Originally published May 18 2005
Easy tips make vacations more enjoyable for families with small children
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
With all the family growth and great memories that come with a family vacation, stress and frustration are sure to follow. There are five things one should do while planning a vacation to increase the fun for your kids and decrease the pain for you. 1. Include the kids in the planning. This helps them get excited about the trip. 2.Bring food and water. Not only will this help avoid a forced fast-food diet, but it will save paying tourist prices for food. 3.Have a routine for your trip. This includes planning activities to help battle the monotony of long-distance travel. 4.Be aware of your options in case of sickness. Car sickness can be battled having the sufferer focus on things in the car, or by using nausea medicine. Be aware of care facilities when on vacation. 5. Carefully plan international travel. Make sure your children (and you) have all necessary shots when visiting a foreign country, and have all necessary identification documents.
Travel expenses According to AAA's 2004 travel rate averages, holiday hotel rates are up nationally 5.7 percent to $140 a room for a family of two adults and two children.
Think you're a road warrior for planning a long car trip with children this summer?
Surely your trek will unfold on the hottest day of the year, in the worst traffic --- and one of the kids will need a bathroom when there isn't one.
Parents and professionals offer the following tips to help you and your youngsters get the most out of summer trips.
Have the kids do research on the Internet on where you want to go, such as an amusement park.
Southern California continues to be a top family destination, with attractions including Disneyland, SeaWorld, Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios.
These resources can be helpful for finding children's attractions on a vacation that isn't specifically kid-centered.
She brings books to read aloud --- Robert Newton Peck's "Soup" series is a favorite --- and they play games.
Favorites include spotting license plates from all 50 states and the "semi search," in which each player chooses a color and counts how many semitrailer trucks pass by in that color.
Bisbee's arsenal also includes books of mazes and word searches, and each child gets a lap desk with pockets for crayons and colored pencils.
When her children were younger, she made up "surprise bags," filled with inexpensive items like Silly Putty, paper dolls and Colorforms, which can be stuck to car windows.
The safest place for traveling babies and small children is in a car seat, and children younger than 12 should not ride in the front seat of a car because inflated air bags can harm or even kill small children.
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