Traveling with small children: This is how your vacation is relaxed and safe!

Traveling with small children: This is how your vacation is relaxed and safe!

Family travel brings joy and adventure, but can also present numerous challenges, especially when there are babies and toddlers on board. Angela Hoffmann, a specialist in pediatric and adolescent medicine, gives comprehensive tips to make vacations easier for parents and children. Long car journeys in particular are often accompanied by restlessness and discomfort, while time differences and unfamiliar foods can cause additional difficulties.

Planning your trip well in advance is crucial. Parents should find out about the travel destination in advance, especially with regard to medical care, hygiene standards, climatic characteristics and necessary vaccinations, such as against ticks or hepatitis A. Ideal travel conditions are created by short journeys, a mild climate and preferred night flights or trips at bedtime, so that the children can travel more relaxed.

Accommodations and important documents

When choosing accommodation, parents should make sure that there is enough space and that there are blackout blinds and places to retreat. It is also advisable to have the telephone number of a local pediatrician ready. Organizing your passport and international health insurance early on is also essential to avoid unpleasant surprises.

The right first aid kit

An important element for a relaxed holiday is a well-equipped first aid kit. This should contain, among other things, painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol in child-friendly doses, decongestant nasal drops and remedies for gastrointestinal problems. But special products such as probiotic-based antidiarrheals and racecadotril (Vaprino) from the age of 12 can also be helpful. Experts recommend storing temperature-sensitive medications in cool bags or thermal containers. You should also seek advice from a doctor or pharmacy in advance to select suitable products that also take possible light sensitivities or skin reactions into account.

Parents should also note the import regulations for medicines at their destination. A medical certificate may be required to import the medication. It is also important to carry the child's regularly taken medication with you. Pharmacies often provide first aid kit checklists to ensure that essential items are not forgotten.

Dealing with motion sickness

Motion sickness is a common problem among children and manifests itself in symptoms such as yawning, fatigue and nausea. If vomiting is severe, parents should make sure to offer the child small sips of fluid or electrolyte solutions. Good planning and appropriate equipment can be crucial to ensure that a holiday with small children is relaxed. Experts recommend taking a comprehensive look at preparation and travel medicine to make the trip more enjoyable for the entire family.

For further information on the optimal travel first aid kit and additional tips for traveling with children, this offers Tropical Institute valuable support. Those too Siegen newspaper provides useful advice that families should consider before traveling.