Traveling is a great way to see the world. Kids have attention spans that can be measured in nano-seconds and spend more and more time in front of a screen. Traveling is one way I’ve found to get them to look up once in a while.
Yet most fellow moms I know don’t travel with their kids for obvious reasons; it’s stressful and it’s challenging. When I started traveling with my two boys, crowded airports and busy streets all seemed like perfect places to lose the little ones. But you can 100% expose your kids to the globe if you put in a little prep.
1. Do Thorough Research
Going anywhere is going to be a worthwhile experience, but not every place is safe for your kids. Take a look at the crime rates of any destination you’re going to, and take necessary precautions. Figure out if vaccinations are reasonable (Hepatitis A and B are common ones) and make sure they are immunized.
2. Instruct Your Children In Advance
Make sure your kids know what to do in emergency situations before you begin your travels. Teach them to gather and freeze if they get lost or if you call them. Pick words they don’t hear all the time. “Stop” isn’t going to work because you use it all the time at home! Try words like “freeze!” or “gotcha!”
3. Update Your Medical Insurance
Your medical insurance likely has options for travel and you should definitely make sure that your kids are covered too. You can usually buy temporary supplemental insurance online or even over the phone. Be sure to check with them about medical facilities in the country you’re going to visit.
4. Update Your Medical Kit
Medicine expires and bandaids wear out, so make sure your medical kit is updated and refreshed before traveling. You never know when you’re going to need to patch up a scrape or dole out the ibuprofen for sudden headaches. Try to match the kit to the location you’re going to.
5. Vaccinate Your Kids
Different countries have different diseases, and you can save yourself a hospital stay if you just vaccinate your children before traveling. COVID-19 jabs are a given considering a tightly packed airplane, but diseases like Hepatitis, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid are still common in some places in the world.
6. Buy an RFID-blocking Wallet
It’s pretty common to have a wireless tap credit card these days, and thieves are really happy about this as it turns out, especially if you’re distracted by your kids. Using scanning tech, they can read RFID signals, and run your card without it ever leaving your purse. Fortunately, RFID wallets block such signals, making sure your money is safe.
7. Think About Food-Safety
Food safety is a constant worry, especially if your kids have allergies, but the end of the story is that you should know what you’re eating. Make sure to eat at established restaurants, and if any normal safety precautions are skipped (wearing gloves, sneezing, dirty prep area, funny smelling meat) consider skipping it yourself.
8. Distract Your Kids
Sometimes you need your kids to sit still and not wander off, so make sure you have some things with you to distract them. When you’re on a bus or the metro, a toy, cell phone, or game can keep your kids occupied.
9. Stay Away From Germs and Viruses
This can be part of your medical kit, but germs are going to happen, so why not have some antiseptic on hand. Hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, and cleaning wipes are worth their weight in gold when you have kids, and when you’re traveling, they’re like diamonds.
10. Never, ever leave them alone
It may go without saying, but you should never leave your kids alone for even a moment. Unless you have left them with trusted family or staff members, you need to know where they are and what they’re doing.
Conclusion
Traveling with your kids is difficult, but not impossible. If you know what you’re getting into and are ahead of the game when it comes to protecting kids, you can have a great time and make a memorable trip that they will remember well into adulthood.
About the Author
Mariam Simmons is a fashion trendsetter and the content manager of Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful business fashion and lifestyle guides.
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