Travelling with kids isn’t the same as travelling alone with your spouse or with your friends, and travelling with three kids is totally different. Having three children brings new challenges. There are more of them than you, and even small tasks like strapping them into car seats become more difficult. While many families with three children find ways to cope at home, and routines to make life easier, they worry about being away from their coping strategies and routines if they want to take a trip.
While there’s no denying that travelling with three kids is stressful, it can also be incredible. When you go on a break with three children, you never need to worry about them being bored or lonely. They are a team. They comfort each other, play together, and explore their new world while looking out for each other. If it goes well, it can actually be easier than travelling with an only child. Here’s a look at some of the things that you need.
Patience
Perhaps the number one thing that you need when travelling with children, whether it is one or fourteen, is patience. Things won’t always go to plan, and if you get stressed out, things will only get worse. Try to keep calm, pick your battles and don’t expect perfection. Be patient, and you’ll have a better trip.
Insurance
The thing with kids is, they are unpredictable. As much as you plan for your trip, you never know what might happen, and so insurance is essential. Look into reputable providers of trip insurance to ensure you have access to medical care should you need it. For example, Staysure are a specialist travel insurance provider who can protect your trip. Staysure can provide single trip cover for a range of breaks, giving you peace of mind, even if you never need it.
Home Comforts
If you’ve got younger children, and especially babies and toddlers, taking a few comforts from home will help them to settle and relax. Taking their pillow from home and a few toys might mean that you get a better night’s sleep.
A Budget
It’s easy to overspend when you are on holiday, and even easier when you’ve got three children to feed and entertain. Make sure you’ve got a set budget, and that it’s broken down into days, and sections, so that you don’t spend more than you can afford, or miss out on doing the things that you want to because you are worried about money.
Time
Most things take longer when you have children with you. They take longer, things go wrong, and it’s hard to stick to a timeframe with anything. Give yourself plenty of time when it comes to things like travelling to the airport. Try to make sure you’ve always got time and that you never have to rush, because when you rush, things go wrong and that all-important patience starts to suffer.
Consider a Separate Room
If your children are younger, you might want to all sleep in the same room. This is the best way to keep them safe, and if some of your kids are in cots, fitting them into the room shouldn’t be too difficult.
If you have a teenager or other older children, however, they might prefer their own space. Having two rooms (still connected if possible) gives older kids some privacy, helps you to keep everything tidy and organised, and generally makes the trip more peaceful.
A Big Bag
It can be tempting to pack absolutely everything when you are travelling with kids, but you probably don’t need to, and trying to lug massive bags through the airport can be challenging. Instead, pack only the essentials.
What you do need, however, is a large bag to take to the beach and on day trips. Your kids will need snacks, drinks and other essentials, so make sure you’ve got some way to carry them all around.
A holiday with three children can be perfect. It might just take a little more planning and support. Take your time to find the right destination, and you’ll have a fantastic time.
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