Traveling with children

This is how you do it

I love long car rides. Back when I still had a little all by myself life I often spent Sunday afternoons in my Renault 5. Just cruising along the Vecht, admiring small villages and then back on the road. Music on, happiness.

Also flying is a treat. A few hours offline, catching up on movies and dozing off.

But then children came along and completing long car rides and flights without a hitch became an Olympic feat. I've been spit on, peed on (sorry), questioned, and messed up. I've gathered some tips that make it all reasonably manageable, but if you see me standing by the highway in a stained suit with spiky hair while I'm rinsing out a potty; have pity.

An extra outfit

For both your children and yourself. My friend H once flew to Australia with her baby. Already above Cologne, he started a long-distance vomiting session. Now she had a fresh outfit for him, but she hadn't thought of herself. And she still had 22 hours to go... Another tip. Bring small plastic bags to store wet/dirty/stained clothes.

DVD recorders

These are my lifesavers. We bought three from Philips, they are wonderfully cheerful pink and can take a beating. You can put DVDs in them, but also memory sticks. Each has their own headphones and we can just listen to Jamie Cullum. I also take the devices to restaurants. Inside I find it a bit inappropriate, but on a terrace, so be it. They have to behave at the table for one course (or at least make a serious attempt) and then I plant them in a corner with a movie. We can still order a cheese platter.

Managing expectations

The concept of time remains tricky. My girls know how long the drive is to grandma and grandpa, so if we sit in the car for five hours that day, that's two and a half times Sibculo (where my parents live). Furthermore, it's nice (if you have time for it) to sketch out the route a bit. You can write down the landmarks of a route on paper so they can check them off in their travel book. And they learn something from it. If you're not an artist like me, you can also print out images of, for example, the Sportpaleis in Antwerp and stick them on.

A potty

Restrooms are often not pleasant to look at, so dirty. Sometimes it's not too bad, but usually, you wouldn't even let your dog pee there. That's why I always take a potty and a bottle of Evian in the trunk. Quick pee, tip it out, and rinse. Much faster than those toilets where you often have to pay.

Only water

Because drinks often get spilled in the car, I always give my children only water. That's definitely the best thing you can give them and it's much less annoying and sticky if it spills. For variety, I have bottles of ‘sparkling water’ (Badoit) and still water (Evian).

Sweets for my sweet

This is, of course, in terrible contrast to the above, but with a flight or a long car ride ahead, I always stop by Jamin. I scoop a bag for each (with, very important, exactly the same amount and the same candies for everyone, otherwise, you'll definitely have trouble) and occasionally reward them with something sweet.

Another tip

Get out every now and then. Look for a large parking spot with a small playground. Let them run around for a bit and hope and pray that they fall asleep for a few hours afterwards.

Have a nice holiday!