3 Tips to Travel with Kids and Stay Prepared

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3 Tips to stay prepared for emergencies if you like to travel with kids. Family travel is great for fun and bonding, but being prepared it critical.

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Thank you The Smile Generation for sponsoring this post. Contact The Smile Generation today to see how they can help you and your family become healthier and happier!

 

Traveling with kids can be stressful. It’s certainly worth it since it provides children with rich cultural experiences and education, and it’s great family bonding time. But, it’s almost certainly an anxiety-producing situation for parents in some respects. One of my biggest fears when we travel, is what if something happens? There’s comfort in being home, knowing where the hospital is, your trusted pediatrician, your dentist who knows and understands your kids. Below are some tips for preparing to travel with kids safely, to keep some of that anxiety at bay.

Being Prepared to Travel with Kids

There was the time my 2-year-old fell and cracked his tooth getting out of the bathtub, there were the hives that my 5-year-old broke out in, the tooth of mine that broke while I was pregnant….this stuff is little in the grand scheme of things, but when away from home, these most certainly feel BIG. Preparing ahead of time for emergency situations when you are about to travel with kids is one of the best ways to combat the stress.

I came from a scouting family, so ‘Be Prepared’ was a motto that has been engraved in my brain.

3 Preparedness Tips

1. Research the area you will be traveling to. Do a quick search to check out where the local hospital is, and don’t forget about the dentist! We often forget about dental emergencies, but as a mom, we’ve had our fair share of them, and they certainly DO happen.

 

The Smile Generation is a really great service to know about and look at before traveling. It is a referral service that connects you with trusted, local dentists where you are. With more that 650 Smile Generation®-trusted offices across the country, there might just be one where you are. And having a trusted and recommended office is critical as a parent.

With a wide range of services, Smile Generation-trusted offices have emergency appointments and pediatric dentists in a kid-friendly environment. Additionally, The Smile Generation can help you afford the treatment that you need, with the My Smile Dental Plan that gives members exclusive access to discounted fees on many dental services. A worthwhile tool to have in your back pocket for sure.

Check out the screenshots below to see how The Smile Generation works – this is my own search when looking for dentists near Disney World!

I LOVE that I can browse real reviews!

2. Keep a folder or large envelope with important information. I like to make a ‘Safety Folder’ that I can grab when we travel. I make sure it’s updated, but it’s kind of a one and done sort of thing that I can easily grab whenever we hop on a trip.

Included in my ‘Safety Folder’ (I know, so fun) is a list of important phone numbers (doctor/dentist/veterinarian), copies of our passports or IDs, notes of prescription medications anyone is on, emergency contacts at home, and any travel documents. Just knowing that I have this information helps keep my anxiety about traveling with kids at bay.

3. Pack a travel health kit. Even if you’re trying to pack lightly, this is worth space in your luggage. Make a little first aid kit with bandages, medicine, gauze, creams, antihistamines, etc. Because we like to do outdoor activities, I also include a little tick kit with tweezers and baggies. This is a good place to keep some emergency situation items as well, such as a mini flashlight or headlamp, pocket knife, emergency blankets and ponchos.

Being prepared for emergency situations when set out to travel with kids doesn’t only help you stay ready to act, but it truly does help with the anxiety and stress about the ‘what if’s’ when away from home. When I traveled before I had kids, the excitement was overwhelming, and the stress was minimal. As a mom, while I love to travel with my family, those emotions have unfortunately flipped in most scenarios, and preparedness is my best tool.

I hope some of this information is useful and you can feel prepared and ready to hit the road with your own kids!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

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