Let’s face it before we had kids we would sit on aeroplanes, trains etc and cringe at the poor parent who was dealing with the chair kicking, loudly screaming child who no matter what wouldn’t calm down. Then as parents that first time we left the house – even for a day trip seemed to involve so much planning, packing, stressing, re-packing and then fraught journeys about whether we would all get there in one piece or turn back defeated. Why does the thought of travelling with kids seem so scary?
Personally, I know making our journey to France when Addison was just 6 months old was a monumental planning campaign. We were driving from Birmingham to the Eurotunnel then across France for five hours to a remote farm cottage with lots of things for kids to do. Apart from having to pack an absolute shed load of provisions (because we had no idea what would be at the other end) there was the problem of bulky baby items, car seats, stair gates, baby baths and baby food (because of course they don’t have babies in France) as well as a million apparently essential travel items we could not do without.
Then how would we amuse her and keep her and us sane on the journey? Would we just drive like bats out of hell and hope she slept – only stopping if she woke up and daddy running on energy drinks so he didn’t have to stop at the services? Would mummy reach the end of her tether and reach for the strategically placed bottles of gin in the picnic hamper before we had even crossed the channel?
In three and a half years we’ve avoided airports and international travel choosing to holiday in England because it seemed easier; we’ve still not found the ultimate baby & toddler friendly cottage and this is a quest of ours for 2012. We want somewhere where we can go back to every year and build memories as I did with my parents in the New Forest as a kid.
However, this year I’ve bit the bullet (or maybe lost the plot). I’ve booked us two weeks in the fun filled world of Disney World Florida. A house with a pool on a private golf complex, with a minivan and oh yes an 8 hour flight from Manchester to Florida. As one mum on twitter has already put it “blimey you’re brave…”
So as a bit of a two sided challenge I have decided to create an e-book to demistify the stress of travelling with kids.
To do this I need your help…
- I would love to hear from parents who travel regularly with their kids from babies up to the age of 5 years on your top tips for travelling with kids. How do you do it? Are you a planner or a winger? What’s your ultimate must have accessory? Where do you go that is the perfect home from home?
- Are you a company or mumpreneur who specialises in making travelling with kids easy peasy rather than totally hair raising I would also like to hear from you. Maybe you have a wonder product that means we don’t have to take something away with us or you have a game or activity to make waiting at airports or on aeroplanes fun.
- Do you run a baby & toddler friendly holiday centre, a B&B or cottage in the UK? If so then tell me about it so that I can take a look and maybe feature you too.
I want to compile an e-book with all the tips, ideas, products and places to go in one place so that other parents like me can maybe be brave enough to take the plunge of travelling with their kids without the fear that they will be the parent everyone is pointing at on the plane this summer.
Submit your ideas via email, twitter or comments below and I will feature the best in the e-book Travelling with Tots – A Stress Free Guide for Parents
I travel quite regularly with my 2 year old son by myself, mainly short domestic flights within the UK but we have been subjected to long delays in airports on one or two occassions. I now have a necessity list which keeps me sane throughout!!! I tend to have to think it out before we go as with baggage restrictions quite tight i obviously can’t take the playroom with me…unfortunately!!! 1. Portable dvd player….this is the last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted (or in my son’s case, thrown from the buggy/seat/etc!) I tend to use it in short bursts as opposed to switching it on and leaving him in front of it. 2. Flashcards 3. Pad/crayons 4. Treats that they are not often allowed (milky buttons work for my son) 5. I have an iPhone and i have to say, the applications you can download for children now are superb – check them out. I have also been able to download some movies onto my iPhone meaning i can leave the bulky dd player at home (make sure it’s fully charged, of course) 6. Keys, my son loved to play with keys, they usually buy me another 15 minutes of playtime and everyone normally has keys in their bag anyway! 7 A small amount of stain free play-doh…they can use the fold down tray in front of their seat! 8 Tip – depending on child and how busy it is – i can do this for a short while but i let my son out of his buggy whilst in the airport, he generally runs in front and we find a window where he can watch the planes take off and land. 9. Tip – In the beginning when we first travelled, i use to be so nervous and tense just thinking/waiting for him to have a tantrum but i have learned now just to take it in my stride….freaking out is pointless. You just have to get on with it! Good Luck fellow mummies/daddies
What a lovely idea. I would love to be included in your book as a stress free family holiday for families with children under 5. We have everything for our child friendly farm holidays from farm overalls and welly boots to built in stair gates, bed guards and toys and games all free of charge. Get involved with Farmer Nick’s little helpers club and help look after the animals, drive the tractor and receive a free sun hat and certificate at the end of the week. Lots of educational fun for the children and relaxing for parents.
Can I be greedy and as a Mum of 6 myself offer my travel tips. We had 6 children under 6 and travelling was never going to be easy. Foreign travel was out – not enough parents to kids for the plane! But we made regular trips to the grandparents and always did the 5 hour car journey early morning or late at night to avoid traffic, minimize stops, encourage the children to sleep and reduce the stress of travelling all day on us. We also set expectations at the start that it was a long journey that just had to be sat through and that any fuss was not going to go down well. They do need to be at least 2 to understand this last point! In car DVD players are also a great help.