Traveling with children

This year we will be traveling around Turkey for the holidays by bus and train. Ali Adem, like most boys his age, is fascinated by trains and loves to take the sleeper trains. For us this is a wonderful way to travel as there is room to stretch our legs, a relatively clean toilet at the end of the sleeping car and a restaurant for meals and snacks. But, even with all of these amenities at hand, there are times when he gets bored. This is where what he has packed in his personal bag comes in handy. He makes sure to pack books, preferably about where we are going, and of course, about trains. Reading while we're traveling is a great way to learn about our vacation destination and it keeps him practicing his reading skills even while not in school. He also enjoys puzzle books with page after page of word games. The bonus with word games is that I can generally add a few more words to my limited Turkish by playing along with him.

We both enjoy music and take along our own CD players and headsets so we can listen whenever we want. In addition to our current favorite group, the Dixie Chicks, we like to listen together to the CD Rock Sınıfı. This recent release is entertaining and educational at the same time. With lessons packed into a rock rhythm it is an easy way to learn while singing away. My favorite song is Yedi Bölge, all about the different regions of Turkey. Ali Adem loves singing along with Vitaminler as he learns why it is important to eat a balanced diet. Available from the larger music stores, the CD is also available online from www.rocksinifi.com. For me it is also a good way to learn and remember more Turkish words and it motivates Ali Adem to make up his own songs about the world around him.

Drawing pads and crayons are always tucked into his bag and these provide amusement for us both. As we travel we both like to draw where we have been. When we visited Cappodocia two years ago Ali Adem was so entranced by the landscape there that he quickly filled two large pads with his renderings. Drawing is a good activity because it encourages close observation and at the same time helps to develop fine motor skills. An added plus is that after you return home you have mementos of your holiday together.

We try to bring along games that pack easily and that do not have too many tiny pieces that can get lost or left behind. Travel versions of familiar games are easy to find and often have magnetic pieces so that they are handier to use while on the road or in a hotel room. We've begun playing scrabble together in English, which for once gives me an edge in the language over Ali Adem, but it is helping him to learn to spell better in English as he sounds out the words he makes. One of the most important items he packs in his bag is a small pillow that he has had since he was born. It accompanies us on every trip and is a comfort item for him as well as being his own place to put his head wherever we are. On a bus, train, plane or car, he knows that if he is tired he can pull out this connection to home and rest comfortably. Children often need items close at hand that are important to them and that remind them of their own homes. It helps to ease the transition while traveling to have a familiar bedtime item nearby.

I have learned through our many years of travels that it is also important to pack a nightlight. Dark, unfamiliar rooms can be intimidating for children, especially young ones. A nightlight provides just enough light so that if a child awakes during the night they can see their surroundings and also easily find their way to the bathroom by themselves, if needed. For our family it is an essential part of the packing process.

Travel with children can be stressful for all involved, but with a little advance planning it can be easier. Ali Adem loves knowing that he has a say in what he takes along on any trip. And it makes my pre-trip preparations a little quicker to have him in charge of his own bag of entertainment.