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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment magazine in the UK“, packing for a road trip is a responsible thing to do, especially if you plan to travel with little ones. Here’s how to overcome a long road trip with children.
When Take Children on a Trip
Parents determine the age from which it’s worth taking children on the road themselves. Even with an infant, traveling is realistic, but the optimal age is from 6-8 months because during this period, the baby sleeps more often. But there is more trouble with one-year-old babies.
Before traveling far, practice on short distances. To get your baby used to the cradle or chair, take them on small trips around the city more often.
If your baby doesn’t tolerate the road, think about whether it’s worth it to go on a long trip. Perhaps they need to grow up a little more and get used to traveling by car. In this case, the time that the baby spends in the car should be gradually increased, watching the child’s reactions. You will know when they are ready.
How to Prepare the Car
When there is a child in the cabin, safety requirements increase. The child seat must be age-appropriate and comfortable. Buy a cover for the seat or put a cotton diaper on top to prevent the baby from sweating during long journeys.
Have the car serviced before the trip. Check the tire pressure, the battery, and the engine oil level.
You should have a tow rope, fire extinguisher, and battery charger in the car. If possible, take a spare can of gasoline and a set of tools for simple car repairs on the road. In winter, don’t forget a shovel and a brush with a scraper for cleaning windows.
To make the trip comfortable, modernize the car a little. For this purpose, you will need:
- A small folding table. Children can draw, read, or play board games on it.
- They are attached behind the front seats, it’s convenient for toys and various small things: napkins, spare clothes, drinks, snacks, and garbage bags.
- Booster cushions for children up to 12 years old.
- Sunshades with suction cups, if the windows aren’t tinted.
Don’t put things on the shelf behind the child — they may fall on the young traveler in case of sudden braking.
Who to Travel With
All children are different: someone can look out the window for hours, for others, it’s a problem to sit still for five minutes. In any case, have an adult in the cabin, besides the driver, who will entertain the children and can help in case of an emergency.
How to Keep Your Child Busy While Traveling
When you are traveling as an adult, you can entertain yourself differently. For example, you can just relax looking out the window or read something like the Teen Patti rating or a cozy fiction book.
With children, it’s harder. The easiest way is to give a tablet, but it’s better not to abuse it. Moreover, this option isn’t suitable if the child gets motion sickness.
There are other ways to distract and occupy children:
- Audio stories. Choose works depending on the age of young passengers: it can be short stories about animals or adventure books. Even better if they are dedicated to the country or city you are traveling to.
- Buy new toys and show them just before the road. So they will attract the attention of the child.
- Travel board games. The peculiarity of the games is that they are small format, and all the parts are attached with magnets, so they are less likely to be lost.
- Ready-made sets. Usually these are small backpacks or bags, which include toys, cards with tasks, books, and so on. When choosing a set, consider the age of the child.
How to Plan Your Route and When to Leave
Even for adults, traveling long distances can be a burden. So it’s important to make regular stops on the road, preferably every 2-3 hours to stretch, go to the toilet, or have a snack. It’s important to identify such places in advance, and it’s also a good idea to allow time for unexpected stops.
Divide the route into parts and think about where children can rest. Entertainment centers, zoos, water parks, and playgrounds are suitable for this. Don’t forget about recreation for adults.
Leave early in the morning: in this case, children can sleep in the car for a couple more hours. Before weekends and holidays, there are often traffic jams on the way out of cities. To avoid standing, try to leave early or postpone your trip until the main traffic subsides.
How to Prepare Your Child for Traveling
Don’t hide it — it’s better to tell the child in detail, where to go and how much time will have to spend on the road. Interest the kid, describe what awaits them, what they will see. So a young traveler will bear a long trip will be much easier.
What Not to Do
Some things in traveling with a baby can be dangerous. It’s forbidden to:
- Keep cash and bank cards in one place. Also don’t show them to strangers. It’s better to put money in different places to reduce the likelihood of losing all the funds at once.
- Sleep in unequipped places. With small children it’s better to stay in hotels, where there are all amenities and security guards on duty.
- Let a child go alone during stops. When in an unfamiliar place, it’s important to keep your child in sight at all times.
- Leave your child alone in the car. If something happens, you may not be able to help your baby in time.
- Stop in suspicious and deserted places. You should also avoid unlit areas and drive too far away from the main road.
Quality preparation is the key to a comfortable and safe trip. We wish you an easy road and new impressions.
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