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9 Things to Consider When Planning a Vacation With Kids

As a parent, the thought of traveling with babies, toddlers gives a worrisome face and believe it's better to wait until they are older and take care of themselves. Many of us feel discouraged as we don't know how to plan it right. Your travel trips with the littles are certainly different than traveling with only adults, or even when you are traveling with older children. A little bit of magical trips, the slower pace of these trips can change the way you travel for good.

In the trips with babies, some things may go wrong and lots of things will be right but we're sure you'll have great fun and gained a lot of memories. Due to lack of experience, there may be a few un-fun moments but overall you'll arrive at your home rejuvenated and happy. Let's read the top tips for a successful vacation with your small children:

Know your child's schedule

Know your child's schedule

If you're traveling with a baby who takes nap three times a day and cannot fall asleep easily, make a schedule that doesn't stack up plenty of activities. Make note of the nap schedule, morning wake up time, bedtime, meal and snack times of the baby. This will to plan the flights and travel itinerary very easily. It also acts as a relief and avoid the situation in which the baby becomes restless & sheds a lot of tears. Look for the things which may lead to overstimulation in kids and make plans to take a break from hustle and bustle. May be your kid just needs a stroller with the shade but some may require peaceful time in a room with mom and dad. Ensure you are prepared to handle whatever your child needs.

Skip the Car

Skip the Car

It's the best thing to do as strapping babies and toddlers in car, parking the minivan, and then unloading the huge gear will cause a lot of frowning faces every time. Then again packing up to head back for a nap will make it worse. It's better to choose a resort with tons of amenities so you can stick around the resort. Easily get back to the room for a nap, or you can easily get away from the hustle and bustle for a minute and take a break. No packing and unpacking is involved and that means lot a less stress every time.

Make a packing list

Make a packing list

Packing for babies is not simple as it sounds and they need more gear than you can think of. In case you forget something major, it can your trip harder than it really needs to be, for you and your children. Get cracking on your packing list early, use planning apps on your phone and enlist the item whenever it may strike you. Share the list with your spouse, and check them off when the packing time comes.

Some items are simple unforgettable like favorite toys, comforters, nursing cover, bottles, baby spoon, sippy cup or a plastic plate. It also supports to have a basic plan on how you’ll spend your travel days. Think through the days ahead and you’ll have a clearer vision on what you’ll need to bring with you.

Plan for free time

Plan for free time

While planning for a vacation, it's important you come up with situations that may turn out to be hard for your child. Sometimes, waiting in long lines, sitting still at a restaurant, or a state when they have to stay close to you and always holding their hand at all times is difficult.

Make sure you have planned a list of assorted activities with plenty of easy/relaxing options like a playground where they can run wild. Ensure to have flexibility in the itinerary and have rest days to rejuvenate easily. Kids can be expected to wake up tired and require rest days as can't do things like grownups.

Select a comfortable place to stay

Select a comfortable place to stay

Picking hotels or vacation rentals is tremendous hard work and you need to review your options. Ensure you prioritize comfort for you and your family. 

Elements to consider when selecting a place to stay:

Breakable items: Check for items your younger child can reach and potentially break. It can hurt your child and very hard to explain to rental owners or hotel administration. So, skip these places that have potentially breakable items. 

Space: If you need to fit more than a couple of people along with their baggage in a hotel room, it can feel small really fast. Look for a place with a little extra space.

Temperature: Some places have a climate that is very warm or very cold, ensure to reserve a place which has adequate heating and cooling. The place should be comfortable for your family.

Other items like cleanliness, noise also attract attention while booking hotel rooms and are very specific as per the needs of the vacating family.

Make comfortable sleeping set up for your family

Make comfortable sleeping set up for your family

Young children & toddlers, and probably most of us, do have a hard time falling asleep in an unfamiliar place, try to make it as familiar as you can.  Take a familiar blanket if possible, and stick to your normal bedtime routine. It’s not always feasible to recreate a home environment for your kids anywhere, but seek to be creative in coming up with something similar. Do give a thought whether your kids wish to fall asleep with you in the room, or alone with door closed.

Plan ahead for kid’s meals

Plan ahead for kid’s meals

Kids generally lose their composure when it comes to hunger as they can't wait longer. If you happen to be at a restaurant and waiting for food, there is always a smallish chance of a meltdown before their meal arrives. Carry along healthy snacks for your kid and use them to feed your kids proactively before the meal arrives. 

If possible in your vacation, plan to cook some of your meals. In case you don't have a full kitchen, just grab supplies for some simple breakfasts or lunches. A home-cooked food is always loved by kids in case they're picky eaters.

Go outdoors for fun

Go outdoors for fun

You'll always find the most relaxing vacations are the ones in which you spent most of the time outdoors. Kids just love to thrive when they are outdoors and if you can add water, then the fun just multiplies. The Beach trips, lakes, river, or even a morning time swimming pool always keep everyone occupied and happy.

You can add so many activities to the water-based trips for your kids and toddlers. The Little one’s love playing in the sand, throwing rocks in the water, or just enjoying the normal boat ride or an exciting kayak ride. Even the older siblings and adults also have fun alongside.

Schedule the rest days proactively

Schedule the rest days proactively

The sightseeing days during the vacation trips can be intense for little ones. You should plan a rest day about every 3 days of attraction visit as they'll just start to move slower and wanting to do a little bit less. Just plan a relaxing day or plan to travel more in a car where they can sleep and rejuvenate themselves. Plenty of activities exist which don't require much energy as visiting a theatre, meeting friends and families, among others.