The holidays are approaching and, with them, a well-known anxiety for parents: the journey with the children. Good news, a method could well make the trip particularly peaceful, without taking out the tablet every ten minutes.
With the first hot weather already making us want the Mediterranean, train stations and airports are starting to fill up again with families ready to enjoy their vacation. A cabin suitcase, a backpack, a foldable stroller, a cuddly toy not to lose and, somewhere in the middle, parents trying to keep calm while a child asks for compote in front of security. Traveling with little ones has never been a relaxing experience. And often, the most complicated moment begins even before takeoff.
Indeed, in airports, children end up spending a lot of time waiting without really understanding what is happening. You have to queue, show papers, queue again, wait at a boarding gate and then sit for a while longer on the plane. For younger children, it sometimes seems like a very long day where adults rehearse “wait two minutes” for three hours. As a result, tensions rise quickly. Many parents end up pulling out a phone or tablet to gain a little respite.
A new ruse is then circulating among parents of young children, especially those who travel regularly. The idea came from a fairly logical observation: around the age of 5, many children no longer simply want to follow adults, they start to want to participate. The idea then consists of entrusting them with small “travel missions” throughout the journey. For example, a child can carry passports in their backpack, count boarding passes before a check, check that their luggage tag is still attached to their suitcase or locate the correct gate number on the display screens. Others are responsible for monitoring the boarding time or pushing their mini-suitcase to the waiting room. Details for adults, but for a 5 year old it’s almost an official position.
Concretely, when children feel like they are participating, they experience the journey less. They stay focused on something, feel useful and understand better what is happening around them. Obviously, this does not miraculously transform a Paris-Nice into a silent retreat. There will always be an overturned water bottle somewhere and a “I have to pee” announced right at the time of boarding. But many parents say that this way of traveling makes the journeys frankly more breathable. And given the price of tickets in the middle of summer, you might as well avoid arriving exhausted before even seeing the sea.
