Travelling With Children

With summer here, most of us are busy entertaining our children and planning family trips. My husband and I take our three children on a family trip, even if it is just a day trip, almost every weekend in the summer. Because we live in Virginia, we have the beaches, the mountains, and D.C. at our beck and call. Travelling with three little ones does have its challenges though. I came across this article and found it to be quite helpful....so I am sharing it with you..


Traveling With Children
Submitted by lgoldstein

I recently came back from spending nine days on vacation with my children. I often think of myself as an involved mother, who spends plenty of time with my girls, talking, driving and keeping up with their events. During our vacation together I came to the sad realization that most of the time that I spend with my children is just that … driving, scheduling, prompting, directing, giving orders and organizing. We have breakfast and dinners on most days as a family, try to do things together on the weekends and I attend all their special events. Sounds good but it is not enough. I just spent the best nine days with my girls having fun; talking, playing, discovering, chilling and relaxing. There were no expectations or school pressures; no schedules to complete or deadlines. I reconnected to them on a different level; like the song says “talk about life for a while.”

Spring break is over and the summer is just ahead. For most families, vacations can either be a wonderful, relaxing experience or the most stressful time of the year. In order to make traveling with children as enjoyable as possible, there are things that you need to consider ahead of time. Never underestimate the power of preparation.

The one thing most parents take for granted is being in the “right frame of mind”. If you travel with children, most likely this will be a family oriented activity, not a time for grown-ups. If you leave with the expectation that you will relax, wake up late, be able to do grown-up stuff, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Go with the frame of mind of having children centered activities combined with a little of grown up down time. If you are in a need of your vacation time, you need to go on your own and arrange babysitting.

Another important thing to consider is the ages of the children; plan according to their age group and their interest. Find out what they like, what is available in the area, flexibility of schedules and activities. When child activities are limited, inviting a friend over for the vacation can be a treat. A child with a friend is able to entertain himself more and be less demanding of parents’ attention therefore leaving time for the parents to relax. I hope you have a great summer.

About the Author

Mind Spectrum Institute located in North Miami Beach, Florida specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD in children and adults. It is a multidisciplinary treatment center that uses therapeutic interventions, included but not limited to psychotherapy, family and couples therapy, individual and play therapy, neurofeedback, biofeedback, psychiatric evaluation, and psychological and educational testing for accurate diagnosis. For more information about Mind Spectrum Institute, please call 305-936-8960 or visit Mind Spectrum Institute

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