Travel Tips – Traveling with a child
Traveling with a child, even a young one, is not impossible. Don’t use your children as an excuse for not traveling : we have traveled with our children for four years all around the world. During all this time they took online courses and didn’t miss anything . Read our Travel Tips for traveling with your children. If we can do it, you can do it !
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Travel Tips – A little overview on traveling with children, depending on their age
To Baby from Kindergarten
Traveling with babies is easy because they don’t need many things. They sleep a lot, and as long as they have always something to eat and are clean, there is no much trouble.
Travel tips: I recommend to pack your child’s favourite blanket and not to lose it, because it is necessary to his or her well-being. When your children want to sleep or have a slow-down, they will be happy to have their friend.
Almost everywhere in Asia or South America, you can find disposable diapers, or washable ones and of course, places where you can wash them. You don’t have to bring too many clothes, because washing them is cheap – or if need be, buying some is cheaper than in Europe or in the US.
Adapt to your baby’s age
When your baby becomes older – around 2 to 4 years – it begins to participate in your trip. Therefore, it becomes important to plan excursions adapted to your baby’s pace. Animals and nature work wonders, contrary to big cities where the result can vary. Little ones and grown-ups have to compromise.
Travel tips : Make your children draw a travel book, even the young ones. They can draw or stick entry tickets and photos of the places you visited. Help them to create it, indicating dates and a few anecdotes. They will be glad to read it when they will be older.
One thing to remember : Your children will get used to move regularly, to see other people and cultures. They only need you and some routine to feel safe : telling a story before they get to sleep, watching a movie every Saturday or eating a hamburger every Sunday.
School children
If you want to go abroad for a while or even for a year with your school children, you have many options :
- If you leave for a few months, you can talk with their teachers so they give you the work to do during your trip. Like this your children can go back to their class when you come home. Of course, it is a risk you take if they switch off.
- You can enrol them in class on the Internet.
Routine and rhythm
If you decide to make your children study while you are abroad, you will have to create some work routine every day – and adapt it to your trip, moves and visits.
Studying abroad can be restrictive for everybody – or not. We stayed four months in Thailand with our backpacks, remaining at least a week in places where tourists spend a day. We met amazing people, participated in local events and studied for French school in the same time.
One of the parents has to spend time with the children to guide them, help them to understand and check if they have done properly their work. Meanwhile, the other one can deal with the travel logistics, the next move, etc. Campervan travel can be an alternative because it makes you feel at home and lets you move as you want.
Excursions with your children can include visits of museums, national parks, but also of national school where they can exchange with other children.
You can also make a travel book. At that age, it can look like a logbook. Make writing it a daily routine and see what let its mark on your children.
Teenagers
It can be more complicated when your children are 15 or more. Friends, first love can make them want to stay. But maybe they can really enjoy to change their living environment for a few months. Or their boyfriend/girlfriend can join you ?
Today, there are Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook and others to keep in touch. Young people know probably better than you how to use them.
Tempt them
Let them choose your destination with you, they may have some special desires – not the same as yours. But if you want everybody to live exceptional experiences, you have to find activities appealing to everybody. Why won’t you do this bungee jumping ? Or at least why won’t you enable your teen to do it ?
Have you chosen an English speaking country ? Amazing ! Your teenagers will practice a foreign language every day. They will also understand the importance of foreign languages to communicate and exchange with others. Let them go out alone – in safe places. Doing so, they can have their own experiences and meet people by their own. This can make them grow up and become mature.
Trips are an amazing opportunity for everybody, not only because they make your children open up, discover other traditions and cultures and become tolerant. It is a gift far much greater than just a physical trip and it will be forever in your children’s mind.
So – when do you leave ?
For more articles to consult :
- Staying at El Porton Hotel
- Waqanki, birds and orchids refuge
- Definition of rural, sustainable and responsible tourism