Some of my friends have been lazy to travel since they had children. He said taking small children for a walk was troublesome and tiring.
Yes, because if children travel for a long time, they usually get cranky because they are bored. Parenting expert Sharon Witt said that children who get bored easily because they sit for too long can make it difficult for their parents to navigate.
Therefore, parents must understand exactly what can make their children calm for a long time. Well, here’s a scenario to make traveling with children more fun and comfortable, as suggested by Sharon Witt, quoted from the Daily Mail.
Bring Entertaining Stuff
Traveling by car can take several hours, sometimes even days. For that, make sure that children are entertained by bringing things that can entertain them.
What’s that? Maybe we can bring some DVDs to keep the kids entertained while watching movies in the car. Or we can also provide more traditional entertainment methods such as coloring books, toy cars, or children’s favorite books.
Kids Get Involved in Travel
Children get bored very easily and can get irritated by it. Therefore, it is better if we involve children more in the trip.
For example, we tell our children that after a few hours we will stop at the rest area. We can ask children to recognize signs or signs of a rest area around the location we are passing, Bun.
“Let them know when and where you will be resting,” Sharon said.
For children who are already in elementary school, we can provide maps so that children can track their journey and make it more interesting, instead of letting children sit for hours.
Prepare for the Unwanted
Incidents on long trips can happen. For example, a drunk child or a child suddenly wants to go to the toilet even though the gas station is still far away.
“Prepare for the unexpected by bringing a medicine bag, first aid kit, and a change of clothes in the back of the car,” said Sharon.
It’s also possible, Bun, we can prepare an empty bottle in case the child needs to pee in an emergency.
Drink Enough and Rest Enough
If your little one doesn’t want to drink because he’s worried he’ll pee on the way, let’s tell him that it’s okay to have to pee on the way. We can stop at a public toilet or use a bottle to collect pee. Even dangerous if the child becomes dehydrated.
This does not only apply to children, but also to us as parents, right, Bun. “Also make sure that you drink enough to prevent dehydration. Try to stop and rest,” advises Dr. Dian Permatasari M.Gizi, SpGK.
Anyway, parents who are traveling with small children should make sure that the children take regular breaks. It’s important to pause to stretch your legs every two or three hours.