The holidays are coming, and for many families, that means travel. Whether you’re going to grandma’s for a visit or jetting to exotic locales around the globe, you’ll certainly have a lot to look forward to. Prepare a kids’ healthy travel checklist to make sure you arrive home feeling as great as when you left it.
While you’ll need to take more precautions if you’re visiting Ghana than grandpa, being mindful of safe travel tips will help make your trip a success.
- Immunize! If you’re going abroad, talk with your pediatrician about boosting routine vaccinations with immunizations for yellow fever, typhoid, Japanese B encephalitis or meningitis. Even if you’re staying in the states, the outbreak of measles at Disney theme parks in 2015 illustrates the importance of making sure your kids immunizations stay current.
- Childproof Your Hotel Room: You spent time making sure your toddler won’t hurt herself in your home, and comb your lodgings with the same attention to detail. Remove matches, shampoos, ashtrays, glassware and coffeemakers out of the reach of little hands.
- Rent Cars from Reputable Companies: Don’t cheap out with local companies or weird car-share apps. Reputable companies will provide vehicles with all safety features.
- Bring Your Car Seat: Toting a car seat on a plane can be a hassle, but unless you know reliable, safe child seats are available at your destination, it’s an essential.
- Fight Carsickness: Children between the ages of two and 12 are the most acutely affected by carsickness. Discourage reading and using devices while travelling, and instead promote looking out windows. Avoid greasy or spicy foods – or eating altogether if the drive is short enough – and administer motion-sickness medicine before hopping into the car.
- Bring a Touch of Home: Don’t discount emotional stress that comes from travel, particularly with younger children. Bring along a favorite toy for in-flight and in-air amusement and snacks to ease the journey.
Just as it’s impossible to keep your kids truly healthy at home, you won’t be able to prevent all illnesses and injuries while you’re on the road.