Traveling With Your Grandkids 101

There's nothing like seeing the world through the eyes of children.

That alone is one of the best reasons to take your grandchildren with you when you travel. But planning ahead is important for any trip you take. There are things you should consider that will go a long way toward making your trip a real success.

Let's start with two of the most obvious: Where will you go? And for how long? You should consider the AGES of your grandchildren when picking your destination and the length of your stay. In other words, match up the trip by the age group in which your grandchildren fit. Children generally fall into three basic age groups:

• Up to 7 years old
• 7 to 12 years old
• 12 and up

Younger children (up to 7 years old) are generally well suited for daytrips or weekend excursions to a wide variety of destinations, like:

• Nearby towns or zoos
• Walks in the woods
• Trips to the beach
• Picnics or parades
• Outdoor play areas at parks
• Libraries (be sure to take advantage of story hours)
• Petting farms or orchards, pumpkin patches, etc.
• Airports to watch planes takeoff and land

Older children (in the 7 to 12 age group) are usually ready for longer (up to a week) and more adventurous trips to destinations like:

• Towns that are further away
• Attractions in another state
• Theme parks or museums
• Live plays or concerts

The oldest children (12 and up) need less supervision than the others and are generally mature enough to handle more exotic trips lasting up to two weeks:

• Fishing or hiking
• Cross country skiiing
• Cruises or trips abroad to other countries

Once you know where you're going and for how long, you need to decide the best way to go. Options vary, but again you should factor in the child's age when making your choice.

• On the Road: a long car trip might not be the way to go with very young children. However, if you do travel by car, you might consider driving at night, so that the kids will sleep on the way.
• In the Air: Flying is the quickest way to travel, but it is also the most expensive option. Naturally, you will need to take that into consideration when you set your travel budget.
• On the Rails: While it takes longer than flying, traveling by train allows children more freedom of movement and opportunities for sightseeing along the way.

There are a lot of great resources out there that can help you with your travel plans. Here are a few you might consider:

• There are also a number of Travel Agencies, e.g., Grandtravel in Chevy Chase, MD(www.grandtrvl.com) that cater only to grandparents traveling with their grandchildren, arranging trips for travelers on their own, or matching them up with other traveling grandparents and children to locales across the nation and around the world like, Williamsburg, Virginia; Alaska; England; even China.
• Worldwide Educational Adventures: Organizations like Elderhostel offer worldwide educational adventures just for grandparents and their grandchildren.
• Volunteer Vacations: e.g., the American Hiking Society offers trips to participants who volunteer to spend part of their days on trail maintenance, the rest on hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

So now you know where you're going, for how long, and the way you're traveling. Now you have to get ready for the trip itself. Start by going over some important issues with your own children, including:

• What are the grandkids' interests?
• Ask about the grandkids' daily routines (naptimes, bedtimes, etc.), favorite foods, medications, etc.
• What rules and safety routines should be observed?
• Make sure your children know your specific plans so they can help with the grandkids' packing.
• Be sure your children have the itinerary for your trip, as well as the phone numbers where you'll be.
• Also, it's very important that you carry with you a written permission slip from the parents to authorize emergency medical care if needed.

Then, there are some pre-travel things to do with the grandkids as well:

• Include the grandkids as you make your travel plans. Planning and anticipating the trip are all part of the fun. Show them pictures and brochures of what they will see. Get their input on what they would like to do. Make them feel a part of the process.
• As best you can, plan your trips around sites that are high on active physical activities and low on more passive ones, like museums and monuments.
• At the same time, don't crowd your days with too many activities so that everyone ends up overtired.
• Check ahead for child and senior rates to save money.
• If traveling by car, be sure to bring along plenty of healthy snacks, like fruit, granola bars and yogurt--available in 'Go-gurt' packaging (a push-up product)--for no mess and easy clean up. Also keep plenty of water and juice or milk on hand. Make sure you keep the grandkids fed and hydrated to avoid crankiness.
• Be prepared. Take along plenty of activities to keep the grandkids occupied. Make sure each grandkid has his or her own backpack, filled with age-appropriate entertainment, including games, crossword puzzles, books and magazines, a Walkman with music and story tapes, etc.
• Discuss your rules of behavior with them at the beginning of the trip so they know what's expected of them.

Finally, once you're actually traveling, keep these tips in mind:

• Stay flexible and keep an open mind. Why? Because...
• You can be sure that some things WON'T go as planned (like long waits at the airport, attractions, or restaurants; grandkids getting sick or throwing a tantrum, etc.)
• Recognize that there may be inconveniences on your trip. Conflicts are bound to happen. How you react to them will have an effect on how the grandkids react. So stay calm. It can make the difference between a memorable trip and one you'd like to forget.
• Remember the art of compromise. The grandkids want to go one place; you and your spouse might want to go to another. Finding a third option might just do the trick!
• Expect the unexpected...like bad weather. You can make your plans and set your expectations high, but if the weather doesn't cooperate, it's a good idea to have a backup plan. Be flexible and open to finding other things that you can do (e.g., going to a movie, museum, etc.).
• Be sure to give the kids time to spend energy in high levels of physical activity and play. While on the road, be sure to include frequent stops for stretching and exercise. Young muscles are not meant to sit still for long periods of time.
• Keep the kids to their regular naptimes and bedtimes.
• Allow time for spontaneous excursions. Sometimes the unplanned adventures can be the most rewarding of all.
• And don't forget to have FUN!