Use your parenting skills to travel like a BOSS!! By boss, I mean Mom!

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –  Mom planner is the glue.

Parents have an awesome list of responsibilities:

*We keep children safe.

*Parents teach children to stay safe as they get older and take on more responsibility.

*Moms and Dads provide kids with skills to lead a happy and successful life.

All those parent responsibilities have one goal: to prepare kids to be healthy and independent adults.

So, plan your family vacation as only a mom can. You know which child is afraid of heights and which child is in love with dragons. You know which kid is secretly still interested in ‘baby’ things he doesn’t want his friends to know about and which child thinks gelato is truly the nectar of the gods.

Use your secret mom knowledge to plan the best trip ever!

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –  Mom planner is the keeper of the stuff.

It isn’t lost till mom can’t find it! No truer words have ever been said!  Use packing lists and zip-loc baggies to stay organized!

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by packing each person’s stuff in a separate suitcase.

What if one suitcase gets lost?

Put a little for each person in EACH suitcase. Then, if one piece of luggage gets lost you still have clothes for each person. Thankfully, luggage doesn’t get lost that often, but you don’t want to be even that one person who has lost luggage! Read here for tips on how to avoid lost luggage.

Here is a great product – the Demi Hugger! How many times have you wished you had another hand? This cool fuzzy sleeve slips over the handles of your suitcase – vertically or horizontally and wraps around the ‘stuff’ you need to carry. Just wrap, velcro and head off into the sunset. Everyone shed their coat inside? No worries – just stuff them all inside the Demi Hugger and wrap them up!

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –   Mom planner can make anything better.

Boring airplane flight? Not with mom along! Mom knows to read before the trip! She uses travel activities for kids and travel guide ebooks for kids to make the journeys educational and memorable.

Read about destinations (Click here for reading lists on these destinations: Italy, Hawaii, London, New York City, Paris) and watch movies that are set in the area you are going to explore.  Try your hand at cooking food from that locale – all before you go. Your young travelers will love the trip, even MORE, when they can build upon a foundation you built.

My ebooks have kid-friendly information and activities for kid travelers on these amazing destinations:

New York      Vatican City      France     London      Austin      The Prado museum      The Louvre museum     Nassau, Bahamas       Canada     Spain  

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –  Mom planner of making people feel better.

A mom’s kiss can make usually make any boo-boo feel better. But, just in case your kiss needs back up, pack a first aid kit.

Unless you are going to rough it in the middle of the desert, there will be a pharmacy nearby so you only need enough to get through the night. All moms know that earaches and tummy aches only happen at the worst possible times… like at 3 in the morning. Do not be stuck with a sick kiddo waiting on the pharmacy to open!

Best options to pack:

pain relief
nausea medicine
diarrhea medicine
ear pain medicine

Chewable kids medicines are the best because any age can take them. Read the entire list of tips on packing first aid kits here.

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –  Mom planner of the food.

No one’s stomach growls when mom is around! Pack snacks for the road. Use a plastic carrier to have it within easy reach of your travelers. Don’t forget the trash bag!

Kids Travelers don’t like food that touches? No one will eat pasta with sauce or anything green? Mom plans ahead for picky traveling kids and food.

Research the area and find food that kiddos will eat and/or take backup food with you. Granola bars and goldfish crackers travel easily and most kids will eat them. If all else fails peanut butter and chewable vitamins keep traveling kids going.

Travel Tips and Mom Hacks –  Mom planner for keeping everyone on track!

Mom is the one who keeps a calendar like none other.

She knows the dates and times of…

PTO meetings

Your turn to take the snacks to the Boy Scouts meeting

Baseball practice

Volleyball games

well visits

dental cleanings

Dog vaccination schedules

Everyone relies on mom! Use your mom parenting skills to keep track of your travel plans! Itinerary, rental cars, airplane tickets – you’ve got this! If you need help, call upon The Educational Tourist who can help plan the trip of your dreams.

Happy Family Vacations,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist

*** This post was originally written for Hooray for Families!***