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Parenting
Make Travel Fun
for your Little One
by Garima Gupta
I did six
cross continental travels with my first baby before he turned 6 months
old. Each single one was an exciting experience, and the preparations
for each one was a nightmare. I was always nervous about how would my
son react to 16 nonstop hours on a chair, and it always turned out
better than expected. Now, with my two hand-baggage (read kids), and a
husband with a zest for long drives, we are on road/rail/plane a lot,
and I have mastered the art of traveling with kids. The secret is in
details, indeed. But taking care of the details need not be a difficult
task.
I have a soft copy of “things to take” that is updated with every
travel. As kids grow, nappies are replaced with story books, and so on.
But having ready access to this list makes packing so much more easy and
fun, and I have forgotten fretting about ‘have I forgotten something ?’
The list is quite an interesting combo, developed from voyages both
short and long. After a camping trip (when my daughter was all of 3
months) , I added mosquito repellent as a must-take in it. My once in
three months 36 hour train journey from Bangalore to delhi results in
points like polybag dustbins and balloons!! So, in some ways this
“things to take” list actually reflects the experiences we’ve had on our
trips. You might want to start creating one now!
As far as infants are concerned, if you give your little one a lot of
attention, she’ll bask in the glory of being the central one in your
life, and the journey shall pass quickly. The basic needs of a baby are
pretty simple – full stomach, dry diaper and available parents. Catering
to the needs of a slightly older child is bit more difficult. He might
need his life size leopard in the train, or want to get off the plane
right now , barely five minutes after take off. It takes more ingenuity
to keep him occupied. Apart from stocking up on his toys and books, also
consider playing travel games and giving treats that are strictly
rationed at home. For example ,our son is not allowed to play any games
on the cell phone at home. Cell phone games are strictly for the car. He
is generally so immersed in playing ‘snake’, he hates it when the
traffic jam clears up and we reach home!!
Travel games have to be simple , and ideally should not need much stuff.
Counting games are good for little kids just learning numbers. Count how
many green cars pass you by, for example. Pretend play is great for
travel too!! You and your son can become policemen trying to shoot down
every thief (tree with yellow flowers) in sight. There are other aplenty
games to play. You can give him hypothetical situations and ask him how
would he feel and react in them. How he feels when grandpa comes home.
What would he do if he is lost. What would he do if he is thirsty in a
desert. You can also give him puzzles. Start with easy ones to build up
his confidence and interest (Which animal is the largest on land and has
a huge trunk? ) , And then move on to slightly tougher ones (Which black
and white animal is endangered and lives in china.) Another hot favorite
in travel games is memory games, where you ask your child to remember
some things and then try to recall it after some time.
Finally, it’s all about having fun with your child. If you are all
worked up, the child can sense the tension, and will react by being
tense about the journey herself. You would probably find out, as I did,
that although prior preparations are a must, the best part of a trip is
often things and games that come up unexpectedly, as so many good things
in life do.
May 7, 2006
Top
| Parenting
The Week of May 7, 2006
India-Pakistan Must Jointly Combat Terrorism
by Rajinder Puri
Releasing Masood Azhar was a Political Decision
by MH Ahsan
Extinction of Democracies and The Irish Elk by
Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Bhutan: India's Trusted Strategic Friend and
Ally in South Asia by Dr. Subhash Kapila
What is the Solution to the Kashmir Imbroglio
by TA Ramesh
Natural Disaster: A Concern for Security by
VK Joshi
High on Grass by Chitra Balasubramaniam
Look Around You by Naira Yaqoob
An Indian Summer by Dr. Prasenjit Maiti
The Question of Truth and Yogic Practice by
Ashish Nangia
Myths in Jyotish by Rohiniranjan
The Fairy Tale Code by Kelley Bell
Make Travel Fun for your Little One by
Garima Gupta
A Passionate Cry for Human Dignity by V.
Sundaram
Never Victorious, Never Defeated A Book
Review by Amreeta Sen
Bankim's Krishna-Charita : Some Observations
by Major Gen. Shekhar Sen, VSM
VPN : An Introduction by Ruchi
Gupta
The Witty Side by Melvin Durai
O Cancer: I am a Fighter Too by Ravi Pipal
My Mother : A Cup of Wonder by Dhiraj Bhimji
Raniga
Suseela a short story by NS Murty
Divorce a short story by Vikram Karve
Naushad : End of an Era by Ramendra Kumar
Interview with Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja by
MH Ahsan
To be Single and a Mother by Karina Araos
Plenty but not
Enough by Kavita Devgan
Ayurveda as a Career by Pallavi Bhattacharya
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