Summer holidays are coming! Your kids will be off from school very soon, and it’s time for you and your family to take off to some exotic destination, where you may not find time to relax or have the bucket and spade holiday of your dreams (let’s be honest here, kids are always kids, at home or on holidays), but at least you won’t miss unpredictable weather, and you will definitely try to catch some rays and add a splash of colour. 6 Tips to travel without too much stress with your kids

Now, before daydreaming, there are some crucial things to be taken into consideration before leaving. Who will look after your pets? Does your neighbour have your house keys in case of an emergency? And again, the most dreadful question you will ever ask yourself: what do I pack?

The years of backpacking trips are sadly long gone, and we know that packing for a tot-friendly holiday can be challenging and even stressful. For these reasons, here at Fringoo we provide a series of accessories not only essential for your kids’ Back to school but also useful to help you during your family holidays.

And because we feel generous today, here is a present for you, a list of 5 tips to travel without too much stress with your kids.

What’s your destination? Wherever you go, check the weather forecast before leaving

No matter if you are travelling to a Greek Island, to Hawaii or to Italy, climate change is real, and just a few days ago Alaska registered the highest temperature in its history (reaching 30* C), and there were storms in Italy and Spain. If the weather forecast says rain, be prepared, pack light raincoats for your kids and bring their waterproof backpacks. 

Take it slow and have plenty of time to do everything

Especially if you are flying somewhere, travelling with kids will require extra time to do everything. Consider adding two more hours to check in your bags, pass security control, buy extra snacks and drinks and board the plane. You don’t want to miss the flight only because it took you 15 more minutes to check your stroller and bottles through security. That’s no fun at all!

And just because we want you to enjoy your family time, we will tell you a small secret: for as much as you want to plan your trip, be aware that flexibility will be required at any time and any place. You will never know when something will go wrong, that’s the beauty and the curse of travelling with kids, just relax and enjoy the journey.

Get your kids involved with the trip

If old enough to understand you, explain to your kids where you are going and what you will do, especially if it’s the first time they are travelling or flying. If they are scared, they will be unhappy, and with unhappy kids, there will be unhappy parents. Helping them to understand where you are going, why and what they will be doing instead, will reassure them and they will also be excited to start a new adventure.

Snacks and drinks are never enough!

When on holiday you will never know when you will sit down to eat. Different dining habits, traffic, delays, a planned tour that took longer than stated … There are many reasons for which the time between meals could be extended. While you won’t have any problems waiting for one hour, your kids will have difficulties to adjust to the sudden change.

To prevent any discomfort always bring with you snacks, drinks, and use a thermally insulated lunch bags and water bottles to pack their favourite snacks and drinks, so you can relax and forget about rushing to queue to the first shop you see or trying to calm down your kids.

Give your kids your contact information

For as much as you keep your kids on your radar and despite paying them your full attention, they may get lost somewhere, maybe running after their favourite toy that fell on the floor, you never know.

If a child gets lost, it’s vital for them to have your contact information, with

• Your Name
• Mobile Phone number
• Email address
• Local and Home address

The Best place for your kids to carry your contact information is on a note, inside their pockets or shoes, or tied to their belt loop. Don’t be scared to be creative, but always inform and remind them that if they get lost, they have your contact details with them.

Don’t forget medications

Bring some basic medication inside your make-up bag, even if nobody in the family is taking prescription medications and especially if you are travelling abroad.

Your list may include:

• Headache Pills
• Hay fever Pills
• Upset stomach Meds
• Car sickness Meds

We will leave the clothes packing to you, only you know your favourite summer dress or what your kids like to wear, but we don’t want you to struggle in the process, so we add a final tip!

BONUS: 5 essentials you may forget when packing, check them all!

• Travel documents, including tickets, hotel reservations, passports and driving license
• Phones and chargers (you may want to buy a universal adaptor too before leaving)
• Wallet and credit cards
• Sun Cream – essential for your kids anywhere it’s hot, even while travelling

Enjoy your holidays and let us know if we forgot anything or if you have any other extra advice to share with everybody else!