I Spy” and “20 questions” as they will get the whole family involved and create some of the bonding time that you planned this trip for in the first place.
- Puzzle Books—Puzzle books can occupy your child's mind for a little while as well, but try to avoid books that have a lot of writing, or small images, as the movement of the car can cause your child to feel sick, and then you not only have a bored child but a sick, cranky, bored child. So much for the family bonding time.
- Leave early—By leaving early in the morning your child will be more likely to sleep through the first portion of the trip.
- Make Frequent Stops—Make a pit stop regularly. It may take you longer to reach your destination but it will ease your child a little as they will enjoy the fresh air, streatching their legs, and being out of the cramped space of the car. This will also help to keep your child in a good mood when you get to your destination. What good would a car trip be if when you got to where you were heading everyone was mad at one another?
Hopefully these tips will help to keep your family bonding time rich and enjoyable. So grab your family, gas up the car, and head out on the open road for a great time with your family.
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Duffelbags.com
Cases and boxes can hinder your travel, so when you need to travel, by car, boat, foot or any other way be sure to bring the necessities with you by packing it all in a duffel bag. If you are traveling over seas, or some where that you don’t want to have a large bag, and only have a few small items to bring try a fanny pack. Duffelbags.com has all this and more, so before you travel visit Duffelbags.com and find what you need.
