Three moms on how to organize a trip with kids

Alyona Gultyaeva

We are an ordinary family of three, with an average income by European standards and a desire to travel the world. I have a son who is four years old and a husband who, just like me, is not afraid to travel with a small child.

Our son has traveled to eight countries in four years. In fact, almost as much as my husband and I have traveled over the years. The first time we flew when our son was not yet two years old. I was worried before the flight, as I read on the Internet about how people complain about screaming children on airplanes. In the end, everything went smoothly. I was just prepared. What to do - depends on the age of the child and the means of transportation, but the general recommendations are approximately the following:

1. If the transportation is not fed - eat an hour before the road as a family, only something tested, light and non-fatty, preferably fruits or vegetables.
2. Take an empty bag in the cabin, preferably several, just in case (we, however, they never came in handy).
3. Take off your child's shoes if he is active and kicks the front seat.
4. Take with you in the cabin felt-tip pens, books, puzzles and various non-noisy long-playing toys.
5. There is no Internet in the airplane, so download in advance on your phone games and developmental games for the baby.
6. Take in the cabin food that does not smear and does not crumble.
7. Take a few small bottles of water.
8. Recall all of the funnies you remember and play with your baby.
9. Take a spare set of clothes (both warmer and lighter) to the cabin as well.
10. Feel free to put a diaper on your baby. Remember, if you have a mishap in transportation, you will be much more embarrassed.
11. Make reservations in advance, as you need 3 seats side by side if you are traveling as a family.
12. Or, you may just get lucky and your child will fall asleep on the road.

Tell your child in advance where you are going, show pictures of the city, sights and hotel room so your child is prepared.

Usually, when tourists come to a new city, they do a lot of walking. Not every child can walk so much, calmly and for a long time, so do not hesitate to bring a stroller. In Europe, no one will look at you with a judgmental look, no matter how old your child is. I recommend a cane stroller, which at any time can be assembled and disassembled, it is light and mobile. All its advantages you will immediately notice, moving on the subway. For example, in Milan and Berlin, the subway is equipped with elevators, thanks to which you can not run on the steps with a child and a stroller. In Paris, the subway is old and uncomfortable with a lot of steps and descents, so there the stroller and will have to carry often.

When booking hotels, do not forget to specify that you are with a child and how old he is. You can provide a special children's bed with sides, an additional set of towels and bathroom accessories. Baby potties are not used in Europe. They also do not have a children's menu, as we think of it. In any kitchen, you can ask exactly how you want a dish to be brought to you for the child.

They pay for children from 4-6 years old for public transportation, so don't forget to buy a ticket for your child as well. Don't skimp, because if you are caught by the controller without a ticket, you will have to pay a very hefty fine.

Traveling with children has its advantages. For example, in the Louvre we were allowed very close to the Mona Lisa, we were allowed to take photos, as we were with a stroller, while the bulk of tourists stood far behind the fence line.

Enjoy, rest, have a relaxed attitude, and remember that traveling is very beneficial for both adults and children.

Olesya Imamova

Many parents think that traveling with children is very difficult and boring. However, the story of our family turned out quite differently. On the contrary, we started traveling even more. For the first two years we were afraid to fly with a child by plane, so we traveled around Ukraine. Our longest trip was 11 hours - to Transcarpathia. All this time, except for stops, the baby sat in a car seat. And he was not sad, because I took care of toys and entertainment in advance. It was especially funny when he fell asleep and pressed the same button "Kra-kra-kra-kra-kra-kra-red".

It is quite easy to travel around Ukraine by car. Besides, a bad road is not a problem for the baby at all, because it makes him carsick :). It was more difficult to travel by train, but only because I did not take a separate shelf for the baby.

Our first airplane trip was already after two years. Although now I analyze my fears and think that they were all in vain. For example, in the summer, when my son was a little over a year old, I was afraid to go on vacation to Turkey. I was worried that the baby would get sick with coxsackie (a type of enterovirus), but this disease found us at home in the playground.

The first adult (because after two years provide a separate seat on the plane) for my son's trip to Paris, I planned in detail and took everything you need - from medicines to diapers, prepared my son with the help of stories and books. And everything went easily, rich and fun. And then - twisted, and in one year the baby visited five countries. Do not be afraid to puzzle the travel of the child. Believe me, in fact, he does not really care where to be - in Paris, Turkey, Berlin or at grandma's in the village. The main thing is to be with your parents.

For a comfortable trip, you need to set yourself up. Realize that you have a good plan and be prepared for when things can go wrong. A parent's mindset is the foundation of a successful trip. The biggest challenge comes when there is no plan. Then everything goes wrong - the child is cranky, your husband wants to go to a cafe, and you want to go to a museum. A plan of action saves time and nerves. So don't be lazy and try to think through the whole trip at home. Plan everything you want to see in a new city or country. Without any restrictions, because they exist only in your head. It should be comfortable and interesting for everyone - both you and the child. So don't forget about time to play and explore the local playgrounds.

Sometimes difficulties arise in finding food for the child. If you go to a place where everything is included, then ask about the children's menu. Sometimes hotels offer not only children's meals, but also equipment - blenders, mixers. Some even have purees in jars and instant milk porridge. It is more difficult in countries where you have to choose something from the menu in a language you do not understand. And here again, the plan will help you. In advance, you can pick up a meal, and calmly look at the menu. Or Google translator.

Another key to a good trip is a child's sleep. Once we had to wake up our son at two o'clock in the morning for an airplane. After half an hour of hysterics, we were sure that we would not go anywhere else at night. But this, again, depends on the individual child. I try to plan vacations so that there is time for a lunchtime nap for the child. There are cases when there is nowhere to sleep. Then a stroller that can be unfolded comes in handy.

If you don't travel, sit at home and wait for your child to grow up, you can see your best years fly by.

Alexandra Abramovich

What a blessing it is to be on the same wavelength with your husband, and to adjust your child to this wave. Our one and a half year old daughter just had no other choice but to travel together with mom and dad. To explore new places, to discover something new, to be inspired, surprised, sometimes disappointed - that's what our family travels for.

Our daughter, while still in her tummy, traveled so many kilometers across Ukraine that not every adult can boast of such adventures. Therefore, after her birth, we safely continued our trips. Thus, from the age of 2 months, she discovers the beauty of our planet. Cab, train, electric train, shuttle bus, airplane - all these modes of transportation for her are already as native.

I communicate with many mothers on the topic of traveling with children, I try to convey information that it is not so difficult as it may seem at first glance. But I have come to this conclusion: until the parents themselves are not ready to realize it morally, a good trip will not happen. Here you need a great desire of parents and a simpler attitude to all the inconveniences that may happen. We, for example, didn't feel uncomfortable when our 9-month-old cried loudly on the airplane upon landing because the auntie flight attendant told us to fasten our seat belts and our daughter wanted to be carried in our arms. Anyone else would have been upset about disrupting the harmony aboard the airplane..... and for nothing. On any given trip, my husband folds and unfolds the baby stroller almost a hundred times. It's also kind of an "inconvenience" of sorts. But we have already gotten used to this obligatory ritual.

Of course, I remember how easy and simple our trips were when we were still two: we went wherever we wanted, we ate wherever we wanted or went hungry, we could look for accommodation when we arrived and not book in advance. And now you have to look for a room for mother and child, cafes, stores and everything else with a special ramp to drive a stroller, walk on smooth roads (again because of the stroller), and not wander through thickets in search of a lake. And no matter how you look at it, traveling with a baby is a development of sorts. We started renting better accommodations, using more convenient means of transportation, eating at better places, and so on. The child is our incentive to do better in everything. The main thing is to start, and then nothing and no one will stop you in your desire to know the world, even a bunch of children.