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Last Updated on July 23, 2018 by Diane Hoffmaster
These tips on how to travel with kids are part of a sponsored conversation with Xfinity. All opinions are my own.
Twenty years ago I thought it was a great idea to move half way across the country from my family. Once I had kids, however, I needed to find a few tips on how to travel with kids without strangling them somewhere around Deleware. If the grandparents were ever going to get to spend time with my kids, I had to start getting comfortable with cross country travel. Having driven and flown half way across the country many times over the past 15 years, my husband and I have this process down pat! With spring break coming up soon, I thought I would share a few tips on how to travel with kids to make your own journey a little bit more pleasant!
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Tips on How to Travel with Kids
Pack food and a lot of it: If you are traveling by car, it's easy to throw a cooler in the trunk that is full of snacks and drinks. Kids get bored very easily while traveling, which means they ask for food. Every 20 minutes. If you are traveling by air, just buy your snacks once you pass security. You do not want to get on an airplane with a child and have to rely on those tiny bags of pretzels to feed your kid for 4 hours. You might find yourself searching for the emergency exit mid flight.
Stockpile new toys ahead of time: This is one of my most important tips on how to travel with kids! Hit Goodwill, garage sales, clearance bins and craft stores for new to them toys for emergency entertainment. I used to stash toys in my closet all year round just for our big summer vacation. Not only did they get something to keep them busy on the airplane or in the car but they also had new things to play with at Grandma's house. Because Grandma's house tends not to have a whole lot of toys. They were always very excited to see what mom packed in their backpacks for the trip!
Pack lightly: Traveling with kids by airplane requires that you pack only the necessities for your journey. Yes, kids get dirty, however if you are staying with relatives, they most likely have a washing machine you can use. Even if you are traveling by car, packing your kids in like sardines in between 6 suitcases will make them very cranky after a few hours. Pack only the clothes you need and if possible, buy toiletries when you get to your destination. Especially since airport security will not let you travel with your gallon sized jug of watermelon scented foaming bath wash.
Get your technology needs settled before you leave: The day before you leave on vacation, charge every single electronic device you are bringing. Download the Uber app if you want to use Uber on your trip and research how to use Uber safely. Track down every cord you will need for them. Pack extra batteries and cords if you have them available. Download all your child's favorite shows and movies onto their iPad or other mobile devices so you don't have to worry about using roaming data or not having service at all. One great feature of XFINITY is the X1 DVR. What is X1 DVR? Basically, you get to watch all your DVRd TV shows on the go with the XFINITY App!
With X1 DVR, you can take your favorite recordings on the go no matter where you are heading out on vacation – you can’t do that with Google Fiber. This service allows you to download shows and movies to keep the kids entertained which will make your life significantly more pleasant when you get stuck behind a tractor in the middle of West Virginia. The cloud technology from X1 allows for 500 GB of storage, so you’ve got tons of shows and movies at your fingertips after downloading.
The X1 DVR with Cloud Technology works just like your regular DVR. However, it offers new features like the ability to stream recordings to mobile devices and computers. Don't have Wifi? Not a problem! You can download completed recordings with the XFINITY TV app or XFINITY TV portal and take them with you on the plane or in the car.
My teens have a TON of shows that they DVR at home during the week so they can watch them over the weekend. Things like Supergirl, Supernatural, Big Bang Theory and so many others are huge hits. Being able to take those with us on vacation will make them extremely happy! If we had Google Fiber, they wouldn't be traveling with their favorite shows!
Want to give X1 DVR a try on your next vacation? Head over to XFINITY to find out more about this service and see if it is located in your service area.
Have any other tips for traveling with kids?
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time. You can learn more about her HERE.
Aubrey
New toys is such a good idea. Those keep them busy for a long time.
Diane
They really do! And they are easy to find at thrift stores and garage sales so they don't have to be expensive!
Ellen Christian
Packing lightly is definitely important. I always try to bring everything but the kitchen sink.