Traveling with children is obviously very different from going on a vacation without them. Spending some quality time together as a family in a foreigh country definitely comes with some challenges but the positive effects it has on family communication and bonding are long lasting and makes it all worth it! Besides money issues, safety is a main concern for many parents and often a reason for why they don’t take their children on overseas vacations. Yes, there are reasons to be concerned but no reason to stay at home! By following the advice of this article you can enjoy all the good benefits of a family vacation anxious free.
Here is what you can do to make sure both your home, and your kids, stay safe and sound, no matter where you might need to travel next.
Home Safety
Let’s start with the home issue. The reason for this is that the fear of home burglaries emptying your house while on vacation can often create so much anxiety that it completely destroys the fun of the vacation, for the entire family. If you, or your spouse, are anxious about this, then start by reviewing your home safety issues before you even start planning your vacation itinerary. Start by talking to your neighbours, make them aware that you are planning a trip and confirm that they will be willing to keep an eye on your house while gone. Second, make sure your home is properly protected with locks, and if possible with an alarm, to avoid being an easy target for opportunist neighborhood burglars. Don’t forget to check your windows, also on the second floor and basement, and if possible, install surveillance systems that allow you to control cameras and alarms through your mobile phone.
Top 5 Safety Advice For Hotels & Airports
1. Teach your kids to stay together and keep up with Mom and/or Dad no matter where they might be, especially in crowded places. This includes airports where children often get lost while the parents are busy checking passports and boarding information. Make sure the children actually understand that it is their biggest responsibility to keep up with parents and never leave their sight – and stay put, if they do lose sight of you!
2. Point the color shirt you are wearing or carrying colored caps so your kids can always locate you in airports, large malls, museums and other crowded places.
3. Teach children how to gather and stop on the spot. This is a critical skill that will allow you to prevent a lot of potentially dangerous moments when the kids might be tempted to run away in crowded spaces. Select those exact words that will create the biggest impact on your children. Words like “stop/come” might work well for some, but may fail to generate the desired results for others. Test around a few alternatives until you can find something that will make your kids immediately stop and come to you. Practice using these words as often as possible before your actual trip and teach your kids the consequences of ever disobeying these words/actions.
4. Teach your kids how to lock a door and use a key. Just like they are supposed to lock the front door when at home, children should know how important it is for the hotel room to always stay locked and not open to anyone, including housekeeping, if left alone in the room for a few minutes. As a general advice to parents, it might be tempting to have some quality time alone over dinner while the kids are asleep in the room but we highly advise against this. Instead, ask for room service!
5. Carry personal screaming alarm and teach your children how to use them in case they feel under threat and they cannot see you or your spouse around. These alarms could make a huge difference in case of a kidnapping attempt, so try to invest in a few reliable ones for your kids and do not hesitate to use them yourself. Lots of adults carry these alarms when traveling as they are light-weighted and easy to use. They can be easily activated by a simple push of a button and they can draw the attention of people around in case of a pickpocketing attempt.
Teach Your Kids Their Identification Info
In case your children get lost while traveling, they will need to carry some kind of identification. For small children you could think about investing in identification bracelets or temporary tattoos for the duration of your travels. This is especially important in case your kids are too young to be able to speak or memorize their name or any phone numbers. There are many options out there but you can use something like ID bracelets (Road iD) with their name and address of the hotel you are staying at, and if possible a mobile number you can be reached at.
Also older children benefit from having this information written down somewhere but it is advised that they know these details and can ask for help. Even younger children should know their full name. Practice a few times the scenario of your kids getting lost and make sure they know just how to act. Also, make sure they know they should immediately point out people in uniforms when traveling so your children can go to them in case they get lost or they need immediately help.
We hope this article has inspired you to plan a family vacation or just make you feel less anxious next time you need to take your children to a very crowded place.
Simply because you are visiting a crowded city full of tourists does not mean that you should spend all your time worrying about what could go wrong. Sure places you are not familiar with will automatically trigger a certain level of anxiety in you. It will, at the same time, make you more aware of your surroundings, more alert and better prepared to handle anything that might be coming your way.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.
