Anyone embarking on a journey who has heard the infamous wail ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ will be interested in the answer to this all important question! Particularly if you’ve barely left the house and the children are already asking when you will be at your destination. Keeping the kids happy can start right at the beginning of your journey, even before you set off. Follow these tried and tested tips and approaches and set yourself up for a less stressful trip;
For many children it’s simply that the boredom factor strikes and they need activities to occupy them during the journey. Others, however, may have different reasons for feeling unhappy. Perhaps they feel unwell on long journeys and because of this have developed an associated fear of travelling? Preparing for this eventuality without panicking the child is essential. Plan for fresh air breaks where possible if the child feels sick or claustrophobic, and explain that you will be stopping for a break to give the child something to look forward to. Or, if you’re travelling by plane or train take the opportunities as they arise to stretch your legs and go for a wander with your child, pointing out things of interest as you move about. Distraction can work wonders at making children feel better.
1. Identify what makes your child unhappy on long journeys
Some children may feel unhappy on journeys because they simply don’t want to go away; unusual, but it does happen, for example, perhaps they don’t want to leave close friends at home, or will be missing an event, such as a party, while you are away that they really want to attend. Getting your child involved in the preparation for the journey can help. There is some fantastic children’s luggage on the market and kids suitcases needn’t be boring. Most children love choosing their favourite books or toys to take away with them and getting them excited about packing their stuff will help get them excited about the journey itself. Any childrens suitcase that has wheels on or a favourite character is bound to be a winner such as the Samsonite luggage for kids. Childrens luggage trolleys are great because your child will love to feel grown up and independent with their own set of wheels, just like mum and dad!
2. Make sure your child is comfortable
It may seem an obvious one, but when you are rushing to pack the car up, or squashing into your seat on a plane or train, comfort is often given a back seat. A comfortable child will be a happier child. There are some great travel neck pillows available, in the shape of animals, for example, that children will enjoy using and which may encourage them to relax on long journeys.
3. Be organised – have things to hand
There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you have packed something to keep the kids happy on your journey but it is in the bottom of a bag somewhere in the boot, or in the luggage hold. If you are travelling by car you will find a car tidy or car organiser invaluable. Some car seat organisers literally fix round the back of the front seats so that your child can have their favourite toys, cds, comics and books immediately within their reach, without having to pester you for them! Others fit on the seat next to the child.
4. Have plenty of travel games up your sleeve
When your child tires of the toys and activities they have brought with them they will invariably turn to you for entertainment. Some of the best childrens travel games are word games. In any case it is often a good idea to encourage your child to take a break from what they are doing and look out of the window to avoid car sickness. Word games can provide this kind of fun break and get everyone involved. Why not try the old classics such as ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with xxx’ and see who can guess first? Or, the alphabet game, where you have to look out of the window and work your way through the alphabet finding objects that begin with A, B, C etc. This one can get noisy as people will be shouting out their answers – only one winner per letter and someone will have to keep score! If you need a helping hand with some more creative ideas there are also plenty of travel games for kids available, designed specifically to amuse and entertain on journeys.
5. Have plenty of snacks and drinks available
Everyone feels better on a long journey after a refreshing drink or snack. And you can do things in style and comfort if you use a bag cooler. Children may even enjoy having their own insulated lunch bag; anything you can do on a confined and lengthy journey to give kids as much freedom and control as possible will mean they are happier and more content. There are some fun childrens lunch bags available and because you can keep things cool and fresh you don’t always have to resort to sweets and chocolate which may result in hyperactive behaviour; instead you can pack them with healthy treats such as chopped fruit and vegetables, yoghurts and cheese. Don’t forget the wipes for messy hands!
Whether you’re planning a family day out or a longer trip away follow this advice and you could make your journey part of the fun, rather than the bit you have to get out of the way before you start enjoying yourselves.
Happy travelling!
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In Seth Godin’s latest blog post he writes “Brilliant editors and venture capitalists have the ability to get excited about a project that perhaps doesn’t match their taste–or to criticize it based on experience, not selfishness. This is a really valuable skill, as it requires empathy, experience and judgment, not just the knee-jerk ability to pontificate”.
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reminded him of Dr Seuss ……
