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| Baby John with John celebrating Holi in India |
Your children will have some holidays in near future or the summer vacation in April-June period and you want to take them on a trip. After all, travelling is educative
In India, you have to plan your holidays well in advance and more so if children will be accompanying you. Many families have already started planning their summer holidays, keeping in view the terrible rush in summer and the problems in train reservations and booking preferred accommodation. A good move, indeed!
Don’t rush | Keep travel pace relaxed
Try to plan the trip in such a way that you are not rushing from one place to another. It may not be possible to hurry things along when children are involved. They love to explore and have fun; and may want to spend more time in some places than others. Keep your travel pace relaxed and make sure that your kids get enough time to rest after every meal.
Entertainment tools
Carry some of their favourite toys or games. Indian kids love playing cricket while on a holiday. Carry a bat and few Tennis balls. The second game they love is Badminton, so carry few rackets and shuttlecocks, perhaps few soccer balls and few indoor games like Chess, Scrabble and Business or for small kids may be snake n ladder. In addition, their favourite books and scribbling pads to keep them occupied and enjoy long air or train journeys could be a good idea
Schedule
A tight and inflexible schedule may ruin the travel experience for both kids and adults. Remember that young kids can get cranky and may not always be up to following the plan to a T.
Consult the Doctor
Visit your physician before you leave for the trip and pack some medicines for common ailments.
Medicines to carry
(Available in India with chemists. A chemist may give you even without prescription, however, it is recommended to consult your doctor and get a Rx)
Tummy ache: Gripe Water for babies, Buscopan Syrup for older kids
Diarrhoea: Bacigyl (Aristo)
Cold: Sinarest drops and syrup (Centaur)
Fever: Crocin Syrup
Dehydration: ORS sachets
Snacks to carry
Nuts like almonds, walnuts and pistachios are handy as they work as an instant mood reliever and are packed with various health benefits. To keep a smile on my child's face, I would surprise him with a bar or two of his favourite candy or a few biscuits.
On arrival
Remember, your children may be irritable because of-
- Jetlag and heat.
- Seeing so many strangers all at once
- Sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings
- Give them time to settle in rather than rush headlong into the tour as soon as you land.
Taming the Heat
- Have your children wear clothes that cover most of their body.
- They could also wear hats and sunglasses.
- Train your kids to wash their hands frequently and always carry an antiseptic hand wash with you.
- Carry wet tissues with which you can even wipe feet clean after temple visits.
- Use a sun tan lotion liberally on the uncovered parts of your child’s body.
- Take precautions for dehydration as the heat and resultant sweating could be a cause of concern for children.
- Let them drink only bottled water. It is available everywhere
Food for kids
No roadside food
Food may be spicy for your children but you also get non-spicy fare – Rotis (Indian flat breads), Dal (Lantil curry), Maggi, Pasta, fruits, cornflakes, yogurt, plain rice and eggs. For older children, you will find many international food joints such as KFC, McDonalds, Dominoes etc. in most cities.
Transport
- Traveling with infants by air in India, give preference to Jet Airways. They have Child Meal request (Code: CHML) facility
- Give preference to trains over buses as they are more comfortable, though slower. If you can afford renting an air-conditioned car for your tour, it is the best option, as it will take care of the heat and air-pollution as well.
- There are many other interesting forms of transport in India for a enjoyable ride like rickshaws, elephants, camel carts. If you want to try them all with a toddler, you must get baby carrier and strap the child to your front or back, as convenient.
Accommodation
While choosing hotel rooms, opt for a two-room suite or at least a spacious room. Most of the hotels will provide extra bedding for young kids at no extra cost. Remember to carry a strong insect repellent and be cautious when using it for very small kids.
Safeguard
Parenting in today's world is scary at times. There are so many bad things that can happen to our children it's a wonder more parents aren't walking around in a constant state of anxiety. I wanted us to take a break and focus on keys steps to ensure no one gets lost.
Pay attention to the detailsBefore you get out of the car or leave your hotel room, take a minute and inventory what your children are wearing. If possible, encourage them to wear bright clothes. This will help you in a panic to be able to find them quicker. You'll know specifics instead of just a blond head.
ConnectIf your kids are younger then hold hands or walk behind them with your hands on their shoulders. For those older kids who would be mortified to have mom or dad that close, utilize cell phones. Make sure they know your number or if they have their own phone, that you know theirs.J
Just in case...As a family, identify a place to meet in case you get separated. Be specific about this; not just a vicinity but the exact tree, or bench they are to go to. Everyone must understand they are to stay there until the missing party is found. If everyone is wandering around you may never find each other. This special spot ensures finding one another quickly.
Scary but necessary Make sure to talk to your kids about what to do in the case of someone attempting to abduct them.
Don't just scare themHelp them to be smart. A key point to cover is to not just scream. People don't pay attention to this. They assume it's a kid throwing a fit.
Yeling "This is not my parent!" or "I don't know this person!" are much more effective.What do you do in this situation if a good Samaritan comes by to offer help? The abductor will attempt to play it off again as a bratty child. Tell your kids to challenge them with such questions as "When is my birthday?" or "What's the name of the school I go to?" An abductor will not be able to answer these and will likely flee.
Worst case scenarioNone of us like to think about our children being taken. But, we need to be prepared. In most of the places in India the Police Emergency contact telephone number usually is 100 but check it up on arrival in a town.In other countries most local police departments have free programs where they will fingerprint and/or take a picture of your children. This gives them vital information in being able to find your child quickly.