Elizabeth never shies away from a cross-country road trip with children. After raising two boys, she honed travel tips particularly appropriate for parents of young men.
I made binders for each of the boys on our trip out west one year. There were age-appropriate games in there, information about all the places we were going to visit, and room for them to journal their experiences. It kept them busy. Then there were the wonderful 2-1/2 hour long Hank the Cowdog tapes–those saved us. For boys, I won’t leave the house without plastic bottles with screw-on tops and wide openings (for when you just can’t make it to the next rest stop). (I guess girls just aren’t allowed to drink on the road).
Of all the trips we’ve taken, some really stand out in the kids’ eyes. Our son was particularly fond of a trip that involved exciting adventures at Legoland, Great Wolf Lodge, and a ride on a historic train. Ironically, on that trip we were all suffering from a stomach virus. I had to cancel appointments and rearrange our schedule, and the dear tourism coordinator delivered chicken noodle soup to our hotel.
My friend Ime recently had a not so magical time in the Magic Kingdom when both of her girls fell ill during their Disney trip. Thankfully, she was prepared with a well-stocked medicine kit. “I had a hodgepodge of western medical goods- kids fever reducer, decongestant, Neosporin, and band-aids,” says Ime, “along with my herbal stuff like vitamin C powder, garlic, and echinacea. And essential oils, which I am forever thankful I had.”
And another friend, Stacy, picked up a handy tip for curbing the mess of vomiting, saying, “One day while in the minor ER with my sick daughter, they gave me this wonderful contraption that consisted basically of a plastic ring that fits around your nose and chin, and is attached to a long plastic bag. A wonderful invention for a vomiting child. I asked for extras, and carry them in my car wherever I go. This has avoided the dreaded looking for a place to pull off of a busy interstate to find a place for someone to be carsick. I also pack baby wipes, a wash cloth (for my daughter’s occasional nose bleeds), and ibuprofen for the headaches I get listening to the kids fighting.”
These stories just show that vacations don’t always go as planned. With work and school schedules, extracurricular activities and other responsibilities, it’s often difficult to reschedule getaways, so we usually try to just soldier on. In order to deal with illness or injury while on vacation, it’s imperative to have a well-stocked first-aid/remedy kit. Here are some remedies that we like to bring along when traveling.
These items help us deal with various illnesses (of course, if things progress beyond our reach, we seek professional medical care). And for the legal jazz- I am not a healthcare professional. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your health care provider before taking any supplement or medication:
Homeopathic Remedy Kit- To deal with everything from teething to vomiting, we pack this handy kit of 50 remedies from Washington Homeopathic Products.
For bumps and bruises, we use Arnica gel and ibuprofen if needed.
For stomach viruses, we use bentonite clay, Gatorade, and remedies from the homeopathic kit.
For colds we use elderberry tincture, Vitamin C, and garlic.
For sinus pressure, we use saline spray, essential oils like eucalyptus, and steamy showers.
For wounds, we use Hibicleanse, iodine, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide.
For wounds, we also like to have gauze, cohesive tape, and band-aids in a variety of shapes and sizes.
