To travel is a way to relax and enjoy being away from home. However, some parents tend to put off traveling the moment they have kids. Fears over the hassle of passing through airports, long flights where the need to entertain little ones arises or a possibility of delay may haunt you. Traveling with kids can be daunting and stressful, and more so when traveling overseas.

Here are a few tips for traveling abroad with kids. Hopefully, this will make the process less agonizing and as stress-free as possible.

Get immunizations

Three months before your travel date, visit a clinic to have you and your kids vaccinated. Get both the recommended and required vaccinations. This will give you peace of mind knowing that your kids are protected in case of any outbreaks overseas.

Organizing is the key

To keep your travel with your kids as smooth as possible, organize ahead of time. It is vital to ensure that you will not panic at the last minute. Make sure all passports are up-to-date, book hotels, draft an itinerary (or book a travel tour package) and get travel insurance for all members of the family.

Bring comfort items

Separation anxiety may happen to your kids as being away from home for a long period of time is something they are not accustomed to. It is wise to bring along some items that will make them feel at home. Bring their favorite toy or a favorite blanket. This will help them settle comfortably in places you will be staying at and less anxious in the new environment.

Prepare for long flights

Keeping your kids entertained will help lessen the burden of traveling. Parents know that most children have a short attention span. Being on a plane for 3-4 hours or more and keeping your kids engaged may sound like a difficult thing to do. To fight off boredom which may eventually turn into a horrifying tantrum, pack toys and activities in their carry-on luggage. Bring their favorite toys or some coloring books. You may also download some kid-friendly apps on your phone or tablet that will keep them busy. Pack some light snacks as well – waiting for inflight snacks may lead to some blood-sugar crashes.

Research and familiarize yourself with your travel destination

Traveling can be exhausting. There is the need to just lie down in bed and do nothing immediately upon arriving at your hotel. However, when traveling with kids, it is important to know details about the local area. Do research about your destination. Be aware of the nearest medical facilities (or check if your hotel or resort has one). Take note of emergency numbers in case of problems that may happen while traveling. 

Also, it is important to know of places or travel agencies that can help you with planning various kid activities to do abroad.

Take advantage of kid’s clubs

If you have children who are old enough, make use of any kids’ clubs or organizations run at the resort or hotel. This will give you and your partner some alone time. Parenting is a full-time job, so an opportunity like this should not be missed. While your kids are playing and having fun, you can relax and enjoy the break all to yourself. You will be less worried as well since you know that your kids are being looked after.

Prioritize sleep and food

There are two things to ensure your kids’ happiness – sleep and food. Keep them well-rested and well-fed and everything else will fall into place. Build your agenda with the thought that you have kids with you on this trip. Don’t go for late nights every time or pack the days full. Leave some downtime for resting and always have snacks handy.

Have lots of patience

As simple as that, traveling abroad with kids will test your patience. Make sure you pack yours – it will be worth it.

Travel light

The last thing you want to happen as you chase your little ones around the airport is falling over lots of luggage. Bring only the essential items. You can pick up anything anywhere in the world nowadays, so leave the things that you do not need at home.

Final Thoughts

These are just some travel tips on how to manage kids while traveling abroad. The most important thing is for you and your family to enjoy the trip together and make the moments count. Visit Wee Care for more information about parenting and managing your kids.

Is motivating your child to do household chores a difficult thing to do? Chores are the best way to teach your kids independence, self-sufficiency, and responsibility. It can be challenging and stressful, but having an organized system can help. Chore charts for kids may work like magic or fail miserably. 

Getting started with a chore chart is a great way to motivate your kids to become responsible adults in the future and can also make family life more enjoyable.

Cookie Sheet Chore Chart

This DIY chore chart helps transform your old cookie trays into an adorable magnetic chore chart. Each child will have their own cookie sheet chart and as they complete a task, you move the magnet from “To Do” to “Done”. Track their progress towards a certain reward at the bottom of the sheet. This gives them a lot of motivation as they see that they are almost about to achieve that incentive for a job well done.

Extra Cash Chore Chart

One way to motivate kids to do chores is to incentivize. This will give them financial responsibility. By rewarding them with money for their efforts to help out around the house, you will be able to teach them that money comes from working hard. Make them “earn” rather than freely receiving an allowance. You can use this chart as a reward for every task they complete. In addition to daily chores like making the bed or putting away toys, let them do bigger jobs around the house. Every task is worth something. 

Using magnetic clips and a whiteboard, place money with a chore list for kids attached to it. Once your child has completed the task, they can take that money for themselves. 

While some parents may argue that kids should not be paid for doing chores, this idea is a great way to make them learn work ethics by working for pay. They will also learn that certain tasks have to meet specific standards.

“Mom, I Need Money” Chore Chart

This chore chart works like the extra cash chore chart in a different way. There may be days when kids ask for something – like a new toy or a book. Make your child be accountable for the money that they want. You only need colored envelopes, magnetic clips and a felt tip pen. Each envelope will have a task listed and the corresponding money. They get to keep the envelope once they have finished doing the task. This is easily customizable as you can change the chores and increase the amount any time.

Morning Motivation Chore Chart

Mornings can be chaotic and messy. This chore chart will help motivate kids to do their morning tasks quickly. You can also incorporate evening routines with this chore chart. This will make the day smoother and not so crazy. Transform a wall inside the house into a Chore Chart Station and write the morning and evening routines your child must do, like making up the bed, brushing teeth, or getting dressed. This is a visual way for kids to see their tasks being done.

You can also add a reward incentive, like extra minutes staying up, TV time, extra play time, or special activities with mom/dad – a point for every task “done”. This is guaranteed to make your child look forward to every new chart in the morning.

Conclusion

These are just a few ideas to help your child accomplish a task. You can create your own and implement an age-appropriate chore for your child. Rewards can either be given daily or weekly – depends on how industrious your child is. Chore chart makers are available from many stores like Ikea or craft stores. You can also make DIY chore charts from used items found at home.

Make sure to ask for your child’s input to help them really buy the idea of a chore chart. Ask them what system works best for them. Be as creative as possible. Rewards are good, so always try to make a little “surprise” or motivational notes. This will not only make them feel good about accomplishing their task, but it will also help them check the charts more often.

Start them young. Teach them discipline and responsibility as early as possible. To know more, visit our website at https://weecarepreschools.com. 

Scrapes. Bruises. Scuffs. They’re an inevitable part of growing up. And while they’re no doubt painful for kids as much as they are for parents, they quickly fade.

[Read more…]

When parents leave their homes to go to work, sometimes their clingy toddler cries their eyes out. They hate seeing their parents go and just want their parents for themselves. Parents do everything they can to manage their toddlers and calm them down. At times, parents will think of different strategies to alleviate their situation. [Read more…]

Who says math can’t be fun? Motivating your child to learn and love this tricky subject can be as easy as playing games. All it takes is a dash of creativity, fun, and imagination. You can utilize could be practically anything to create math learning games that illustrate the real life applications of math, and so much more! Read on as we walk through some fun math activities to keep your kids engaged in learning while helping them stay on top of their numbers game. 

“Heavier or Lighter?” Guessing Game

Guessing games are the best! It’s why game shows on TV make money from their robust ad revenue, after all. Remember The Price is Right? Take the guessing game aspect of that show and, instead of guessing prices, gather household items on the table and have your child guess the weights of these items. You can use any item handy that will fit a kitchen scale. First, have children formulate guesses based on observation and jot down their guesses on one side of a sheet of paper. Next, have children weigh each item on the kitchen scales and record the answers. Lastly, have children determine if the actual weight is heavier or lighter than their initial guesses. This exercise introduces your child to the basic terms and concepts of weight measurement, which will be useful as they progress in school. 

Paper Plate Clock

Arts and crafts anyone? Turning math into a quick and fun project is a sure-fire way to get children involved in learning using this hands-on approach. Help your children get creative and become a master of telling time by letting them make and design their own clocks. You only need the following supplies for this project: a paper plate, scissors, split-pin, colored paper, markers and other coloring materials. Begin by making a hole at the middle of the paper plate. You can even teach children how to find the midpoint of the plate by measuring and finding the intersection of the diameters. Next, cut out the clock hands and secure them in place with the split-pin at the center. Have your child divide the clock into 12 equal parts and write the numbers in each corresponding spot. Once the numbers are all set, give children the freedom to design their own clocks using markers and other coloring materials. 

Pizza Fractions Game

Another fun math activity to help your child  learn the concept of fractions is by using none other than our favorite snack — PIZZA! Understanding fractions can be difficult without the use of a visual aid. You don’t need a real pizza to do this activity at home or in school (save your pizza for a fun treat afterwards!) Instead, you can either use some construction paper or an old pizza carton to start off. The key is to create a visual representation of different fractions to help them understand how one fraction could be equal to the other and bigger or smaller than the other. You can even have them decorate the toppings based on the fraction and, voila! They’ll probably end up talking about fractions while you’re eating your pizza and even afterwards… which means you did a great job!

Hopscotch Calculator

Wanna take your kids outside for some fun under the sun? Try playing a fun game of hopscotch to get them moving while also solving math problems. The aim here is to make math problems more interactive rather than being a passive activity that can drain your child’s attention in class. Grab  a piece of chalk and draw a hopscotch board on the pavement that include numbers and math symbols. Start the game by hopping on different combinations of numbers to make an equation. Next, step aside and let your child hop in to give the answer. This game can become even more fun when played at school with a group of kids. 

Lengthy Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunt games are so much fun when done with other kids in class! It’s like the game “Bring Me!, but with a twist of math. You can help kids learn how to take measurements with this game. It can be used as an individual or group game. Give students a number for a certain length and have them go around the classroom with  a measuring device like a ruler or measuring tape. Ask them to find any items in the room that measure the exact length you gave. It may be easier to prepare some items before the game starts and spread them around the room in visible areas.

Find these tips helpful? We’re glad to help you with your parenting journey. At Wee Care Preschools, we focus on helping your child learn, develop, explore, and grow! Wee Care was designed to provide a safe, loving environment where our children  learn basic academic skills, and most importantly, they are given ample opportunity to play and enjoy childhood. Visit weecarepreschools.com or contact us for more details about our amazing childhood learning programs.