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Tips for Healthy Family Travel

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Summer is the perfect time to travel with family, experience new things and make new memories. You may be a long weekend traveler or a cross-country traveler. Whether you are visiting the beach, the mountains, grandparents’ house or the campsite, here are tips for keeping your family safe and healthy no matter how far from home you venture.                                                                    

Wash your hands. This may seem obvious, but with children nothing is a given. At an airport, a gas station bathroom, fast food restaurant or museum there are germs. Everywhere. And our kids are touching more than we see—and more than we would like. Hand sanitizer in the purse is an easy solution if you are unable to wash hands with soap and water.                                                              

Drive safely. whether you are driving across town or the across the county, make sure to buckle your seat belt and use the car seat/booster seat appropriate for your child’s height and weight (CDC.gov). Do not drink and drive and don’t drive when you are sleepy.                                                                     

Dress for the weather. Weather can differ greatly from morning to afternoon and one location to another. Pack accordingly and let the weather dictate what the family wears.                                                            

Help prevent motion sickness. The mixed signals between the ears and eyes detecting movement can cause nausea, dizziness and vomiting while in the car, boat or airplane. If a member of your family suffers from motion sickness, have a light meal or snack of carbohydrates before leaving and avoid fatty foods. Also, looking outside of the car instead of inside on still objects (like other cars) can help. Keep the windows open a little to get fresh air and make frequent stops as needed. Prescription medications are available from the doctor if needed (KidsHealth.org).                                           

Pack accordingly. Make sure to pack enough medication for the entire trip, sunscreen, insect repellent, birth certificate/passport depending on location of travel, as well as plenty of activities to keep the kids from getting bored and to keep them out of trouble.                                                                     

Most importantly, enjoy this time with your family and make memories to last a lifetime!

    Jessica Heine is a labor and delivery nurse. She lives in Olathe with her family. 

Traveling with Tots

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With summer comes the allure of fun vacations, sweet family memories and the open road. For many of us though, getting to our final destination is not exactly an easy undertaking. Why? Because of the kids! Try these top six tips to make it easier to travel with youngsters.

 

Put them in charge. Kids love feeling like they have a job and play a significant part in the family. Mary Gordon, Overland Park, says, “If they are big enough, let them carry a backpack with their own stuff. It lightens your load, and they feel all important carrying a bag too.” Before leaving town, ask kids to pick out a few small toys to add to it as well. Having toys they personally choose means they will have something to look forward to playing with. It also means that they will feel more a part of the whole adventure!

 

Make media your friend. Gather DVDs, borrow a few new movies from the library or download some shows to a tablet for the road. Lots of choices keeps boredom to a minimum. Jorlyn Jones, Olathe, says, “All electronic rules go out the window for us when we’re traveling.” However you manage to prepare for the road ahead, remember that DVD players and tablets may prove to be your best road warrior buddies.

 

Raid the dollar store. The dollar section and dollar stores are parents’ best allies when planning a trip! Before leaving, stop by to grab a few inexpensive items to tuck away in your surprise bag. Throughout the trip, you’ll be able to hand new items back to squirmy kids to help keep them entertained.

 

Pack snacks. Convenience store snacks add up, and let’s face it, when a kid has reached “hangry” mode, there isn’t time to find a store. Before leaving town, load up on healthy snacks that will keep kids happy in the backseat. Try to avoid anything that melts, and accept that cracker crumbs probably will need to be vacuumed out of car seats when you return home. If you can find a few new snacks, the novelty will help as well!

 

Have a potty plan. Nobody is remotely entertained if an accident happens. Cut down on detours and frustration for kids and parents by packing a potty in the car. Lauren Heller, Overland Park, says, “If you’re traveling by car or by plane, it’s a must when toddlers are potty training. Ours folded into a nice compact bag, and we could use plastic grocery bags for liners.” If a kid needs to go, a quick stop on the side of the road means that kids stay dry, parents stay sane and the trip can continue in short order!

 

Go with the flow. Giving up the idea of the perfectly planned and executed vacation can be hard, but at the end of the day, that kind of mentality actually may cause you more stress than just being willing to go with the flow. “Lower your expectations,” Dana Compagnone, Leawood, advises as a twin mom. Kids travel differently than adults, and being willing to be flexible while road tripping will lead to a happier family and better memories in the end.

 

Rebecca Ishum lives with her husband, Sean, and their 6-year-old quadruplets in Belton. They make sure to pack as many DVDs, coloring books, small toys and snacks as their minivan can hold when traveling as a family!

5 Tips for Avoiding Car Sickness

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  • Forget the books: Yes, you should encourage your children to read, but not on long road trips. Looking down can cause headaches and nausea. Instead of reading or playing card games, get creative and play verbal games. A fun round of something like “I Spy” can help your child keep his head up and not feel carsick.           

  • Bring a cooler: On longer road trips, keeping children hydrated is important. Fill a small cooler with water bottles and ginger ale (made with real ginger). Ginger can help with settling a stomachache. Avoid sugary drinks that could cause headaches or make nausea worse.

  • Sit by the window: If one child tends to get carsick easier than others, place him in the middle seat so he can look straight out the window. Children need to be able to look out the car window without twisting their head around too much. This helps their body adjust to the moving vehicle and prevent nausea.

  • Eat peppermints: When packing snacks for the road, avoid greasy chips and sugary treats. Instead, choose to suck on peppermints or chew peppermint gum. Peppermint assists in settling nauseous stomachs. If your children hate the taste of peppermints, try lemon drops instead. They help settle upset stomachs just as well.

  • Take frequent breaks: When traveling with children, extra stops may keep you on the road a couple more hours, but keeping children seated in a moving car for too long is a sure way to encourage carsickness. Make frequent stops so your children can use the restroom, drink some water and walk around to stretch their legs.

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