Traveling safely and comfortably with kids
Three ways to reduce
the stress and relax while away from home
It takes a special person to travel with kids
– a parent. Children have their own needs.
Their idea of a vacation is more "adventurous"
than a parent's. They need constant stimulation
and they can get as tired as they are tiring.
There are many top ten type
lists of tips for traveling with children: how
to ensure they eat well and drink enough, how
to dress them for weather forecast variances,
how to provide the stimulation they need, how
to make sure they don't drive off with the family
car and leave you stranded in the Mojave Desert,
etc.
This list is how to travel
in comfort – without tying the children
to the car rental roof rack -- which hopefully
will reduce your stress.
Make room when you travel.
This is easier said than done. On a plane, everybody
is cramped. On a train, everybody is cramped,
although a little less so. On a bicycle... don't
even try it.
If you are planning on driving whether it be
a rental or your own, try and get a mini-van.
Sure, you might be more of
a "car" type, and you might have resisted
buying a mini-van so far. But pick up a rental
van for the vacation just to give the kids a
little more room for fighting. (Make sure it
has a roof rack, just in case.)
Reality check: Cram enough people into a tiny
space and watch everybody get stressed and enraged.
Travel accommodations along
the way can be tricky. Usually it involves a
cramped hotel/Motel for just long enough to
sleep, then back in the cramped car (or somewhat
cramped mini-van). This is not anybody's idea
of a home away from home. An accommodation alternative
is to camp. When not sleeping, you have all
the space in the world (unless you have to huddle
under the tarp while the storm passes through).
I love camping, but not everyone enjoys a good
early morning wake-up wrestle with a grizzly
as much as I do, so a motel might be required.
Make sure you have
plenty of room when you "get there".
My childhood vacations, often involved wandering
around lost. Assuming you are actually heading
for a destination, make sure to have lots of
room when you get there. This part is easy.
But it requires thinking outside the box. Forget
hotels, motels, and inns. Look for private rental
homes.
Probably the biggest destination
for families is Walt Disney World in Florida.
Good news – Orlando, Kissimmee and the
surrounding area is just teeming with private
vacation homes for rent. In Florida they call
them vacation villas, and they offer all the
space of home (without having to fix a leaky
sink or oil the door hinges or mow the lawn.)
Here are some examples of vacation home rentals
in the Disney area.
Sharon Baillie is a private
villa owner in the Kissimmee area outside Orlando,
just a few miles from Disney World. "Our
guests enjoy the spaciousness of our 6-bedroom
home. They love the private pool and the private
yard in which they can relax," she says.
"Parents love the space for children to
run around outside, and we leave a box of toys
in the garage. So while the parents rest, the
children play – and let their parents
rest!"
Be prepared for "children being children"
events.
Sometimes, stress hits you from behind when
the unexpected happens. Like a cut or a scrape
... or a child getting sick. Sharon Baillie
told me that is why she tells all her villa
rental guests where the first aid kit can be
found, and exactly where to go for medical attention.
This is particularly helpful for her many guests
from abroad, who are unfamiliar with the US
healthcare system.
Booking tickets to theme parks
and making reservations for just about everything
in advance makes the trip less stressful. There
is little more difficult than managing young
children while trying to get into a theme park
or show that requires prior booking.
And to prevent wandering around
lost, pick up a AAA Triptik in advance –
not that it ever helped us.
Try having your children baby-sat.
This might mean bringing along a nanny, such
as a grand parent (It's a tough job, but somebody
has to do it.). The car might be more crowded,
but if you've rented a spacious home for the
week, it could just be doable. The other option
is to hire a local baby-sitter once or twice.
Vacation Home owners can set this up for you,
and some hotels might be willing to, too.
For more information about
booking or hiring
a car or car
rental
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