As the holidays come crawling around the corner, making the proper family plans is inevitable. You must take gift-giving, travel time, and overall mood into consideration. When you make travel plans with your family, it can become stressful.
However, it can become particularly challenging with having to travel with a child that has special needs. So you must take the necessary precautions and make them feel safe and content. How do you go about this? Thankfully, here are some tips for how to avoid meltdowns during holiday travel. You’ll become a traveling expert and take on any challenges. You got this!
Expect Any Meltdowns
Meltdowns will usually occur, no matter how prepared you are. So make sure you become emotionally and mentally prepared just in case. Having an emotional reaction can make it worse, creating a more stressful situation. Instead, try to take the time to understand your child and what causes them to have specific meltdowns.
Instead of fighting against them, learn how to avoid meltdowns during holiday travel as much as possible. Preparing ahead of time will do you a world of good. Once you understand your child’s emotional habits and thoughts, you’ll better grasp how they’ll react to specific situations. Creating a relaxed and safe environment will help them feel better.
Factor in Children’s Schedules
Every child has a specific schedule set for them—from their mealtimes and designated bedtimes. If you are traveling for an extended period, you need to make their schedule as seamless as possible. There will be some issues and hurdles to overcome, such as lack of sleep or becoming hungry. So to battle an oncoming meltdown, make sure you have their schedules affixed to their travel time.
If you happen to travel by plane, it’s easy yet complicated. It’s easier to manage your children’s schedules on a shorter flight time. However, if your family is traveling an overnight flight, that’s where it can get tricky. Try your best to keep your children as comfortable as possible and distract them from any emotional triggers. If you travel by car, you can stop to take breaks and rest up.
Bring Snacks and Entertainment
It’s inevitable for your child to feel grumpy, bored, and hungry during your travels. As a result, it can cause an emotional meltdown. One of the best ways to avoid meltdowns during holiday travel is by providing entertaining material and their favorite foods.
So make sure you have a couple of toys, like card games, magnetic board games, and some coloring books. You can find some of the best travel toys to keep your kids busy. Also, don’t forget to provide a pack of snacks and drinks they can choose from. It’ll keep them hydrated and full, so they have fewer meltdowns.
While you travel with your family, look at it from a positive angle rather than dreading the experience. It’ll help you remember the fun stuff and keep you level-headed.
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