These may seem like bad rules, or at least opposite rules of what we're expected to do as parents. " Don't spoil their dinner !" "Don't let them run in public!" " Don't mess up their sleep schedule!" But when we travel, we are taking our kids out of their routine AND exposing them to new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes! This is hard on a little body! So we owe it to them to proactively meet their basic needs and meet them where they're at. Take every opportunity to: 1. Potty (even if they say they don't have to go! And especially if you are not in the US. We've been to 38 countries, and none of them have as easy access to public bathrooms as the US, except for maybe Japan!) 2.Eat (Even if it spoils your dinner) 3. Run! (Any open space will do!) 4. Sleep (just carry the kids and keep going!) Following these four rules isn't going to guarantee that you're never going to have a kid meltdown on your family vacation. But it will HELP. How can we expect them to be well regulated in a new place if their basic needs aren't being met? So we PROACTIVELY meet the basic needs of our kids when we are taking them out of their routine and regular spaces. We need to take them potty before they need to potty. We need to feed them before they get hungry. We need to get the wiggles out before they blow up. And we need to take every opportunity to sleep, especially if we're skipping naps! . . .
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