By: Carli Horner, Therapist, Early Childhood Services
The holidays are meant to be enjoyed with friends and relatives. Many people take this time of year to connect with loved ones over an elaborate feast, and maybe a gift exchange followed by a classic holiday tradition. Whether it’s by plane, train or automobile, people often travel considerable distances to participate in these traditions. Unfortunately, most people are not as thrilled about their travel journey as they are about the celebration once they reach their destination. Let’s face it; holiday travel can be stressful, especially for children.
The holidays often mark the first time your child has been away from home, or the first time they have taken a road trip. If traveling by plane, this could be your child’s first time going to the airport and experiencing a flight. Additionally, the holidays are often a time of year where children see family members they are not familiar with, such as an aunt or uncle living far away. All of these experiences are meant to be exciting, but sometimes they can be a bit stressful for children. If you notice your child is stressing about holiday travel, or has struggled in the past, consider these tips to ease your child’s travel stress and create memorable holiday moments.
- Create a Visual Schedule
Create a visual schedule of travel times and activities, and go over them with your child a few days before the trip as well as the morning of the trip. It can be helpful to separate the schedule by color coding the different parts of the trip. You should use one color to represent travel time, another to represent time spent at the destination, and one more to represent time spent on activities. If this is an overnight trip, make a schedule for each day that outlines the routines your child is familiar with such as morning routines and bedtime.
- Find Solutions to Worries Before the Trip
Ask your child about her or his worries and write them down. Use their input to determine how you will help them to overcome their concerns. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions and encourage them to come up with answers to their own questions. This is a great tool to help children develop healthy coping strategies as well as encourage them to address their concerns by preparing for them ahead of time.
- Pack a Bag
With the help of your child, pack a bag of activities they can do during travel time. Consider packing coloring books, crayons, games, movies, and other travel-friendly activities. If a DVD player isn’t an option, have some type of device that plays music with headphones. This can be particularly helpful in times of high stress, such as crowds at the airport or when first starting out in the car. Let your child pick out a special baby or stuffed animal to bring with them for reassurance, and always remember to pack a bag of snacks and drinks to increase your child’s comfort.
- Conduct a Safety Check
For children who stress over the idea of car travel, conduct a safety check the evening before the trip. Let the child check the tires, seat belts, and other safety features to prove they are in working order.
- Prepare for the Airport
Verbally walk your child through each step of the flight process on the way to the airport. Try to get them enthusiastic about flying by pointing out exciting visuals at the airport and by talking about the features on the plane. Have your child greet the stewardess when boarding the plane, and let them choose the aisle or window seat when you arrive at your seats. After you are settled, walk them to the back of plane to show them where the bathroom is.
The biggest part of the holiday season is for you and your family to enjoy spending time together. Rather than looking at these five steps as a chore, look at them as bonding time before the holiday season. While putting the travel bag together, share some of your favorite holiday memories to get your children excited about your family traditions. Additionally, try thinking of ways to get your children involved in the holidays while also maintaining a level of routine that works best for them.
Although some stress and anxiety is a normal part of childhood, if you notice your child is worrying excessively, you should take him or her to see a doctor to discuss their symptoms. Community Reach Center’s Early Childhood Services Program is dedicated to helping children 6 years of age and younger and their families. Early Childhood Services is located at Community Reach Center’s Mountainland Pediatrics building at 8889 Fox Dr., Ste. B, Thornton, or at the Brighton Learning & Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St., 2nd Floor.
Carli Horner is an Early Childhood Services Therapist at Community Reach Center.
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Community Reach Center has worked diligently to preserve and promote a commitment to excellence, professionalism and integrity within our community health care system for nearly 60 years. We are an integral component of the community with an unparalleled team of dedicated professionals committed to providing our clients with a system of quality care that will support them in real life. The Center offers you evidence-based behavioral health services for all ages, at five outpatient offices and in public schools, community colleges, emergency rooms, physician offices and detention centers.
To learn about Community Reach Center or our services, visit www.CommunityReachCenter.org or call (303) 853-3500.