10 Tips When Traveling With Children
One thing that we always encourage here at South Florida Speech Solutions when a child is struggling with their speech and social development is for parents to spend as much time with their kid as they can. Talking and interacting with them will help them along their speech journeys. Well, what better way to spend time with family than going on a small trip or vacation. Some kids can be a handful, some are perfect angels, and some are on the spectrum. Everyone is different, so today we are going to expand on the family trip, especially those trips with small children, and give you some tips on what to do on the road to better handle different situations.
Adjust Your Expectations
The first thing you should do when planning a trip with small children is adjust your expectations. Let’s be real, you’re not going to be able to do certain things you were once able to do with young children around. Long hikes, certain places you wanted to check out - such as museums, can be out of the question when your kids are young. Save yourself the headache and find activities that will keep them entertained. Kids find places like that dreadfully boring and will often fuss. However, and we can’t stress this enough, do not let that deter you from planning a family trip. Explore the world as much as you can, whenever possible. The kids will enjoy it and so will you.
Everything is New to Them
Life is about experiences.Try to plan a trip the whole family will enjoy (especially the kids). Kids love exploring - most of them really like nature and animals. It’s sometimes hard to see the world through their eyes when you’ve seen so much of it already. You have to remember that to them everything is new. Kid-friendly experiences you introduce them to will be exciting and stimulating - and they will offer you a great opportunity to connect and casually practice their speech development. Afterall, sometimes the easiest and most interesting way to teach children is by having them be present and in the places they often just see in their books or TV. Camping is often a big hit. S’mores by the fire while talking about the stars and constellations above you is still one of my favorite memories with my family. Activities like these also offer you the opportunity to engage in deeper conversations.
Plan Your Flight Around Their Sleep Schedule
When we think about traveling with children, most of us think of kids crying on the plane. We hear you and feel you. In fact, we’ve been there. Here is a trick that has worked for me in the past: Plan your flights around their sleep schedule and shave some time off from the kids' time onboard. Kids are great, we just have to be a little creative when it comes to doing certain things with them. A kid's nap time is the perfect time to fly with them. If you’re taking them on road trips, plan activities that will keep the whole family entertained while on the road. Songs and games such as ‘I Spy’ are great hits.
Traveling with Kids with Autism or on the Autism Spectrum
Now let’s talk about children on the autism spectrum. Kids on the spectrum usually feel really comfortable with a schedule and taking them away from that can cause discomfort and disrupt their routines. Children with autism like things that are predictable, things that they can see coming because they are used to them and this gives them comfort. Vacations can be over stimulating for them and at times even stressful. Because of this, parents with children on the spectrum feel very uneasy about taking their kids far from their usual surroundings. Some parents can be overprotective and worry about rude stares or judgement from others when their kid may act a certain way or throw an unexpected tantrum. We are here to tell you that traveling with kids with autism IS possible by following a few simple steps:
Choose the travel destinations that your kid will feel comfortable around. If your child loves animals, take them to a zoo or aquarium. If they love the outdoors, take them to a park. If they love and feel comfortable around nature, a camping trip might be perfect for them.
Make arrangements with the companies and people you will encounter along the way to make the trip easier. Often hotels, airlines, even theme parks will make accommodations when they know you are traveling with a special family member. They have people that will discuss what your child needs to make the trip more comfortable for everyone involved.
Bring distractions for your kid to keep them entertained. This is a good thing for any child. Sometimes you need to take a few minutes to compose yourself and eat.
Prepare all members of the family for scenarios that may arise. We are not saying something bad will happen, but you want to be prepared for everything. Run through what everyone should do if someone were to wander off, feel sick, cry, etc.
Always set time aside for rest. It is crucial for a successful vacation.
Make sure not to overload the activities for your kid, so as to not overwhelm them and trigger any quirks or outburst. Making them feel comfortable is our goal.
We hope this blog entry has helped you to feel more at ease for any vacation you take with your children. Every kid, no matter who they are, should have a chance to explore a bit of the world with their family whenever possible. Even if it’s a trip to the beach or a local fair, spending time with your children is one of the most important things for their development, and will help them exponentially on their speech journey. Keep their brains active and learning - and they’ll be sure to have a great time.
Until next time South Florida - and thank you for visiting our website. Remember that we here at South Florida Speech Solutions are ready to help your loved one navigate their speech journey. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter and/or contact us with your speech related questions.