or Are We There Yet?

Holiday time means family time. And family time, for many of us, means traveling with kids. Dealing with a tired, cranky youngster while battling crowded airports, heavy traffic and inclement weather might not be everyone's idea of a good time. But, with some pre-planning, you can minimize the stress and increase the likelihood that you and your kids will survive the journey without too much hair-pulling. Try these tips to make your holiday travel enjoyable.

1. Purchase travel insurance before you leave home. That's good advice for anybody, but it's essential if you are traveling with kids. Consider trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance, and of course, medical insurance. If you are traveling out of country, find out what coverage is included in your current policy, and investigate options for purchasing special travel insurance to cover you in the event of illness or accident.
2. If you're a mom who is planning to breastfeed while on the road, think convenience. There will be moments when your baby demands to be fed, but it just isn't convenient. Consider carrying formula or pump and refrigerate breast milk for use on awkward occasions. If you're opposed to supplementing, bring pumped milk and provide makeshift refrigeration with ice cubes or ice packs.

If traveling by air, nursing during takeoff and landing will reduce ear pressure. Remember to look after yourself, as well. Eating well and avoiding over-tiredness will help prevent reduced milk flow.

Secondly, if you will be traveling to a country where exotic diseases are a possibility, consider health concerns. According to Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. your pre-trip vaccinations do not pose a safety concern for your breastfeeding infant. However, do not assume that your immunity will be passed along to the baby. Consult with a physician before leaving home.

3. Reduce or prevent a child's motion sickness when traveling by auto. Children who are prone to car sickness will do best if facing forward and sitting in the front seat. Encourage the child to look out the window or at the horizon rather than focusing his or her eyes on objects inside the car. Offer the child a non-greasy cracker or other snack, and but avoid strong smelling foods. Opening the window slightly can help. Do not smoke in any vehicle in which a child is a passenger.

4. If you will be crossing borders with your children, consider taking a notarized letter of consent from an absent parent or guardian. Also, bring picture ID of both you and your child, and the child's birth certificate. With parental abductions on the rise, some countries are taking precautions to prevent kidnapped children from being brought into the country. You might not need these items, but, as they say, an ounce of prevention .....

5. When traveling on a plane with young children, expect to spend most of your time attending to them and entertaining them. Bring along an age-appropriate goodie box of toys and snacks, but issue the treats at regular intervals. Some parents give out toys at each landing; others develop a schedule. Bring snacks that take a long time to unwrap and eat. Also, consider bringing plastic containers so if children are not hungry when meals are delivered, you can save a snack for later.

6. Try to stay in lodgings where you have at least some kitchen facilities at your disposal. Even a kettle will help. You can make snacks like instant soups or cereals with powdered milk. When away for the day, take snacks such as fruit leather, crackers, juices, peanut butter, etc. When traveling out of country, watch children to be sure they don't consume water, ice or food that could be unsafe.

7. Pace your kids. Give them rest breaks before they become too tired and the meltdown happens.

8. Will Santa deliver toys to the kids when you're spending the Holidays at Grandma's house across the country? If you're traveling by car or bus, it's a relatively simple matter to take along surprise packages. With air travel, this can be costly. One option is to order online and have the packages gift wrapped and shipped to directly to Grandma's house. Another option is to arrive a few days before the Big Day and do your shopping locally. In both cases, you'll have to get the goodies home again, so think small and light.

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Credits: June Campbell