The day has finally arrived.  Reservations are confirmed, bags are packed, you and your kids are out the door – the family vacation has begun!  Soon, you have settled into your car or hopped onto the plane and you are already enjoying the fun.  Now wait.  Did you read that correctly?  Enjoy the travel?  Yes!!  Your vacation fun can begin the moment you leave your home, not just with your family’s arrival at the final destination.  Getting there should be half the fun! 

Planning Makes All the Difference

Sounds like a great idea, but what about the reality?  How do you deal with the whining sibling spats, and how-much-longer’s?  How can reruns of family feud be replaced with family fun?

Asking this question of seasoned parents generates a multitude of responses from Dramamine and Prozac to togetherness and communication!  What produces such a spectrum of answers?  Usually, the quality of the planning.

Good planning can make the difference between tranquility and turmoil.  Although planning traveling time takes some effort, the results are well worth it.  For those of you previously of the “medication mindset,” these travel tips should be quite beneficial!

Expectations – Yours and Theirs

What do you expect on the trip and are your expectations realistic?  Can children be perfectly silent the entire trip?  Can they be perfectly still?  Even though that may sound like a bit of heaven to you, the answer is a definite NO.  This does not mean that total mayhem is the other option!  One thing you can do is to designate QUIET times. It's vital to your sanity and the kids need a break from each other, too. Also, be sure that your children understand the traveling rules and know the consequences of misbehavior before starting out on the trip.

Keep in mind that your children may have expectations, too.  This can be addressed by allowing your children to help you plan.  Rather than assume that the parents will “entertain” the entire trip, allow older children to choose the toys, books and music they want to bring along.  If they can tell time, show them how long the trip will take.  For those that cannot, try equating the time to something they do understand, like a favorite TV show.  For instance, telling a 4 year old that it will take 8 whole Sesame Streets to get there will help them to comprehend the amount of time to be spent traveling!

For older children, the Internet can provide maps to help them see the route and choose any side diversions along the way.  Then rather than expect to stop at every fast food restaurant between home and the hotel, they can look forward to stopping at predetermined locations.  This type of planning empowers the children, which both gives them a sense of control and encourages them to try to help you on the trip.  Remember, it is their trip too. 

Scheduling for Physical Needs

Although you may have taken car trips with nothing but pit stops for gas, you can no longer expect to drive straight through, especially with young children.   A good rule of thumb is to take a 15-minute break for every 2 hours on the road.  Stash a ball, a Frisbee, or a jump rope in your trunk for these breaks so your children can burn off some energy. 

A sensible schedule would include starting early and driving for a couple of hours while the children are still asleep. Time your arrival for late afternoon so that you can have some time to unwind by taking a swim in the hotel pool or playing at a playground. In the case of rainy weather, indoor shopping malls make great places for everyone to stretch their legs.

Besides the ability to get out and stretch, your children will want food and drink – and often!  Prepared snacks will definitely come in handy. Excellent choices include pretzels, raisins, crackers, string cheese, dry cereal, fruit, carrots and celery. Take care to do as much of the prep work in advance as you can.  For example, peel oranges at home and wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.  An idea to make snacks more interesting is to put them in special decorated baggies to pique your child's interest. This also makes it more convenient for you – you will spend less time passing food back and forth across the front seat.  A water bottle for each child is also a must! Water is thirst quenching, doesn't stain if spilled, and children drink less than a sweetened beverage (less potty breaks!).

Airplanes rides have their own unique requirements.  Know what to ask for on the airline. Pillows, blankets, playing cards, and often, fun packs for junior travelers, are all there for the asking. Additionally, you can request special meals for your children (do so at least 48 hours in advance).  Airlines really go out of their way to make these meals appealing to your kids!

Entertainment Planning is a MUST

Once you are sure that everyone will be well fed, you need to find other things to occupy their time.  Some ideas include coloring books, paper and crayons, rubber stamps with inkpads, and finger puppets. A simple deck of cards will go a long way with older children and vinyl window clings may keep the younger set busy while you are driving. And don’t discard the value of simple hand held electronic games. Avoid noisy toys since you and everybody else will have to listen to them over and over.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a FAMILY vacation, and some activities should be done as a family!  For instance, you can check out books on tape from the library and listen to them together. There are also many travel games you can play. Children are always delighted to have your undivided attention and will enjoy playing the following games with you:

·         I Spy I spy something green........and name it

·         The Alphabet Game Locate the letters of the alphabet in sequence on signs

·         I'm Going on a Trip and I'm Taking   Name something starting with "A". The second persons repeats your word and adds one starting with "B" and so on through the alphabet

·         Counting Games Assign each child a color, such as green, and count how many green cars he sees in a given time frame.

·         The License Plate Game See who can add up the numbers the quickest. You can also make words out of the letters or see how many different states you can identify.  

Another great activity for long road trips with the whole family is singing. Write down the names of your children's favorite songs on separate pieces of paper and mix them up in a small bag.  While you are traveling, take turns pulling one piece of paper out of the bag and singing the song that's written on the paper.

To keep children entertained and well-behaved during long airplane trips, buy a small, inexpensive cart with wheels. Go to a dollar store and fill the bag with "surprises". During the flight, give them one surprise every 30 minutes or so. You will be amazed at how entertained they can stay.

Finally, consider buying each of your children a disposable camera for the trip. They are inexpensive, easy to use and the kids will be excited to know that they can capture their own memories! 

Traveling with children can be fun and rewarding, so begin creating vacation memories the moment your leave your driveway.  Remember – this is your vacation that you have sweated, saved and planned, to enjoy with them – SO  ENJOY!

Teri Clark is a published author in the field of real estate, finance, and investing. Her interest in the new and different has also led to a successful online writing career. Of her five published books through Atlantic Publishing, 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now and For More Money Than You Thought was a 2007 Eric Hoffer Award winner as well as a Finalist in the 2007 USA Best Books Awards, How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorating & Home Staging Business was a Finalisit in the 2008 USA Best Books Awards, and Private Mortgage Investing won an Honorable Mention in Foreword Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Award. She can be reached via her website: www.teribclark.com .

Related Articles in the Deluxe Edition

Pack Light but Right By Claire Bush My husband went on an Army mission to Iraq for over a year.   Before he left, I spent eighteen exquisite days with my best friend and eternal companion and my seven gifts, my children.  The day we said good-bye was hard, as anyone can imagine..... Join to read more .... Are you a member?  Login and read	Flying with Very Young Children By Helena Gray The holidays can be a stressful time, especially if you are planning to fly with small children to see friends or relatives.  It would be hard enough during this time of year if you were just flying.... Join to read more .... Are you a member?  Login and read