Tips from Traveling Experts About Traveling Safely with Children

Moving from one season of motherhood to another can be daunting-from the baby to the toddler years, or the elementary years to the teen years. It’s the feeling of the unknown that makes it just a little bit scary.  Fortunately, there are always those who have gone before who have the been-there-done-that-survived-to-tell-the-tale wisdom to offer. I have been standing on the precipice of a new season-the season of traveling alone with children. I have been planning for this season for as long as I have been packing a diaper bag with my luggage. As soon as all my children reached an age when we could easily travel without another adult, we were off. I knew it would be a new adventure that I would navigate with some turbulence, but I expected to learn the ropes and find my stride with the new challenge.

Just when I had talked myself out of any fears I might have about the process, an unexpected incident literally took my feet out from under me. At a routine amusement park visit close to home, I blacked out, taking me out of commission as the responsible party. Although my children stepped up to the plate and blew me away with their maturity in that situation, it still caused me pause. Was this a wakeup call to reevaluate my plans?

Questions reeling in my head, I turned to those who had been there before me-other traveling moms and dads who were seasoned veterans in the world of traveling with kids. These brave adventurers have become my tribe, my touchstone for the next step in the wild and wonderful world of family travel. I knew that many of them had experienced traveling with their kids alone. In fact, they had been my inspiration for taking off alone with my kids in the first place. So, I asked for the collective wisdom of the traveling parent warriors, and they delivered.

Tip One: Don't Underestimate Your Kids

Linda, mom of four from Minne Mom had a story of medical drama to match my own fainting story.

I ended up in the ER on the 4th, 70 miles from home at a strange hospital, and learned that my kids can manage on their own for 2-3 hours in a waiting room with minimal entertainment. That's a scenario that has played out in my mind since they were babies (they're now 7-12) but it never stopped me from taking day trips to the middle of nowhere.

As I learned during the fainting in the park spell, children are more capable than we give them credit. Even kids who normally can’t remember where they left their shoes will step up when an emergency dictates.

Tip Two: Give your Kids Tools for Success

Mara of The Mother of All Trips has a plan for traveling both near and far with kids.

I don't see anything wrong with teaching the older kids to watch out for the younger ones and for teaching the younger ones to be able to seek help if they need it.  When we were in NYC this I made sure Teddy had my business card in his pocket at all times and drilled him on what to do if he got lost or separated from us. Even if there is more than one parent present, that's a risk.

Tonya Prater, of The Traveling Praters, shares her plan for teaching her kids to be safe while they traveled.

I used to travel alone with my kids a lot- much more than I do now. My husband traveled for work and we'd often drive through three or four states to join him, stopping along the way. My kids weren't babies- they were about 7, 8 & 10. We always had an emergency plan in place, whether we were traveling or at home. We'd play a game called "What if" and we'd discuss different scenarios and how things should be handled. It actually lead to great discussions and wasn't so frightening to the kids because they did think of it as a game. They'd even challenge me by posing their own questions. I also kept a page with me at all times of emergency contacts and numbers and any needed medical information. Plus, my kids did get a cell phone to share when they were pretty young.

Tip Three: Depend on Others in a Time of Need 

Anne-Marie of This Mama Cooks suggests reaching out to other travelers when you are traveling alone, particularly at a campsite.

I would introduce yourself to the camp host first thing and explain that you're traveling alone with your kids as well as looking for either seniors or other families to camp near.

As I learned during the infamous fainting spell, strangers can become your greatest allies in a time of need. As much as the news wants us to believe that the world is full of evil doers, there is actually plenty enough good to go around. Other people will step up to help, and are particularly more helpful to moms with young children, as Jennifer Miller shares.

I've also found that traveling as a Mom in places that might be considered "less safe" is actually a very good thing because across all cultures families and mothers especially tend to be valued and protected persons… it's a totally different vibe from traveling as a single woman.

Tip Four: Have a Contingency Plan.

Jennifer Miller, of Edventure Project, lives a nomadic life with her children, so she knows a thing or two about how to stay safe.

This is not just a single parent problem. Every family traveling needs to be prepared for the "what if" of something happening while they're away and leaving the kids without supervision. Much depends on the ages of your kids. In our family, we have some pretty well defined contingency plans including knowing to call the embassy first, the grandparents second. They know where our extra money is stashed, how to use the credit cards to buy tickets home, and how they should proceed to make all of that happen. They know that if we don't come back from a date by morning that they should call local officials first, and local hospitals to try to find us. Our kids are 11-17, so they're well old enough to travel alone and take care of themselves.

With the backing of my tribe, and the assurance that people were traveling safely with their kids, we set out. Just me and my kids for ten days on the road. Thankfully, there were no blacking out episodes, but we made plenty of memories-mostly good- and came home with the confidence that we could do this thing called family travel together.