Travelling with kids.

This is a lot of parent’s worst nightmare, whether it’s a 4 hour car trip or an 8 hour flight, the thought of being captive with our children in confined spaces for this length of time can almost bring a man to tears!
Eliminating boredom is a lot easier than you may think


Like any trip, planning the kids entertainment for the epic first overseas holiday or the 6 hour trek to Coffs Harbour need’s as much consideration as the trip itself.
Happy kids’ means happy parents, and its all in the planning!
Done correctly, your trip will be an adventure, not a task!

These are basic rules to apply, whether it’s a plane or car journey, planning kids itineraries is the key to starting a successful holiday.

Inform them.
The first thing when getting ready to leave on a lengthy road trip or flight is to make sure the kids understand the concept of time.
No it’s not like travelling to Grandma’s (who lives 15 minutes away) its like being at kindy for a day, but longer.

They might whinge at the thought at the time, but when it comes time to board the plane, or start the car trip, they will be, in their own way, prepared.
You will never eliminate the “are we there yet” or “how long before we land”, but it will be minimised.

Getting there is part of the adventure
Though with the interstate road systems now bypassing much of our rural heritage, you can still give kid’s points of reference for a car trip. Townships with iconic names or places in our folk lore can be utilised as ‘trip markers” places they have herd about that they have never seen, Glenrowan, Gundagai, The Big Banana, the list goes on. Prep them before the journey and encourage them while on the trip to ask you questions, this can be “story time” with the kids engrossed in your telling of the trip you embarked on with your parents, even if it not quite true, it is a story!

Food.
Holidays, to kid’s, mean a number of things, including junk food! The key to this is moderation; whether it is airline food or Macdonald’s, limiting the amount of sugar, means less energy to burn, balance the junk with sandwiches, fruit and water. The more hypo we make them, the more agitated they become, the need to express themselves become paramount and tempers can fray!
With car trips, use the concept of Stop, Revive, Survive never could be more true! Ever couple of hours stop at a park or an area where the kids can run and kick a ball for 15 minutes, not just a coffee and back on the road. Burn that energy! You wouldn’t pack a lunch box full of salt & Vinegar Chips and Mars bars would you! Remember Sweats are STILL TREATS

Entertainment, both in car and in-flight
Everyone thinks that the built in, in-car DVD player is a wonderful thing, that is until you have had 4 hours of Ben 10, Scooby Doo, H2O, The Wiggles or any other kids DVD or CD playing through your stereo.

Invest in a portable DVD player with a car adaptor, this lets the kids watch what they want, when they want to, plan DVD’s to encompass three quarters of the trip, this ensures they have their own space in which to unwind but also enough time to interact with you on the trip. MP3’s and hand held games are also an important part of the mix, making the time spent in either the car or plane an experience they can enjoy, a chill out zone that’s all about them.

If the though of a DVD player, MP3 player and a portable games console sounds like too much baggage, you could invest in a Flash Card if you have a Nintendo DS or DS Lite. An Edge card, for example, transforms the DS into a video play, MP3 player and games consol all in on games cartridge, we invested $149 in two prior to our last trip to Malaysia, loaded with 40 games, 3 movies and 200 songs, we did not here a peep out of the kids for 8 hours.
This is also a point with flying; remember you CAN take hand held games, MP3’s etc for use in-flight. So you don’t necessarily have to swipe a card or pre-book a video player to keep the kids entertained.

Depending on their age, this is the start of a great adventure, if they are on a plane, let them explore it within reason, encourage questions, interact with them positively and then let them retire into their own world when they want.

Mimic their most recent routine.
This is the simplest way to put it and I will use the example of school.
Kids spend 6 hours at school, eat twice, run for 40 minutes and spend the rest of it sitting in front of a blackboard (or smart board these days) taking in lessons, newborns sleep, try to allow for their sleep patters if possible.
Emulate a routine, apply the thought process above and you will be in for a breezy start to that long awaited family holiday.