The holiday season just went by, and I had made the most terrible last mistake before the new year started. I took a trip with my toddlers. It was a 9-day trip to Kerala, the southernmost part of India. Unfortunately, while planning the trip, my partner and I missed out on a small detail- we were travelling with kids. And so we planned a full-fledged road trip with four different destinations, including one on the mountains.
From that ultimately stressful holiday, I have learnt a thing or two that parents should and not do. So here are some ways you can keep your cool while travelling with kids. Trust me; it’s going to be very tough.
Unlike me, who went for a 9-day long trip, kindly plan a trip for not more than five days. Why? The obvious reason- we can’t deal with the kids outside a comfortable setting of our home. Besides, a longer trip will mean more exhaustion, more stress, and more than extra packing.
So, here’s one of the biggest mistakes; I had not packed any healthy snacks or foods for kids thinking that we would get food anywhere. But let this notion not fool you. You have no idea when your kids might get hungry and how many tantrums they’ll throw on the way! So pack food. You’ll get an awesome list of foods you can pack for your dearies here! Do NOT pack sugary products like doughnuts, chocolates, sweets (no matter how delicious they sound or look).
Okay, I was pretty spot-on in that area. I had packed the kids’ windcheaters, medicines, bandages, extra undergarments, swimsuits, extra paper bags, socks and shoes. Pack the things that you hope that you don’t need because, hey, you are travelling with kids! Everything is necessary! Don’t forget to keep a bar of soap, sanitiser, wet wipes and extra hand towels, just in case they puke in the car (like mine did).
How- you ask? Keep a drawing pad (two, if you have two kids or more, accordingly) and colours. Please give it to them when they have nothing to do while sitting in the hotel room. And, of course, I am not going to lecture you about not giving them the phone to watch YouTube. Let them have their screen-time because they need it, and you do, too. If your children are a tad bit older, you can hand them a camera and ask them to click photos of things that may interest them. Give them the puzzles, pencils and paper; you’ll be stress-free for a while. You can also give them age-appropriate storybooks to delve into.
The kids want to go to the pool- Sure! They say they want pizza for lunch- absolutely! The little rugrats don’t feel like doing anything- perfect! Involve them when planning for the day- or any change of plans during the day. Ask them what they’d like to do, honour their wishes, and let them have their way for a while. The kids are on holiday, too!
Easier said than done? I know you’re stressed about their sleeping schedule, the food, that one vest you might have left in the other hotel room. I know how it adds to the stress when they have travel sickness or want to poop in the middle of the zoo, or get hungry when you’re about to leave for a music concert. All of it is stressful, and I completely feel you as a parent.
Here’s how you can manage your stress- leave them be. Let the kids enjoy. Also, give them snacks. Please, don’t panic when they puke or poop nowhere near a washroom. You got it. Please remember that you have got it. Instead of feeling all over the place, allow the situation to sink in and take charge!
It’s hard to keep calm while travelling with kids. But that’s how we learn! And that is how they know, too! Trust yourself that you have got it. You have it all together even when it feels it’s not. You are the boss and an amazing parent! Parenting is a process, and you are moving a step ahead every day!
