Last updated on 10/19/08
What steps can my family take to make travelling with kids less stressful?
Most children like to travel and welcome the opportunity to spend time with one or both parents. If not planned correctly, however, travel can prove to be disastrous. Children cannot be rushed and need sleep, food, and comfort. Know what your child can handle and do not push them beyond that limit. Whether you are arranging air travel with an infant, planning your first family vacation, or looking for ways to get older children involved in a trip to a far away land, the following tips for traveling with kids will help you avoid the all-too-common pitfalls of family travel planning and ensure you make the most of your leisure time together.
In the Jewish Community
With significantly larger families, limited food choices, and spiritual considerations, travel for families in the Jewish Community can prove to be a difficult task. Before choosing a destination, parents should evaluate their children and determine their travel capabilities. If the children would not be happy eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or the like for dinner, it might be better to stick to an area that caters to the Jewish Community. Additionally, safety must always be a parent’s first priority. Although it may be tempting to squish all of the kids into one car, it is not worth it to gamble with a child’s life. Parents planning to travel with children should know what their children are able to do and not do more than that. Travel can be exciting or exhausting; it is your choice.
Use the following links to learn more about travelling with kids. Learn how to occupy your children during long road trips and make travel a pleasant experience for your family.
Frequently Asked Links
Is it irresponsible to take children out of school for a family vacation?
How can I plan a successful trip for a large group of children?
By Rabbi Yakov Horowitz
How can I find a Jewish Community in a remote location?
How can I survive a family road trip?
Is it possible to travel with pre-schoolers?
What are some tips for parents travelling with young children?
What can I do to make air travel easier for my family?
What can my child do to prevent illness while travelling? more
Why is auto safety so important?
What can I do to reduce boredom on the road? more more
Where can I find audio books for kids?
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Resources
CDC Travelers' Health
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx
Look up vaccination requirements for travel destinations, get updates on international outbreaks, and more, searchable by country.
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
http://www.safekids.org
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign offers information about car seats, crib safety, fact sheets, and links to other health- and safety-oriented sites.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
http://www.cpsc.gov
This federal agency collects information about consumer goods and issues recalls on unsafe or dangerous products.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
NHTSA is the government agency responsible for ensuring and improving automobile and traffic safety.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute
http://www.highwaysafety.org
This organization is dedicated to reducing highway crashes, injuries, and deaths. It also offers information on driving-related topics such as airbags, teen drivers, auto accidents, speed laws, and underage drinking.
Rabbi Horowitz does not endorse any external sites or monitor or approve content on these sites. When considering information presented here, you should consult your experts to determine what is best for you. Our sole purpose is to help you access information that Rabbi Horowitz and others have made available on the internet.
