Spending time and taking a family trip is very rewarding. It allows you and your loved ones to have quality time with each other.
Before embarking on your vacation, think about your child's age and what type of vacation will suit that age. Toddlers and young kids have different holiday needs. Then, you can plan ahead and inform your kids of some safety rules to keep them away from danger and keep the kids safe in foreign environments.
Here are some of the helpful safety tips that can guide you and your family in having a memorable vacation.
Read here for awesome travel hacks all parents need to know.
Read here to learn tips and tricks for packing and traveling light.
Table of Contents
Tip 9: Baby Proofing Your Hotel Room
Keep Your Kids Safe and Enjoy Your Family Travel
Health and Safety Precautions:
Family vacations require thorough planning. From choosing the ideal vacation location, what to pack, to ensuring your children's safety.
Keep in mind these ten safety tips to avoid finding yourself in a state of panic during your travels with young kids.
Travel Safety Tip 1: Buy Travel Insurance
Safety is one of the most important things that must be prioritized during a trip. Especially if you are going out with your kids, keeping them secure and safe can give you comfort and peace of mind.
Buying your family travel insurance can give everyone extra protection while away on a road trip or family vacation.
A lot of companies now offer different types of coverage for insurance. Take the time to choose the type of insurance that suits your needs. In general, coverage includes trip cancellations, baggage and personal belongings, emergency medical expenses as well as accidental death and dismemberment.
Travel Safety Tip 2: Pack a Medical Kit
No matter whether you are traveling alone or with your family, always bring a medical safety kit. Having a dedicated bag with essential medicines and save you the hassle and stress of looking for pharmacies on your trip.
It is also good to have a kit with you on road trips especially if you are traveling with kids. You can easily place your medical kit in your luggage or bring some in your hand carry.
It is common for roads trips to result in car sick. Bringing over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol or Paracetamol, anti-motion sickness pills as well as a few sick bags can help you stay on top of emergency situations like this.
Travel Safety Tip 3: Safety Tattoos for Kids
Whenever traveling with kids, going to an amusement park or playground is often part of the itinerary. Be mindful that these places are crowded and it is important to keep kids safe.
For young children who are still too young to memorize emergency details, it is helpful to put some safety tattoos on them that contain your contact information. This way if your child is found wandering around by themselves, you can be contacted immediately.
For older children, simply go through safety rules with them prior to the trip to ensure they know what to do in the event of an emergency. Keeping kids safe is our utmost important duty.
Additionally, it is a great idea for your little ones to wear clothing with bright colors when going out. This can help you spot them easier in a sea of people. You can also consider having your child wear an id bracelet instead of the temporary tattoo stickers.
Please pay high alert everytime you are in a crowded area. Keep your kids safe by your side at all times to avoid going into panic mode.
Travel Safety Tip 4: Avoid Stomach Bugs
Promoting good hygiene during your trip can prevent you and your kids from catching stomach bugs and infections.
Wash hands frequently with clean water and soap to remove any dirt and germs. You can also use hand sanitizer in case there is no restroom or washing area.
It is important for parents to keep kids safe by choosing appropriate eateries to prevent having an upset stomach. Many street vendors sell delicious local food and delicacies. You may need to carefully inspect how the food is prepared and cooked before trying them out.
Furthermore, different cuisine use different spices in meals. Bear in mind that your body may be unacustomed to the type of food and can cause stomach upset.
Travel Safety Tip 5: Avoid Sunburn
If your vacation is in summer or at a beach, always wear sunscreen and proper clothing to protect your skin. Practice being sun smart. This will be a simple way keeping kids safe from burns.
Sunscreen and aloe vera creams can help address the burning sensation in your skin. This can ease the redness of your skin and prevent it from being inflamed.
Always stay hydrated, wear a hat and avoid being under the sun between 10am and 4pm when UV index is at its highest.
Child Safety Precautions:
Travel Safety Tip 6: Track Your Kids
With technological advancement, you can consider tracking your kids to ensure their safety and security. Keeping everyone safe the entire trip will allow you to have a more enjoyable road trip or vacation.
GPS trackers that are wearable are a good option for you if you want to track your kids and keep them safe. There are many different types of tracking devices nowadays. It can be in the form of clothing, a watch, even shoes.
Apple AirTag, Jiobit Next, AngelSense, Tack GPS Tracker, and TickTalk 4 are just some of the trackers that can be used.
Travel Safety Tip 7: Safety After Dark
Whether you are traveling or not, the same safety rules apply to everyone at night. Being visible after dark is important.
Getting your kids glow-in-the-dark clothing can help you find them easier when you lose sight of them. Remind children to always stay beside their parents or companions when going out, especially in crowded areas.
You can also use high-visibility reflective stickers on their clothes to provide additional safety. Simple tips like this can be easily implemented.
Teaching kids additional safety tips while traveling can prevent them from getting lost. An older child, for example, should know some basic information about their parents.
Lost kids is a problem that no parent may want to experience.
Travel Safety Tip 8: Pool Safety
If you are planning a swimming trip with your children, getting them floaters and life vests is a must. Kids can get very excited at the pool and often places themselves at risk of injury.
Always keep an eye on them at all times. Stay within reach of your child especially younger children to ensure you keep them safe. This will prevent them from drowning and having accidents in the pool.
The most important thing when you travel is to stay safe and prevent any emergency from occurring.
Travel Safety Tip 9: Baby Proofing Hotel Room
Make sure you spend the time baby-proofing your accommodation or hotel room to ensure the safety of your child during the stay. Here are some additional tips on how to keep the area safe for your children.
Often, hotel rooms have bedside tables or standing lights that can be a hazard if a baby pulls on them. Ensure your child is unable to reach these items. Preventative measures, such as using a baby gate to close off particular areas and covering outlets, can significantly reduce the chance of accidents.
Bring some corner guards with you to place on sharp edges of furniture to prevent your child from being hurt. Consider cabinet locks to avoid your child accessing the kettle or cleaning detergent in the cabinet.
By child-proofing your accommodation during your family vacation, you can let them run around without worrying about their safety and shield them from potential dangers in their surroundings.
Travel Safety Tip 10: Seat Safety
Securing your child in car seats are important. Many countries don't have rules to require kids to be in car seats whenever traveling in cars. Think through the scenarios before going on your vacation.
For example, if your kid still fits in an infant car seat carrier, you may bring the seat with you on your flight and use it on the plane. FAA highly suggests children under 2 to be secured in a car seat on the plane as that is the safest place compared to being on your lap.
However, a car seat can only be brought on if you purchased your child their own seat. Make sure the car seat you bring onboard with you is FAA approved.
Otherwise, if lugging a car seat past airport security is too much to handle at the airport, you can consider checking in your car seat and use the car seat on your road trip at your travel destination. Look at purchasing a foldable or lightweight car seat for travel.
You may consider renting car seats at your destination to minimize the luggage you bring with you.
Keep Your Kids Safe and Enjoy Your Family Travel
Before embarking on your exciting vacation, make sure you covered some of the safety tips in this article. It is important to remind kids to speak to a police officer, security guard or an adult if they get separated from you in crowded areas.
For a younger child, it is best to have them in a baby carrier or travel stroller so they are safely secured closed to you at all times. Consider tracking your child for a peace of mind.
Follow these safety tips for your next trip to ensure that it will be a smooth and memorable vacation.
Read here about how a carry on stroller can simplify family travel.
