The thought of air travel can be overwhelming and scary for children. The idea of putting some of their things in suitcases and getting on a huge airplane, leaving their home, pets, and everything that they love behind can invoke terror and insecurity. They wonder what will happen to their things and their friends when they come home. They wonder if they will come home.
Take the time to explain to your child where you will be going and how you will get there. Whatever the reason for your trip, talk to your child about why you are going. If possible, let your child help decide what they would like to do at your destination. Your child will be much more enthusiastic and cooperative while you do the things you have to do if they get to choose things they want to do.
To help relieve fears that something will happen to their home or things while they are gone, play a pretend game with your child. Tell your child the two of you are going to tell a story about all the fun things your home and belongings will do while you are away You start the story by pretending to be a toy and say, “Wow, my little girl (boy) has gone on a trip. We toys are going to have lots of fun.” Talk about some of the fun things they toys will do, then, turn the story over to your child and listen. Take turns telling the story, and make sure it ends with your family coming home safely to find the house and everything in it just as your child left it.
Make sure your child knows who will be caring for any family pets while you’re gone and make arrangements for your child to call the caretaker so they can check up on their beloved Fluffy.
Alleviating your child’s worry and insecurity is the first step to having a fun, relaxing trip with your child.
Long rides aboard buses or trains with children can be especially challenging. Even the best behaved children will struggle with the monotony of being trapped in the same rail car or uncomfortable bus seat for hours on end. The simplest solution is to schedule the trip during the night, allowing the children to sleep away the trip; but that’s not always and an option. Parents who think ahead will be better prepared to deal with the situation.
Technology can provide one answer. The price of Portable DVD players has dropped considerably. Mini CD players and hand-held video games will provide at least a few hours of entertainment for the kids (and peace and quiet for the parents). However, for those children too young for the gadgets, and for all children when the gadgets get boring or the batteries die, make sure to have other things on hand.
A stack of books is always welcome on a long trip. Pack a variety of books appropriate to the ages of the children, from picture books for the youngest to magazines or novels for the oldest. An added advantage of books is that one book can occupy more than one child - all of the children can listen while an adult reads aloud, or an older child can read a book to a younger one.
Make sure to bring a collection of toys, too. Younger children can entertain themselves for quite a while with a stuffed toy to cuddle or a doll to chat with. Art supplies are one thing most parents don’t consider, but for a child who loves to draw, washable window markers and cling plastic stickers are the perfect tool to turn their window into a work of art.
Most importantly, don’t neglect the value of “quality time.” Just a pleasant conversation or a rousing chorus of “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Juice on the Wall” might be all that’s needed to turn a boring train ride into a memorable family vacation.
Over the last several years, airport security measures have changed quite a bit. If you haven’t flown in a while, there are a few things you should know.
Strollers, car seats, toys and all other objects must go through the security X ray machine. Fold your stroller and make sure to remove small toys or other items from storage pockets before putting it on the conveyer belt. Put them in the plastic bins provided This way nothing gets lost. Make sure to warn your child about the process and reassure them you will get your items back.
Never put your car seat through the metal detector with your child still in it
When going through the walk through metal detector, you will probably need to remove your baby from sling or baby carrier so the baby carrier can be inspected.
Instruct your children to empty their pockets before going through the metal detector, also remind them that the security check point is not the place for games or loud, boisterous behavior.
Have your older child go through the metal detector in front of you so that you can keep visual contact with her/him. Carry younger children.
You are not allowed to pass your child to anyone else while you are going through the metal detector.
If the metal detector goes off and you are carrying your child, both you and the child will further examined by security. You will probably be asked to remove your shoes and they may scan you and your child with a wand.
Never hand your child to the security guard to hold.
If traveling with a baby or toddler, you are able to carry breast milk or formula in your carry on bag.
You can request a private security screening if you are traveling with more than one child, or if your child has a disability and requires special care.
When traveling out of the United States, your child, regardless of age, will need his/her own passport. To obtain a passport you will need to go to your local passport office and fill out the required forms. You will be required to show proof of identification for yourself and your child.
You can apply for a passport at most city offices. Check your local government listings for exact locations.
When you fill out the passport application you will need to have with you proof of US citizenship, proof of identity, two recent pictures, and the correct amount in fees.
You must have certified copies of all birth certificates submitted. The passport office will take your birth certificates with your application. They will be returned to you, by mail, with your new passport.
Photographs must be exactly 2 in X 2 in. and no more than 1 3/8 in from the bottom of your chin to the top of your hair. The image must be of you alone and no less than 1 in. Additionally, you must not be wearing any type of head covering or dark glasses, unless they are certified religious or medical in nature.
Also, for your children you will need proof that you are the child’s parent or guardian, including a notarized statement signed by both parents or evidence you are the child’s only legal guardian. The US Department of State will provide you with these forms.
Keep in mind, the child must accompany the parent to the passport office. You can not apply for your child’s passport without them.
Plan well ahead and allow at least eight weeks to receive your passports. When you turn in your application and supporting documents, you will be given a website address where you can check on the status of your passport..
When traveling by train or bus with small children, safety is a crucial factor.
In the station lobby, keep children close by. Places like crowded airports and bustling train stations are very popular hangouts for purse snatchers and pickpockets, and an unsupervised child might be a very tempting target.
Don’t let your luggage out of sight, either. With a family-sized pile of baggage, one small piece might not be missed until the family is a hundred miles from the station. Put your ID on all of your luggage. While you’re at it, make sure every child is also carrying ID, including name, address, itinerary, phone numbers, and if possible, the contact information for the person the child is going to see at their destination. That way, even in the unlikely event you and your children are separated, they should be able to contact either you or someone at the destination.
Supervision of children is also critical when boarding or leaving the vehicle. Bus and train stations are very active places, with vehicles moving in all directions, and a child could very easily step into danger while the parents are wrestling with a stroller or heavy bag.
Bus or train rides that last longer than a few minutes will require moving around, even if only for restroom breaks. Since the vehicle will be moving, children may need help to keep their balance and footing while working their way to and from the restroom.
Place children in window seats on buses whenever possible. Not only will this give them something to look at during the trip, it will also make it more difficult for them to wander away down the aisle if mommy or daddy falls asleep because they would have to crawl over or under the adult.
Trains and subways can be very crowded at times and small children can get lost in the commotion. Be sure to keep the children close when the ride becomes “standing room only.”
Universal Studios is a great place to take the kids. Not only do they have wild and interesting rides, but you can get a look “behind the scenes” at how movies and tv shows are made.
The park is actually split into two parts. The upper part is the theme park, with the majority of the rides, the characters, and the food. It’s separated from the lower part with one of the largest escalators in the world. The lower part is the actual film lot, and a tram ride shows visitors quite a lot of it.
First, the rides and attractions. Using the same sort of “flight simulator” design as Disney’s Star Tours, the Back to the Future ride lets visitors ride in a modified time machine into the past and future, and the tourists almost get eaten by a dinosaur along the way.
The ride that dominates the entire park, though, is the Jurassic Park ride. The plot is simple; the tourists are on a boat excursion through the park when the “incident” from the movie releases the animals. The boats are diverted into the waste processing facility, while being threatened by a variety of animated dinosaurs, and just as it seems they’re about to be eaten by the T-Rex, they dive beneath his feet and down a huge drop into water. The “you might get wet” warning is an understatement–the ride is designed to soak every rider to the skin.
Follow the soaking with the Backdraft attraction. After an intro area that shows how some of the fire effects are created, the crowd is ushered into a mock-up of a factory that explodes into flame right in front of them. There are literally explosions happening twenty feet in front of you, with no more protection than a handrail.
The tram ride is a mostly tame but very entertaining ride through movie history, complete with the Bates Motel from Psycho, the shark from Jaws, and a simulated earthquake in a train station.
All in all, Universal Studios Hollywood is a great place to take the kids for a weekend.
Sometimes the kids have to fly alone. Maybe because it’s too expensive for the parents to fly a round trip to drop off the kids with grandma, or maybe there’s an emergency where the parents have to put the child on the plane by themselves. Regardless, there are times when the kids have to fly by themselves.
Fortunately, the airlines recognize that this situation happens, and they do try to assist the parents as best they can. Most airlines will assign a flight attendant to the child, and that person will make sure the child is comfortable on the flight, makes his connection to the next flight, and will hand the child off to the responsible adult at his destination.
If you need to send the child on his way, think ahead. Don’t saddle the kid with carry on baggage that weighs as much as he does. Try to pack light, with perhaps just a backpack containing a change of clothes and some favorite books and toys. Don’t forget medications and contact information, either. The child shouldn’t have to remember the name, address, and phone number of the relative he’s going to visit; he should be able to just hand over a sheet of paper with all of that information.
Think about security, too. You might want to establish a code word, a secret password that only the relative on the far end will know. Besides the obvious—“yes, this is the right grown-up”—the code word will also help to comfort the child, as a link to his parents (“My parents really did talk to them and give them the secret word, that means they know where I am and everything is going to be okay.”).
Most of all, reassure the child that they will make it to their destination safe and sound, and return home when the trip is done.
Disneyland is a very popular destination for families, and there are an incredible number of things to see and do at the park. For many young children, the highlight of the trip is the chance to shake hands and pose for pictures with a favorite character, like Mickey Mouse.