Keep a tight schedule!
by Alex
(San Diego, CA)
As someone who traveled a lot as a child and has done some traveling as an adult with children, the number one piece of advice for kid friendly travel that I can offer is to keep a tight, well-scheduled itinerary.
Children, as we all know, have very short attention spans. I’d like to think that I was a patient child but still, especially on long road trips, I grew restless easily. When planning your trip, try to plot a route that is the fastest way to your destination while staying away from the more desolate passages. I know that as adults we sometimes want to take the scenic route and enjoy the beautiful sights that exist between our houses and vacation destinations. Still, I have never seen children get more restless and difficult than on such roads.
Children will be asking to go to the bathroom; to stop to eat, complain that they are bored, and ask how long is left in the trip until you go insane either way, but it is definitely curbed if you are always or at least often within reach of a rest stop or some kind of civilization. Now, this isn’t always possible, but planning your route in a way that takes advantage of these resources can drastically change a child’s attitude during the trip.
Because of the short attention spans that I mentioned, the time after arrival should also be as regimented as possible. Sure, there should be enough downtime (especially for you to regain the energy to deal with the kids) but a steady stream of carefully planned sightseeing or entertainment will ensure that both you and your children are constantly distracted and having fun and a distracted child has a lot more trouble being difficult than a bored one.
