Written by Sara Al Sayer, one of the most energetic and playful parents I know... Enjoy!
Most parents, myself included, who
have traveled with kids, will have horror stories of disastrous journeys.
However, we also have the most wonderful memories of holidays with our kids and
no matter what kind of hell we went through on the journey, it was totally
worth it. I have found, though, that the more we travel with our kids,
the easier they find the journey. Living away from Kuwait has made my kids
seasoned travelers, and I have picked up some good tips along the way.
Planning and preparing them:
Before we travel, I like to
countdown the number of sleeps we have with my kids until we leave. We talk
about where we are going and who we will see and what we will do there. We
talk about how many planes we have to take to get there (three to Kuwait from
Koh Samui where we live). They choose what they would like to take
on the journey and help me pack it into our hand luggage. My eldest has this
fantastic bag called a "trunki" (available from Oleana boutique) that he can pull
along or ride while I pull it that he puts his toys in. I also make sure that
they have whatever entertains them - their portable DVD player, iPad, coloring
books etc. I tend to bring snacks for them as airlines typically have a lot of
junk food for kids. I bring a change of clothes for them, and for me just in
case accidents happen.
Some airlines like Emirates are
particularly child friendly and if I can, I tend to travel with them. I love
that they provide a push-chair for us to use in Dubai. When I travel with a baby
(as their prams are not for babies), I bring a baby sling to use in the
airport. If it is an overnight flight, I bring their pajamas to help keep some
semblance of normality and to help them sleep. When possible, I try to
book flights that fit in with their timings so it is not too traumatic for
them. If you are traveling with a baby, it is helpful to feed them during
take off and landing as this will help their ears to pop. I use a "bebe au lait" breastfeeding cover (destination maternity sell them) which are a fantastic
invention - a piece of material that ties around your neck and enables you to
breastfeed without exposing yourself to the people around you. It also has a
wire running through the top to keep it more rigid so that you can look down
onto your baby and see what you are doing. If the baby won't feed then a dummy
is also useful.
Where to stay?
We look for different things in
hotels depending on what stage our kids are at. The most important thing
though, is that it is child friendly. We look for kids clubs and hotels that
have activities for kids. Some hotels will even make pureed veggies for your
baby if they are just starting solids. If not, there is a great little
machine from munchkin (you can buy it in mothercare) that will puree food for
you and it doesn't need any plugs. It's called “baby food grinder”. This is
small enough to fit in your handbag so that you can even take it with you to a
restaurant. Munchkin also have a netted fresh food feeder that you can
put fruit or veggies in for the baby to chew on and the net prevents them from
choking on the pieces that may break off. We have recently discovered
that hotels with private villas are great for kids because you can put the kids
to sleep and then take the monitor and sit outside to enjoy the rest of the
evening without disturbing them.
The first time that you travel with
your children is daunting, but it is such a fun thing to do if you travel
prepared. Try to keep to their routines when possible. Bring a selection of bedtime stories if
that is part of it, because it will help them settle. Don't stress if they are
not eating all the things they normally eat - a holiday is just a short period
of time and it won't harm them to have a few days without veggies. If you end up
in battles at every mealtime, you will all be miserable.
Most importantly of all, have fun! That is what you are there for after all, and all those wonderful memories are worth it...
"The Other Voice"- Is our contributing authors post. If you would like to contribute, email me at zalzabin@gmail.com for approval, editing and eventual posting:)
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