Traveling with Kids - Tips to Enhance Your Trip

It’s that time of year: school will soon be out, and our vacation travel plans are inching closer. As parents, we have big plans and (sometimes) even bigger expectations for what our family vacations will look like. 

It makes sense! Vacation is fun and exciting, and we want to create new experiences and fond memories for our kids. But, vacation also marks a huge change for our kids, who tend to thrive in our everyday predictable routines. Travel takes those routines and scrambles them up; that change in routine and environment can bring kids to dysregulation. And, repeated or continued dysregulation throughout the duration of a family trip can lead to a less-than-ideal experience. 

So, as we prepare for travel, we should also think about the ways we support our kids, so that they can adapt to their changing surroundings, and enjoy the vacation with their family. We’ve got a few suggestions for things to consider as you prepare for your trip! 

1. Set Reasonable Expectations: Traveling with kids is just not the same as traveling with other adults, and while we go on vacations to relax and have fun, we also need to remember one very important fact: traveling requires a lot of flexibility and adaptability from our children, and they’re likely still developing those skills. One of our jobs as parents - even on vacation - is to support our kids’ regulation, so that they can be as flexible and adaptable as possible.
2. Keep Some Routine: This one can be tough while traveling. But, keeping some elements of your family’s typical routine will help your kids maintain regulation, as they navigate a new environment. Maybe you stick to your usual morning and bedtime routines to start and end each day in a familiar, calming way.
3. Plan for the Stage: This one goes along with reasonable expectations! When we’re planning vacation it’s important to plan according to our kids’ ages. Everyone will enjoy vacation more if it is planned to accommodate each family member!
4. Plan Down Time: Kids need time to relax - even (especially?) in the excitement of travel! It’s easy to get caught up trying to squeeze in too many activities when you’re visiting a new, exciting place. Build rest time into the itinerary! And, if you’re traveling across time zones, you’ll want to budget extra downtime to account for time change challenges. 
5. Prepare A Plan B: Things won’t always go as planned! For example, maybe you anticipated being outside every day, but the weather doesn’t cooperate. You’ll want to have indoor activities on deck, with a willingness to adjust as you go! 
6. Know Your Kids: Some kids "go with the flow" and adapt well to new environments and changing plans, while other kids might benefit from an itinerary or schedule to reduce their stress. Planning for YOUR kids' specific needs will help the trip run more smoothly. 
7. Be Ready With Backup Activities: Prepare backup activities for the car and/or flight - especially if your kid gets motion sickness. Screens can trigger motion sickness, so having books, audiobooks, magnets, or travel games can be helpful. The last thing we want to do is add stomach upset to the equation! 
8. Pack Less & Find a Place with Laundry: This one can save so much stress when traveling with young kids, who can’t manage moving bags through airports and cities. Packing light means easier management of your luggage; staying at a place with laundry allows you to pack minimally and wash clothes as you need them. You’ll be less stressed about your bags, and more able to focus on the kids!

We hope these tips help you prepare for your summer family trip! While traveling with the whole family may feel a bit different than the days of vacationing only with other adults, we truly believe that clear expectations and appropriate supports can help your kids to remain regulated, even through travel-change. And that will support a calm, regulated, and fun trip for the whole family!