Traveling with children will be a memorable event
– the question is “What kind?” Your
chances of a lifetime memory you will cherish increase
significantly with some advance communication and
preparation.
The book, Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free
Forever, outlines a five-step process you can apply
to organizing any area of your life – including
traveling with children of any age. Make the children
a part of the trip by letting them help you plan.
Your children will enjoy the trip more if they feel
they have some say about the agenda. Get books from
the library, or do an Internet search, on the area
you plan to visit. Give them some options of what
to do and actually use some of their suggestions.
Who knows? You may enjoy their suggestions more than
you think.
Here is a guide to vacationing with children, using
the 5 steps:
1. Design your vision.
The first step to happy memories is good communication.
Start scheduling family meetings to plan – the
earlier the better. At the first meeting, ask each
member of the family to describe what he or she would
like to have in order to have a wildly successful
vacation. It’s a great idea to put some structure
into this discussion. Use a flip chart and have family
members take turns recording answers. Subsequent meetings
can be used to work out each of the next steps.
2. Eliminate your obstacles.
Mark Twain is credited with saying “Progress
starts with the truth.” Certainly that applies
in this situation. For example, some teens simply
do not think it’s “cool” to travel
with mom and dad. If you want your teens to enjoy
their travel experience, make sure you understand
what they like and dislike. With young children, keep
in mind “less is more.” A swim in the
hotel pool may be a much better choice than another
two hours at the theme park.
3. Commit your time.
There could be several issues here. If your teens
are working, they may resent having to miss work –
or they may be delighted. In either case, find out
their preferences, and see what you can do to accommodate
them without jeopardizing your own needs. One of the
issues likely to come up is the daily travel schedule
itself. Young children need naps, teens may want to
sleep late, while parents relish the idea of “getting
an early start.” Compromise is probably the
best solution here.
4. Select your tools
Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, one of the things
my daddy taught me was “Half of any job is having
the right tool.” While you may think it’s
ridiculous to think about “tools” for
a vacation, it is really essential. For example, if
it is impossible to reach a compromise about the music
on the car CD player, headphones for individual players
could be a godsend!
Tools can also include systems for the way you handle
situations. One of the major keys to success in organizing
any activity is focusing on individual strengths –
if one child is particularly adept at photography,
make them the official family photographer, while
another might be a great navigator.
5. Maintain your success
At the end of each day, take a few minutes for a
“Check-In” session. What was the best
thing that happened that day? Why? How can we make
sure we have more like it? What didn’t work?
Why? How can we eliminate the situation in the future?
Make sure you use this process at the end of the vacation
– make some notes and put them in your GO System
File (LINK HERE to http://productiveenvironment.com/index.asp?name=
GO%5FSEMINARS&new=true&leftnav=true&lid=66)
for next year’s planning.
Here are some general tips you can use to ensure
a great vacation:
• Choose age appropriate destinations. This
doesn’t mean every trip has to involve a theme
park or sports event; it simply means keep the trip’s
educational value at a level they can comprehend and
appreciate. If your children’s ages span a wide
range, have at least one activity geared to each child.
Picking a hotel with a pool can make a big difference!
• Lay the ground rules early. Before you even
leave the house, make sure your children know what
is and isn’t acceptable behavior on the road.
As elementary as this may seem, if you don’t
tell your children what you expect, how can they oblige?
• Let the children pack their own suitcases
as much as possible. Make sure each child has a small
carry-on bag for which they are responsible. Include
things they can do on the road or in the air--a walkman
and tapes, comic books, handheld video games, etc.
• Decide ahead of time about seating arrangements
and make contingency plans in case requested seats
are not available.
• Establish a meeting place at each stop. Nothing
could be worse that having a child get lost in an
unfamiliar environment. Whenever you visit a location,
identify a spot where the family can meet if you happen
to get separated, or carry cell phones or pagers.
• Carry current photos of your children. That
way others can help you locate your lost child. If
your child can tell time, make sure they take a watch!
• Pack a first aid kit. Face it. Kids will
be kids. That means scraped knees, bug bites, and
cuts and bruises. When traveling with children, always
keep a first aid kit handy.
• Check for children travel specials. Pre-planning
can save you lots of money. Many airlines, restaurants,
and hotels offer discounts for children, whether it’s
a "kids stay or eat free" deal or a "half-off
children’s rate.” Let Internet-savvy children
put their mouse to work for a happier vacation.
The most important thing to remember – flexibility.
Traveling with children of any age is always a challenge.
Spend more time enjoying the precious memories you
will be creating and less time fretting over what
could go wrong. Keep your sense of humor in full swing
and happy traveling.
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's
Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper
Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It:
Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill
Productivity Institute is to help individuals and
organizations create and sustain a productive environment
so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their
lives. We do this by organizing space, information,
and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at
www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Back to Tips Index
TRAVEL
ADVICES & SUGGESTIONS
