Traveling and Moving with Kids

TRAVELING

Traveling with kids can be crazy at best. Here are some tips for activities in the car or plane that might make the trip a little more fun for everyone (and that don't involve a DVD player--even if you use one liberally, chances are the kids will get bored at some point).

*Make up Bingo sheets (or just a sheet of various pictures) of things you will see from the road that your kids can mark off.

You can also make up a sheet with the letters of the alphabet and with the numbers 0-9. I put ours in page protectors and then put them on a clipboard and give them dry erase markers to cross them out so we can use the same sheets over and over. Even if your child is too young to really play the game, just drawing with a dry erase marker can be fun.

*Buy little dollar store toys, or confiscate the kid's meal toys before your kids see them (if they aren't old enough to protest that--mine don't realize those meals come with toys), and then hand them out when boredom is setting in.

*Wrap the little toys to make them more appealing (and if the child is young enough, the unwrapping may use up a few more minutes).

*Buy Dum-dum's or another small sucker and offer those spaced out along the trip--I like them because they take longer than most candy to eat so I know the overall sugar damage isn't quite so bad.

*Get a bag of some sort for each child and fill it with their own snacks, books, games, projects--they'll love having their own travel bag or carry on and you won't constantly be trying to remember who has had what.

*Buy a few new books, or check out new books from the library (you can always mail them back media mail if you will be gone for longer than you can have them checked out). Richard Scarry books are great for little kids who can't read yet because they have lots of details in the pictures to keep the kids busy looking. I Spy books would also be fun--anything that is more than a 5 minute read.

*Have your child take pictures along the way of your journey and then help them make a scrapbook after you get there. They can photo lunch stops, gas stations you fill up at, intersting people or sights you see, the car/train/airplane you travel in (or all three if you're really lucky), where everyone was sitting, what their luggage looked like. You could also have them draw pictures or take notes about things that happened along the way.

*Buy disposable bibs--they make mealtimes on the go so much easier.

*Pack a change of clothes for everyone that are accessible--its always nice to not have to sit through a 5 hour flight in dirty clothes after a diaper blowout or upset stomach incident.

*Carry a light weight blanket (such as a receiving blanket or something similar) with you--it can be used as a pillow, to shade a window on a plane or in the car, a towel to clean up messes, a changing pad for a baby--it's almost as valuable as duct tape!

*Even if your kids are all potty trained, you might want to pack a pull-up if their is any chance that you child is going to panic at the thought of trying to go to the bathroom in bushes at the side of the road. We learned that from experience.

*Use a front carrier or sling for your infant in airports and train stations. I was able to travel with my 2 kids by myself this last summer by using the stroller to load up our 4 carry-ons and 2 carseats and carrying the baby in a Baby Bjorn. Now, getting from the baggage claim to the curb for pickup with our 4 suitcases was a whole different story (Just pray that there are kind people in the airport).

MOVING

Anything you can do to make the move smoother will help the kids. And anything that makes your new home feel more like "home" to them will help.

*Check out this list of kids books about moving and begin preparing them for what is going to happen by reading a couple of them together. Our favorite is the Bernstein Bears Moving Day.

*Have them help you pack up their items if they are old enough--if you aren't moving for long term, have them help pick out the few items they will take with them. Otherwise, they could still fill an "important" box that you can mark so you know its the first one that needs to be unpacked.

*Pack up the kids rooms last and load them into the truck last so they can be the first thing you unload when you get there. This way you can set up their rooms immediately and they'll have a safe, familiar place to play while you are working on the rest of the house. Make sure you have everything you need for their room together so you aren't digging through boxes to find their sheets at bedtime. And go ahead and put up pictures and other familiar items right away so they really will feel like its home.

*Try to keep routines and schedules as much as possible, especially for younger kids (and if you know your kid NEEDS those routines). If you have everything packed in one spot that they will need for that first bedtime and to be able to use their room that first night (sheets, pillows, bathtowels, bath toys, PJ's, nightlight, books, special blankets or stuffed animals, and anything else they might use on a regular basis, it will be easier to get them to bed on time and let them know that life is still going to be the same, just in a different home.

*Century 21 has tips, lists, and projects here for the kids to help them cope with the move. A few of the suggestions--have them put together a scrapbook of home (they even have pages you can download and fill-in), say goodbye to favorite places, and make a list of new "likes" as you get settled into your new home.

*Find fun activities to get involved with right away--lessons, clubs, sports teams--whatever your child likes. Even if you are only there for the summer, you can sign them up for summer camp or swim lessons, summer reading programs at the library, story times. Just try to make your new home feel exciting and fun for them and they will adjust much quicker.

*Take a walk around your new neighborhood the first day or two. It's easy to get caught up with the unpacking and want to just be done with it, but you and your kids need the break and exploring your new community can help everyone get excited about the move and the opportunities that await your family.