Traveling with your children is priceless but it can also be stressful so find out here how you can minimize the stress.

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Traveling is such an enriching activity but it becomes even more memorable when you are with your loved ones. However, it is a different story altogether though when you are bringing children with you. 

9 Ways To Minimize Stress When Traveling With Children

Traveling with kids

Bringning your children with you when you travel is so much fun. As a parent, it also makes me happy to see my kids smiling in awe when they see, for example, the beach or any beautiful scenery. Those priceless experiences are gifts that I want to give my children as much as I can.

However, with their insatiable curiosity and limitless energy, it can be a little challenging to bring your children along. You have to constantly watch them or they might get bumps, scratches, and even bites. You have to pack extra clothes for them, snacks, milk, and even an emergency kit with their medicines in it.

Despite all the effort of bringing your children when you travel, we are firm believers that children should be exposed to the wonders of the world early on. Education from experience is, after all, deeply profound and more memorable.

Making family travel stress-free

So, how do you make traveling with your children fuss-free, enjoyable, and memorable? Here are some tips based on our experience:

1. Ensure that your kids are vaccinated

When we told our pediatrician that we were bringing our eldest son along with us to Bohol, she told us that it's best that we complete his upcoming vaccination before our trip. And that's just what we did. Miguel had a vaccine due in about a month so he took that just a few days before our flight.

Vaccination is important before you head out to your family adventure because that will ensure that your baby's immune system is ready to ward off diseases and viruses, especially in areas where there is a huge volume of tourists. 

Consult your pediatrician about your planned trip and make sure that your children's vaccines are complete. If you have a sick child, do not take them with you as this will just worsen what they are feeling.

2. When you are outside, always put your kids' safety on top priority

Always prioritize your child's welfare and safety. You should never compromise that. When planning for your holiday, Consider destinations that are child-friendly. That means crossing out places that are rough or which involve extreme activities like kayaking, white-water rafting, climbing mountains, and other similar ventures. 

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Meanwhile, you might just want to opt for a city tour with side trips to museums, an excursion to a candy factory, or a visit to a historical site.

Kids love water; the beach is especially exciting for them. If you will take them swimming or even when just going near a body of water, don't take your eyes off them! 

There are a lot of accidents involving children in bodies of water, no matter how seemingly shallow these may seem.

3. Dress your children comfortably at all times

You may be tempted to dress your children up in cute clothes or costumes when you travel. These may look fun but make sure that these are comfortable to wear. 

Give your children clothes that are cool, breathable, and easy to move in. Children will get easily irritated if they are uncomfortable and sweaty. And you should dress comfortably as well. It's hard to be chasing kids if you are not dressed appropriately.

4. Bring child-friendly gadgets

Bring gadgets and devices that children can easily operate. According to Rough Guides, giving children cameras can make traveling extra fun. 

Look at their snapshots and you'll be surprised to see how different our surroundings are from your child's perspective. Giving them something to tinker will also keep children busy and interested.

5. Don't forget to bring their medicines and vitamin supplements

Emergencies happen when they are least expected. What's more, it can even be panic-inducing when you are in an unfamiliar place where you do not know where the next hospital or drugstore is. 

A good medicine or first-aid kit containing children's medications such as paracetamol, loperamide, probiotic supplements, anti-histamine, and insect bite rub would always come in handy when you are traveling. Also, traveling should never be an excuse to skip your children's multivitamin supplements.

Also, if your child is not yet too fond of solid “adult” food, don't forget to bring enough infant formula and baby food with you. Alternatively, you may want to bring easy-to-process fruits and vegetables with you for a healthier option.

6. Pack small meals for kids

A hungry toddler is almost as worse as a rabid raccoon. They'll raise hell, not minding the people around them when they want food. 

As such, bring light snacks like crackers, small sandwiches, or even packed lunch so that you can appease your hungry child even when you are busy with your outdoor adventure. And don't forget to bring them water or their favorite drink!

7. A stroller is your best friend

It might seem impractical to be carrying a stroller around when you are traveling. But believe me, you will save yourself loads of headache when you bring a stroller. 

Babies and toddlers sleep during the day so when they do, have something ready where you can put them down when they snooze. Thus, bringing a stroller is always a good idea. 

8. Teach your kids how to behave in unfamiliar communities

According to Lifehacker, whenever you are about to embark on a journey, always teach your children how to behave -- while on the flight, when exploring a new place,  or when trying the food for the first time. 

Teach children that some people are not like us, they do not dress up like the rest of us, and they eat food that we might not normally know of. Let's tell our children that these are normal and should not be made fun of.

Take advantage of the opportunity to impart new learnings to your kids, especially on how to relate with people of different races or cultures.

9. Don't rush your trips or jam-pack your itineraries

Always take things slow. Take time to linger around a place to allow your children to better appreciate and marvel at the beauty around them. Remember, they are infinitely curious so allow them to satiate that curiosity.

Also, don't rush children because it can cause them stress and may give them any negative experience. Remember to just enjoy each minute with your family because you are creating happy memories with them.

Epilogue

These are just some of the tips I gathered from friends who bring their kids when they travel as well as from my researches.

How about you, do you have any particular advice when you travel with your children? Share them with us in the comments section below.

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Also read: 6 Ways Traveling Can Change Your Life