Planning a great vacation can already be a little stressful … but traveling with kids? Forget about it. As a parent, it can be overwhelming trying to pack all the right things for the kids, getting them in the car so you don’t miss your flight, or simply keeping them entertained during long road trips.
With the right advice and tips though, you can make the traveling experience much easier. In our new GH+ Traveling With Kids Survival Guide, Good Housekeeping Institute Director, former flight attendant, and parent Laurie Jennings shares her top family-traveling strategies, easy advice and more from her years of experience. Whether you travel by plane or car, have young kids or old, or are traveling with your kids for the first time, these easy travel tips will make your next vacation a memorable one (in a good way).
Interested to see what you can expect when you sign up for GH+ and unlock this guide? Check out a few of our favorite pieces of advice below.
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Set a false deadline to leave the house.
You can tell everyone what time you want to leave the house, but getting out on time might be the hardest thing to accomplish. One proven success strategy is to set a time-to-leave alarm — and program it for 15 to 30 minutes ahead of when you really need to. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us!
Create a DIY a barf survival kit.
The mess. The smell. Ugh. Every parent knows the nightmare of an unexpected vomit fest. Help yourself and everyone in your family by bringing your own barf clean-up kit. Include paper towels, pre-moistened wipes, plastic bags, plus extra clothes for your kid and for you. And don’t forget jackets, shoes, and socks, which usually take the brunt of the mess but are often forgotten in the extra-clothes department.
Buy tickets to attractions before you go.
Whether visiting a museum, a zoo, a theatrical show, or any other popular attraction, always visit the website before you go to purchase tickets. Tickets purchased online in advance are often cheaper than buying tickets at the door. It also probably means you can walk right inside instead of wasting time waiting in a long line at the entrance. Plus, some popular destinations are so busy they require you to reserve your date way in advance, so if you know you want your family to visit a hot-ticket event, book it as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
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Ready to unlock our Traveling With Kids Survival Guide and access all 36 Good Housekeeping-backed travel tips? For just $20 a year, you can sign up for GH+ and access this new guide and gain access to any of our previous guides, like the Get It Done Challenge, Ultimate Bedding Guide, Easy 600-Calorie Summer BBQ Menu, 14-Day Happiness Challenge and so many more. You’ll also get unlimited access to ALL site content, exclusive deals and discounts with our favorite brands, the chance to be a product tester, exclusive access to the Good Housekeeping Institute experts, a one-year print magazine subscription and more.
