Keeping Your Children Under Control During Trips

Let us say you have purchased cheap all inclusive holidays to Lanzarote. The deal was so good that you were able to afford extra tickets and rooms for the entire family. Yes, that means you’re going to bring your kids with you.

Now, think about this for a minute. While having your children accompany you in your trips can bring joy and wonderful moments, doing so can also bring lots of headaches. Just imagine Junior throwing tantrums after you spent too long taking photos of an interesting tourist site. Just imagine little Sarah crying her heart out after she demands to drink some water, which you forgot to bring. Just imagine carrying your baby around for a tour that involves long walks.

Here are a few easy and effective tips to ponder when you’re out there with your precious ones:

1. To avoid children from getting bored and restless (and often throwing a tantrum), give them simple toys and games to have fun with. For example, during flights that last an hour or more, I usually bring coloring books, crayons, and simple toys for my little tot whenever I take him along. He preoccupies himself by drawing or coloring pictures, or playing with some toys while I get some much-deserved rest.

2. No matter where you go with your child, always have snacks at hand. Kids easily get riled up when they’re hungry. I usually put each child’s snack in a zip lock bag, which I can access any time. To avoid a minor scuffle between two kids fighting for a chocolate bar or sweet, I always ensure that each zip lock for each kid has the same content.

3. Share responsibilities. You would be surprised how delighted kids when they are given tasks. When going on a trip, assign each family member a responsibility that is appropriate for his or her age and ability. For example, one child may be tasked to fold used linens in the hotel while the other is responsible for filling the water bottles. A teenager may be assigned to watch over his or her younger siblings in the pool. Giving children tasks also instills in them the value and importance of responsibility.

4. Let kids enjoy the trip. Don’t reprimand them for exploring an interesting part of a ruin or trying out a local food. A trip is supposed to be an opportunity for children to discover the world; so let your cheap holidays be an enjoyable, educational one.

With these tips, you are now ready to take your kids with you anywhere in the world.