Traveling with kids can be amazing, but it can also be stressful, if you are not prepared. If you are new to traveling with kids, or if you are just overwhelmed by the process, this post on 6 ways to make traveling with kids less stressful is for you! Here are some of my best tips:

Plan as much as you can before you leave your home
Before you leave for your trip, plan as much as you can before you leave your home. This will save you so much time, effort, and potential headaches, as well. Before you head out on your trip, think about what all you can plan. Your location and airfare (if needed), obviously, but anything else? Accommodations? A rental car? An itinerary? Any tours, or activities? Food, such as breakfasts, lunches, or dinners? A sitter, if needed? Do you need a crib while there? See if they have one! If you sit down and think about all of the things that you could potentially plan while you are traveling, you will save yourself so much headache while traveling with kids! 

Give yourself extra time
If you aren’t 100% used to traveling with kids yet, then you are in for a little bit of a change - and you need to be ready for that! When you travel on your own, you can go at your own pace, but when you travel with kids, you have to give yourself that extra time because with kids, things do not always go 100% according to plan. They walk slower, they take the time to smell the roses (something that all of us should do!), and their nap might run over, or they might need a diaper or clothes change. You just never know what might happen when traveling with kids, so you need to be prepared mentally, knowing that you just have to give yourself extra time + go with the flow.

Know what documents you need
If you are traveling via plane or across the border in a car, you might need to bring some documents with you. Sometimes, with little kids, you will need to bring their birth certificate. If you are not with their other parent, you might also need to bring a notarized document, with them acknowledging that it’s okay for them to travel. While this might seem like overkill, it’s actually really smart of TSA to ask for these things because of the increase in child trafficking. Whatever to keep our kids safe, right! 

Get a convenient vacation rental
No matter where you are traveling to, getting a vacation rental is always easier compared to a small hotel room with kids. A vacation rental allows you to have more space for a crib, for your kid(s) to play in, and to park all of your stuff for however long you will be there for. If you want to stay close to our area, there are some really great vacation rentals in North Wildwood NJ from Daniels Realty. They aim to make the vacation rental process easy for individuals and families - and they have so many options for you to pick from!

Bring medicine with you
Now, I’m definitely not saying that your kids will get sick, but IF they do, you will want to be prepared - especially if you are in the air, or traveling overseas. Bring something for a cough, a fever, and any other essentials you might need. Have a teething baby? Bring something for that! Think about all the scenarios: what would you want medicine for? Do you need to bring any supplements or vitamins with you? Bring it all, just to be safe.

Opt for red eyes when traveling overseas
A long flight might seem overwhelming with kids, but my best tip is to opt for red eyes when traveling overseas. This way, hopefully, your kiddos will just sleep through a good majority of the flight and wake up refreshed and ready to take on a new country. Now, this doesn’t always work, but I’ve learned that it’s what most people recommend doing. Do a little research and see if that might work for your family, too!

Traveling with kids might seem overwhelming here and there, but the memories you make are SO worth the effort. I hope these ways to make traveling with kids less stressful is a little helpful to you!