Traveling With The Fam

Traveling is always a bug a boo even if you take precautions! It’s busy, lines tend to be long and baggage is cumbersome.

It takes the whole family working together and in sync to get to and from a destination and our goal as a family is to go and come back as happy as possible. So, as a family we talk about what it was going to take to go to and from home to Grandma’s in peace and in one piece. Here are some things we discuss:

1. Basically where we will go and what we will do.
2. What each person can and cannot bring.
3. When we get there, who we will probably see and how to respond.
4. What kids can do and should do.
5. How to ask or change of plans or discuss ideas we’ve talked about along the way.

Traveling With The Fam

Things To Discuss Before a Trip:

1. Basically where we will go and what we will do.
It’s important for all to know where the destination trip will be and the basics of what will occur. For example. If you’re going to Grandma’s and it’s going to be a basic “stay on the farm” trip. It would be important for a city kid to understand there are no malls within 45 minutes of Grandma therefore the family will probably stay on the farm. Too, it would be of importance to explain that Grandma has cows, horses, pigs, goats, etc. and how to basically respond for safety and fun purposes. If a Grandma lived in the snowy area of New York, it would be of importance to explain snow and if in the waterways of the Florida Keys, a discussion in water safety may be of importance.

2. What each person can and cannot bring.
The airline services are now charging upwards $25 for baggage fees so it is important that everyone is on board in terms of what is needed on a trip and what is not important. Too, carry-on baggage has restrictions so it would be of importance to know and understand what is expected in that area. If you’re driving a car, young kids may want to color, draw, watch a movie or bring an electronic game.Everything from the wiring needed to cause these items to perform to the actual box of crayons could bring about conversation.

3. When we get there, who we will probably see and how to respond.
If the family is going to a familiar home or location, just reminders of the who’s and what’s might be good. If the family is going to an unfamiliar home or destination, a whole new world is opening up for them so discussions about the who’s, relationships, expectations, feelings and more could be very important. For example, if a parent were to show photographs of those the child may meet and discuss who that person is, it could make a huge difference in the way the child feels about that person and responds to that person.

4. What kids (and adults) can do and should do.
Expectations about behaviors is so very important. One very important thing to do is to explain that the meeting and greeting portion of any family gathering is not about us but about the person being greeted.And then the expectation explanations go on from there. Everything from basic manners to how to exit a room when boredom sets in. When each person knows what is expected, behaviors for all improve one by one. Even husbands or wives can set up expectation for each other. For example, if I wanted my husband to go to the all-day family reunion, and I knew he would be uncomfortable, I might ask him to simply “go with me until after lunch and then drive your own truck so you can slip out”. These kinds of courtesies work for both parties.

5. How to ask or change of plans or get out of an uncomfortable situation.
When visiting the home of someone else, we all get in forced situations that we would love to get out of but don’t know how. It is always a good idea to either have some type of family queue or provide a way in which a family member can “have a word”. Husbands and wives should have their own method for speaking with one another. For example, a wife may say out loud in front of guests something like, “Tom, when come help me with the suitcase when you get a moment”. Or a husband may say, I’m going to get the luggage from outside, please come show me which one comes in”. Children too need to know how to talk to mom or dad in a crowded situation and so parents should have some method to help them have a say. “Mom, please help me with my bags”. or “Dad, when you finish here, would you….”.

There are so many nuances when traveling and we certainly have not tapped them here but when traveling, each family should without question have some type of a plan.

Josie