Traveling can be very stressful, and traveling with teens doubly so, for reasons that are completely different than for traveling with smaller children. Teens are developing their own interests and more than ever, you have to plan around how best to incorporate their needs, however exotic or seemingly selfish into the program. Here are ten ideas to help the trip go smoother this time.
- Remember who your fellow travelers are. Just as you wouldn’t take your sports-ambivalent wife to a week of baseball training camp, try to figure out destinations the whole family can enjoy. That doesn’t mean it has to be Disneyland or the least common denominator. Think instead, of places that will have real highlights for all members of the family. New York City for example, can satisfy many many different types of people with museums, sports legends, nightlife, theatre, and even great parks. But pick a single-interest destination, like say, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the entire family better be into rocking out, or have other reasons for being in Cleveland.
So spelling H-O-R and adding an S might lead to forming “Horse” for the next player unless they could form a word that starts with H-O-R-S but does not have an E next…. License plates – This is an old chestnut, but can keep kids busy for a few minutes at least while they realize that license plates come on cars from all over the country.
March 30, 2008 – 11:48 AM
I’ve traveled alone with my kids (together at about six months and four years) and found the experience to be challenging but not overwhelming. Maybe because it’s because I’m a dad and not supposed to be used to this kind of thing, but I found everyone to be very helpful.
November 4, 2007 – 1:44 PM
And I must say that my daughter loves her powder blue one (though she hopes they come out with a pink), but not for the reasons the marketing materials proclaim…. They are there to overcome the big safety sin we commit all the time: leaving a booster unoccupied in the back seat, which would become a lethal projectile in case of an accident.
October 17, 2007 – 3:38 PM
I doubt I’m the only dad who just doesn’t have the energy to carry a baby AND a baby seat when we travel even though the experts say babies and toddlers need to be more than buckled up in regular adult seatbelts. The Baby B’air Flight Vest has been tested to exceed FAA stress tests for aircraft seats.
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