Traveling Safely with kids: Ideas to help you stay safe

If your family vacation is coming up, you may be starting to think about how to travel safely with your kids. These tips come from parents who frequently travel with their kids and have some experience and wisdom to share.

Still looking for a destination? The Kidding Around Travel Hub has lots of unique family travel ideas!

Road trip with kidsPhoto byKidding Around Greenville

Also see: 30+ Road Trip Tips for Families

Travel safely this summer

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Car seat safety

Did you know that the recommendation to keep your babies facing backward until the age of 2 has now become law in some states (SC being one of them)? This mostly has to do with a toddler’s immature neck not being able to withstand whiplash. You can make sure your car seat is properly installed by stopping by the fire station to have it checked.

The other hotly contested situation is when to let your child begin riding in the front. There are many recommendations for this. CDC says to keep them in the back until they are 13. Other suggestions give a general size of 5’ and /or 11 years old. This is going to vary greatly as some 11-year-olds are the size of an adult and some 13-year-olds can still pass for much younger. Use your own discretion here, but know that it’s best to keep your airbag turned off when smaller ones are upfront.

Emergency kit

Always be prepared! I don’t know about you, but it seems like when I’m prepared nothing happens. In any case, keep a few of these necessities in the trunk: water, first-aid kit, flashlight, jumper cables, blanket, snacks. You can find additional suggestions in articles such as this list on Popular Mechanics.

Traveling alone

Moms, be aware when you’re traveling alone. Sometimes we’re so caught up in taking care of the kids that we don’t pay attention to what’s going on around us. Some good ideas are to keep your traveling to daylight hours and stay on well-traveled roads when possible. Someone once told me to wear a ball cap so that it’s not too obvious that I’m a woman.

Use a child locator

If you have a runner, your fears might be allayed by using a child locator. These come in all shapes and sizes, but the basic idea is that your child wears a chip that you are able to locate with your smart phone. A few I have looked into are AngelSense and HereO GPS.

Memorization

Make sure your children know their parent’s first and last names. This seemed like an obvious one until I asked my daughter what her dad’s name was and she said it was “honey.”

It’s a good idea to have your children memorize phone numbers as well. If they’ve made it through kindergarten, they’ve probably already done this at school. I’ve had good luck teaching phone numbers to my children if I put the numbers to a tune. If they’re able, also have them memorize your license plate number.

When we go to a theme park, I generally write my phone number on my younger children’s belly or arms. Taking a picture of them each morning will also help if you can’t remember what they’re wearing.

Buddy system

My children know that they are never to go anywhere alone. They have to stay with a buddy, whether that buddy is me or an older sibling. “Strength in numbers” is our motto. This is especially important at gas stations and rest areas.

Highways and Rest Stops

Just a few suggestions here. Choose large, well-lit places where there’s lots of traffic.

Before stopping, take note of where you are (mile marker, nearby town, surroundings) and discuss this briefly with your children.

Use family rooms if they’re available. This can help with the ever-looming question of whether he’s old enough to go to the men’s room without you. (The struggle here is real, right?)

Motels

Try to make your stop at your motel during daylight hours. I know this is not always possible with children because it’s so nice to drive while they’re sleeping.

On a side note, always be mindful of human trafficking. Watch for signs such as young girls traveling with older men. Generally, these younger children won’t be happy or may be acting like things are normal. One way you can combat human trafficking is by taking a picture of your hotel room. Use the app TraffickCam where these pictures are uploaded to a database so that officials can recognize a location they see in a video.