19 Tips for a Happy Summer Trip

Long weekends, holiday vacations, cheap flights, group travel deals— because of these, more families are planning fun getaway trips.

Traveling with your brood is such a memorable bonding experience. However, being in a strange land with unfamiliar conditions can also be stressful, especially when it comes to your kids’ safety. These travel-savvy moms and dads give their own stress-busting tips for a safe and fun time for the whole family.

1. “Always pack your kids’ medicine for fever, allergy, cough, and cold. You won’t know what could happen if you’re in a new place or, worse, if the only drugstore is in the next town. Don’t forget the mosquito repellant!” - Angie Dimagiba, mom to Maxie, 5, and Lily, 2

2. “We always bring gadgets such as an iPad and Nintendo DS to keep the kids settled and preoccupied during long hours on the road.” — Michelle Lim, entrepreneur and blogger; mom to JT, 9, and Mika, 6

3. “Give your kids cameras. A camera will amuse them more than any video game or app. When you view their photos at the end of the trip, you’ll see your vacation from a whole new perspective.” - Sam Sotto, author; mom to N, 11, and C, 8

4. “Bring a sling for babywearing. It keeps your kids safe and secure and doubles as a blanket and a scarf, too.— Eliza Santiago-Ypon, blogger; mom to Basti, 3

5. “Always have drinking water for your kids. Mealtime schedules get messed up and kids get distracted by all the sights, so they tend to forget to drink water and become dehydrated. Let them drink water every 30 minutes or so.” — Polly Fong, photographer; mom to Riley, 2

6. “I bring utensils for my kids to ensure that they always use clean and uncontaminated spoons and forks. It helps save the environment, too.” — Candy Esteban, banker; mom to Kimi, 4, and Sachi, 2

7. “Always bring a first-aid kit for wounds, scratches, and insect bites. In my travel kit, I have a bottle of no-sting wound cleanser and bandage strips and hydrocortisone cream to help ease the sting and itchiness of insect bites. My kids find comfort knowing that Mommy always has a remedy for minor boo-boos.” — Jardin Bautista, mom to Mishka, 8, and Mikka, 3

8. “When we go to a restaurant with our kids, we settle the bill even before we’re done eating. This way, in case there’s a crisis (i.e., a tantrum or a bathroom emergency), we can pack up and leave in a jiffy without the long wait for the bill.” — Fiona Sandoval, strategy planner; mom to Justi, 6, and Rojo, 2

9. “During take-off and landing (when I can’t use my reliable iPad to distract my son), I make a puppet out of the barf bags on the plane.” - Maita Ancheta Santiago, regional marketing director; mom to Arturo, 2

10. “Every time you enter a mall or a theme park, agree on a specific place to meet in case you get separated while exploring the new sights or attractive shopping deals.” — Juni Corleto, group product manager; mom to Coleen, 16, and Ice, 8

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11. “In all the new places we visit, we hold a treasure hunt where the kids must find a ‘featured object.’ For example, in Beijing’s Summer Palace, the kids had to locate the residence of the dragon empress. It involves some research beforehand, but it keeps them interested and alert. And of course, each location has a corresponding prize.” — Carina Guevara-Galang, art gallery owner; mom to Angela, 1

12. “When the kids are on vacation, I let a few things slide. They eat more junk and sweets (hey, who doesn’t love the Pain Au Chocolat at the hotel breakfast buffet?). They also get to pick a big toy to buy which we only get on birthdays and Christmas.” — Rone Valles Guerrero, shop girl; mom to Gael, 8, and Aiden, 6

13. “Never ever leave your child alone in a new place or a foreign country.” - Jenny Ong, lawyer; mom to N, 5, and E, 1

14. “We always keep a plastic bottle inside our backpacks and inside the car for when nature calls. Kids often get overly excited  and tend to forget that they have to answer nature’s call, which can come at the most inopportune time, in the most unexpected places.” — Lawrence del Mundo, photographer; dad to Darrence, 8, Deiuss, 6, and Dishonn, 2

15. “Prior to having kids, we usually packed our schedule to maximize our time abroad. As parents now, though, you have to make sure you pace yourselves and take cues from the kids. Trust me, when they get tired and cranky, it will take the fun out of the trip. Better to have nice pictures and good memories in a few places than to have a lot of memories of your kids throwing tantrums at all the scenic spots.” — Lani Kanapi, engineer; mom to Gavin, 6, and Nadine, 5

16. “If you’re traveling with kids who are too young (or too shy) to talk to strangers, have several bag tags made in case they get lost, with the following printed on them: ‘Hi! My name is (name). I might be lost. Can you please call my mom (mom’s name) at (cell phone with area code) and please ask her to come get me? Thanks!’ I attach this to my kids’ belt loops and make sure it’s visible.” — Tanya Medina; mom to Pilar, 8, and Olivia, 3

17. “When crossing streets, I remind my son to always hold an adult’s hand. I remind him every time we’re nearing a cross walk. I also tell him to wait for ‘the walking man’ sign to turn green before we can cross the street together.” - Neva Santos, research manager and blogger; mom to David, 4

18. “To keep our kids entertained, our family plays a game during long road trips of spotting the most number of a particular vehicle. For example, I’d count red vehicles and my son would count blue, and the first one to spot 20 cars wins! Not only does this divert their attention from the long trip — it helps exercise their number skills, too!” — Michelle Avanceña-Cruz, entrepreneur; mom to Joaquin, 7, Juan Lucas, 3, and Alessi, 1

19. “I used to think it was tacky that some moms dressed their kids in identical clothes, even if they were twins. Things changed when we started traveling with our two boys. I found it much easier to keep track of them when they were dressed the same way. I joke that if one does get lost, I could point to the other for reference.” — Mel Teng Go, building biologist and environmental consultant in certification; mom to Quincy, 10, and Phoenix, 5

Image from sheknows.com