by Barb Morgan, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Traveling for the holidays with small children can be stressful at times. As a mother of four (who at one time were all under the age of four), I can totally relate. Here are some ideas to make the travel time less crazy.
- If driving, plan simple car activities. Bring along coloring books, video games, and movies to occupy the time. Play family games, such as counting how many different state plates you can find, or how many of a certain letter you find. Put in a holiday CD and sing.
- If driving, plan frequent stops. My better half would like to drive straight through. This is hard on children, and we learned early on to let the kids have some time to stretch, let out some energy, and have a break.
- When flying, arrive early. In today’s era of security precautions, it is necessary to arrive early. When you have a family in tow, allow some extra time. Since it is a holiday, allow an hour and a half to two hours.
- Have an agenda for your trip. Know where you are going, and what you are doing. This will allow you to prepare your children for the upcoming transitions.
- Do also allow some down time. This might seem contradictory to the last item; however, you and your children will need some time to veg, and simply be together.
Psalm 95:2: “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.”