As most parents know there is nothing more scary then planning a long trip with young children involved, invariably there is some sort of melt down from someone due to the time spent cooped up in whatever form of transport you are using at that time.
Since Oliver has been born we’ve had three trips to Greece to see family with him and then Leo as well as long car journeys and even an hour boat ride.
As a result we have had to plan how we are going to keep the kids amused for the journey and, this applies to a plane, how are we going to make sure we aren’t the family with the screaming kid. To that end we have come up with five top tips for travelling with two young kids.
1. Number one is simple, and to be honest obvious, but plan your journey.
This is a natural when you are travelling by plane but also essential when travelling a long distance by car. It is important to know which roads you will be on and for how long.
2. When travelling a long distance by car babies shouldn’t be in a car seat more then two hours so you will need to make regular stops, so therefore not is it only essential to know the roads you are going to be travelling on but also where any stops or services are to give your children and you a much needed rest.
3. When travelling by plane or boat make sure you have packed everything you can think your children will need. When we flew a couple of years ago we got Oliver a little Thomas carry on case that he then filled with a few toys and we put snacks and a few bits for Leo and also a tablet computer with some downloaded videos for them to watch. That way we knew we wouldn’t be those dreaded parents with those kids that scream all the way.
4. One of the main things about travelling with kids is making sure you stay calm and collected. If you seem in control (even if underneath you feel stressed) you’re kids will stay calm and not stress out about having to be cooped up for hours on end.
5. And finally….. The most important piece of advice we can give is have fun. Make the journey as fun as possible and it will feel like it went a lot quicker.
If all else fails take ear plugs so you can’t hear your kids playing up.
a family’s journey 