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For some reason, otherwise sensible parents (who know full well that their children cannot so much as tie their own shoelaces without the house descending into chaos) expect family vacations to go nothing short of ‘textbook’. And they’d kind of be right if it weren’t for the fact that textbook family vacations are approximately about as civil and as organized as a clown convention in the middle of a food fight. So, if we’re going to do this, let’s learn to do it right.
First, you should be aware that adults and children alike are susceptible to injury while traveling – when you don’t know the town or city very well, you could run into issues with trips, falls, and other accidents that aren’t your fault. If you are affected, get in touch with an Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyer. But for now, on with the show.
Leave extra time for, well, absolutely everything
If you’ve ever noticed that being in a group of adults tends to slow your plans right down, being in a family group that contains children is tantamount to nailing your plans to the floor. While you may be able to pack the bags without the children throwing up roadblocks, travel to the airport is going to take extra time. Then, airport check-in and airport security are going to take extra time. You probably already know this anyway, but you’re going to have to leave time if you don’t want to find yourself rushing to make up for the inevitable numerous toilet breaks and tantrums.
Go online and pre-book your plans
If there’s one thing that children simply cannot abide, it’s loose plans. They want answers and they want them from you now. What are we having for breakfast? Where are we going today? What time are we going? What are we going to be doing when we get there? Et cetera, et cetera.
The inquisition is coming. And not just once. The tiny people in your life will want new and exciting answers to these questions every day. That’s why you can choose to approach the situation by either “winging it” and wishing you had plans to fall back on, or you can actually book those plans ahead of time and save yourself the stress of trying to find things to do in a new and unknown place.
Charged devices and headphones can save the day
Kids need entertainment from the moment they open their eyes until about four seconds before they fall asleep wherever they land. That’s a lot of entertainment, and there’s only so many times you can play eye spy with my little eye during those long drives and tedious airport waits (especially because your child’s questionable grasp on spelling is only ever going to test your patience). Charged devices, portable chargers, headphones, and a tablet loaded with kids’ TV shows, kids’ games, and kids’ movies can step in whenever you need a break from being the entertainment manager.