KIDS GUIDE 2019

GETTING AWAY

Share some of your tips for travelling with kids.

We have a (close to) zero screen policy at home, but when flying long-haul, I have an “as much screen as you want, but I do not want to hear any fights/screams/complaints or I switch off the screen” rule. It works really well! They are so happy to watch television that usually they don’t really sleep on the flight and sleep when we reach our destination. Claire We try to get a suite or a villa or apartment so we have more space. The Flybaby mattress works for us as Immi will sleep on my lap with it. Harriet Snacks and iPads! Anyone who says otherwise is crazy or a saint. Long-haul travel, which we do when we go back to Canada, is when you have to let go of the “rules” a little. For accommodation on holidays, we look for child- friendly resorts. It doesn’t have to be a Club Med, but if there’s a kids’ club and a buffet breakfast then we’re more likely to book it. Most of the expat families here love to travel so it’s always best to ask friends with kids for their advice as to where to go and stay first. April On long-haul flights, we use a Fly Babee Sleep Easy Cover for covering Sienna in the bassinet so she doesn’t keep waking up from lights, and a Plane Pal inflatable cushion for Amelia so she can stretch out and sleep lying flat, which is amazing and surprisingly compact too! Other than that, lots of Peppa Pig , snacks, a few small cheap presents from Daiso and Toys R Us for Amelia, and breastfeeding Sienna at take-off and landing to help take the pressure off her ears. Kim

We bought a bright red car-seat travel bag from Amazon and it’s been so useful – well worth it to keep the car seat clean while in the hold, protect it, identify it on the baggage carousel and carry it around airports (it’s also so handy to stuff some extra nappies in). When choosing hotel accommodation, we have simple rules: a balcony or space separate to the bedroom, room service, a restaurant on site and a fridge in the room. Katie Tips for the plane include taking a Cosco Scenera Next car seat to keep your little ones buckled up; you can also recline them so your kids can sleep. Give your child an iPad and forget all the rules about screen time. Take snacks that take a long time to eat such as apples and corn on the cob. Pack sticker books, colouring pens and Play-Doh. Hit Daiso to get some cheap toys and stick them into tiny zip-lock bags so it takes the child a while to work out how to open it. When choosing accommodation, we tend to use Airbnb as there are so many of us, and eating a healthy diet is important to me. Proximity to a playground or beach is vital as we like to be outdoors. Lucie Travel light! You probably won’t need all that extra stuff, and having less to lug around makes everything easier. Katherine

Snacks and iPads! Sarah

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