5 Tips on How to Travel Stress-Free with Children This Summer

The summer holidays are nearly here (and depending on where you are in the UK, might even be here already!), so our thoughts turn to summer travel and our quest for some glorious summer sunshine. Holidays should be a recuperative and relaxing affair; we hazily remember pre-children days where choosing which magazine to lazily flick through on the side of the pool was the only stressful decision we had to make. Since the arrival of our gorgeous little ones though, sleeping in the sun, supping half-price cocktails and lazing by the pool can seem like a distant memory... Here at My Name Label we like to think that we know a little about the trials and tribulations of parenthood and so we strive to make family life just that little bit easier. Here we look at how to travel stress-free with children and hope that it helps you to enjoy your holidays that little bit more this summer!

1. Car Journeys

Before you set off on a long car journey, you will need to be prepared. Sticker books, guessing games, travel-friendly snacks and yes, even your old friend the iPad will all prove invaluable to help keep little ones entertained on long journeys and help to create a stress-free journey. Remember to allow plenty of time to reach your destination as you’ll find that regular stops to break up the journey will be key to keeping everyone happy and sane on a long journey.

2. Spare Clothes

It’s inevitable that you’ll have packed a suitcase bulging with t-shirts, dresses, shorts and swimwear, but don’t forget to pack some spare clothes in your hand luggage too. Little ones who are sat still for long stretches of time in the summer heat get as sweaty and sticky as we do, and you don’t want those tropical insects buzzing around t-shirts that may have been the victim of a melted ice cream! A change of clothes to refresh tired toddlers will be a holiday saviour, but be sure to label each item with some iron-on labels to ensure that any left behind items can be duly returned. Labelled clothes are also a good idea if your children are involved in holiday kid’s clubs. When clothes are labelled clearly you’ll no longer risk losing your child’s expensive clothing (which is often languishing at the bottom of a ‘lost and found’ pile somewhere!)

3. Child Luggage

Most children love to feel grown-up and responsible by putting them in charge of their very own small wheelie suitcase. You can find children’s suitcases online or in your local department store and they don’t have to be expensive but are a great idea to keep little ones more involved and to give them a sense of ownership over their belongings. Pack it lightly with their favourite teddy, a few colouring books, a change of clothes and a pair of beach shoes – you can even teach them how to fold and pack a suitcase properly when packing for the family. Just don’t forget to label the luggage with some bespoke personalised luggage tags to make the bag easily-recognisable and easily returnable if lost. You don’t want a bereft child on your hands if they find that a wheelie suitcase containing teddy has got lost!

4. Emergencies

You never know when an accident might occur so be sure to pack a mini ‘emergency’ kit in your hand luggage. Plasters, wet wipes, bug spray, antibacterial hand gel, paracetamol, cotton wool and safety pins will all prove useful in an emergency, and just knowing that you are prepared will make you feel less stressed and more organised.

5. Encourage Creativity

When travelling with young children many parents try to rush the travelling bit so that they can arrive at their final destination more quickly, creating a stressful and hurried experience for all. Instead of doing this, why not set off on your journey extra early so that you can take your time and really encourage your little ones to take in all the sights and sounds of their new environments. Airports can be busy yet stimulating places with so many new sights and sounds, as can local transport in a foreign land. Bus journeys and train trips should all be marvelled at rather than hurried- why not even give your child a (child-friendly robust) camera to encourage them to capture the new worlds unfolding around them? Or perhaps older children could write a travel journal with tickets and other memories stuck in like a scrap book? If you relax and let new adventures unfold at their own pace, an enriching and stimulating experience can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Bon Voyage! We hope you have a gorgeously stress-free relaxing summer holiday wherever in the world you go this summer…