Safety Tips for Traveling With Children
Have you ever traveled with a child/children? You know it can be stressful if a plan has not been made to promote safety. Do you want a stress free trip? Here are some tried and true tips.
How many children will be going on the trip? What is the adult to child ratio? It is recommended that if possible there be one adult to two children. If this is not an option, make sure children understand what they need to do and where they need to be.
Do you have older children? Have an older child partner with a younger child to be responsible for, watch over and keep track of. Having children do a buddy system is also very helpful; this is where the two children are companions and go everywhere together. Sometimes, however, keep in mind they might get tired of being with each other. Emphasize how important it is to stay together.
Hold a council with your children to let them know what your “rules” of travel are and the expectations you have for them; make sure they understand. This can help create a stress free adventure.
Do you really know what your child is wearing? Make sure you know what colors are in the outfit your child has on or have him/her wear an outfit that is easily recognized. This can be very helpful when you need to reconnect with them. Bright colors or a distinctive outfit, etc. helps to identify your child in a crowd.
Does your younger child have a tenancy to be independent and go their own way? Having a harness can help them to stay close and yet have some freedom to be able to move. This helps to allow them some independence and yet give you the ability to control where they move or how far they toddle off to.
Are you traveling by airplane? Do you find that you are carrying your carry-on luggage as well as your child’s? Having smaller children be responsible for their own rolling suitcase helps promote a sense of responsibility for their items. A weight appropriate carry on is beneficial for the child and helps keep them close to you. Encouraging them to pull their tote keeps them focused and you maintain a keen sense of where they are. While on the plane, having a small backpack with easily accessible quiet activities could be a life saver for yourself as well as those around you.
Are you traveling in a car? It almost goes without saying that the car must be safe. If you have small children, make sure you have the proper car seats and/or booster seats. Keeping children safe is extremely important. Make sure there are no choking hazards. Make sure that the children have things to keep them occupied so the driver can concentrate on what is going on around them on the road. If you have a smaller child, keep appropriate activities close by you to be able to give to them. If your child is old enough to choose, keep toys, books, games and movies close within your child’s reach so they can pick their own activity. This helps you to be able to relax and they are able to feel they have some control of what they want to do. This helps promote stress free travel for all involved.