This is a guest article provided by Safety1st.
According to AAA last year 94.5 million people were on the roads, train tracks or in the skies during the holiday season. That’s a lot of people! Then add your own kids into the mix of congestion and for some it can mean holiday headaches. However, Safety 1st has some tips to help fight some of those headaches this season.
1. Avoid peak travel days –Try not to fly or drive the days immediately before and after the actual holiday. Those are the busiest travel days. However, if you fly or take a train you might save money by traveling on the actual holiday, the roads are less congested too.
2. Prepare your child for the trip – Holiday parties can be overwhelming with sensory overload. Especially for young children it’s good to talk about the upcoming trip days even weeks in advance. This will help him or her get excited about the journey. Show photos of family members or friends your child has not met yet, this way the new face might be a little familiar on arrival.
3. “Are we there yet?” – To help avoid that dreaded phrase an hour into your six hour trip reserve a bag just for the kids, include books, toys, diapers a change of clothes and snacks. Pre-load a tablet or smartphone with kid friendly apps or games. If you are driving keep all necessary items such as wipes, hand sanitizer or tissues easy to reach in a second – there are times you may not want to be digging through the bottom of a bag for such items. The Safety 1st Car Door Sanitation Station is a great solution.
4. Car Seats – If you are flying check to make sure your car seat is FAA certified. If it’s not clearly labeled contact the manufacture. For parents with older children the Safety 1st BoostAPack can double as a kid survival kit, it’s FAA certified, and will fit in the plane overhead bin. If you are driving make sure your car seat is installed correctly. If it’s been awhile since you visited a car seat check, it’s recommended to check your seat with a Certified Child Safety Technician in advance of your trip. Safercar.gov is a great resource.
5. Prepare the guest room – If your child will be sleeping in a Play Yard during the trip, use that for bed or nap time the entire week before. This will help him or her get used to a new sleep environment. Also if your infant or child sleeps better in a dark room or tends to wake up early with the morning light, bring garbage bags or dark fabric to tape over windows.
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Do you plan on traveling for the holidays? If so, let me know where you’re going!
Lisa Coomer Queen says
Great information here. Thank you so much!
heather Olson says
I love the travel tips
Sandra Watts says
I’m the parent of a teenager and sometimes its just as hard going on a trip with him. LOL
Sandra G says
Thanks for sharing this info!
Tiffany Dover says
Now these are some great tips!!! I didn’t even think about some of these!!
William Wilson says
Keep plenty of activities on hand of long trips. Great article. Thanks.
Kayla (@YayGiveaways) says
Wow, I need to pin this for later. We are having our first in a few months!
Barbara Platt says
I’m so happy we don’t have to do the travel with kids anymore. It was hard to spend every vaca on the road. Now, we can stay home and enjoy time with the family
Tiffany Segress says
Great information. Thank you for posting.
Nichole Smith says
These are some great tips! I would add, leave when the kids are tired so they sleep most of the way and schedule in lots of stops just for getting out and moving around a bit.
Linda Manns Linneman says
Thank you for sharing these great tips. Many of us will use these tips over the holiday and any time we travel
Tamra Phelps says
These are good tips. Now, can someone tell me how to stop my niece & nephews from arguing incessantly, lol!
V. Mayer says
Thanks for the helpful info!
Beverly Strong Chisnall says
Thank you for sharing. My kids are grown but now I have grandbabies, It is always good to hear more about how to be safe and tips on anything.
Tiffany Becker says
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
madjack9 says
awesome
Gina G says
Thanks for these tips. I am not sure how my boys will do away from home, and you’ve given me hope that with a little preparation, I can keep them safe and comfortable.
DEBRA GIFFORD says
Thanks for the tips on child safety. There can never be enough of this for young parents.
Karen Jaras says
My grandkids are getting numerous so we travel to them during the holidays. I look forward to being able to stay home and have them visit.
Angela W says
GREAT tips!! Thanks for sharing this will help on our next trip
Chrissie W says
Thanks! Great article!
Regina says
These are all useful travel tips..thanks for the helpful ideas.
laura rubenstein says
Great tips! Thanks You 🙂
VJ says
Great tips!
Jen says
All good tips. Thanks!
crystal mccord says
Loved the tips!
cami valenzuela says
We travel every 6 months back to az. I learn something new eveeveryrime lol. You have awsome tips.
Jayme says
Great info
Catherine Wooster says
Both my kids were content to read,as am I when traveling
Terri S. says
Seems like yesterday when my now grown kids used to constantly say, “Are we there yet?”. Now my daughter and her husband hear those dreaded words from their 2 little girls on long road trips. They have learned to pack a bag for each girl that has activity books, toys and snacks.
Backpacking Travel says
I’ve learn some just right stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting.
I wonder how a lot attempt you put to create this type of fantastic informative site.
Christy Anderson says
Great tips for the holiday travels coming up! Hope our tips go smoothly with these tips!
Amanda Schaeffer says
These are great tips thank you for sharing this I will be packing a bag ahead of time the next time we hit the road
Carlos Flores says
Really good tips, I would like more!
Kaylin Bruce says
Seriously tablets have been a lifesaver for traveling with little ones. Also, we recently purchased a brand new van which has a DVD player in it. Save us so much headache from dealing with the, “Are we there yet?!”… Although, we are forced to listen to the movie also. I like the tablets a little more.
miky says
Excellent tips thank you for the information!
Karen Blasier says
There is a lot of great useful info here, especially for first time parents.
Maegan Cooper says
Great tips!
Nick Neagle says
These are great tips. Keeping them thinking and busy while on travel usually works. Once they get older its even tougher!
S. Caldwell says
Thank you…