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Traveling with children to China add more fun your trip. It is also a
great opportunity for you to communicate with your children and to
educate them the culture of an unique and different country. But on the
other hand, traveling with small children can be challenging. In this
case, proper preparations for the trip are especially important. Here
are some tips for traveling with small children to China.
Before Departure for China
Locate a destination that is suitable for both you and your children to
visit. The facts to consider include geographic location, weather
condition, transportation situation and contents of the attractions.
As children do not have the same tolerance to infections as adults, it
is important to avoid any destinations with public health concerns.
Conduct a thorough physical examination on your children and discuss the
trip with your pediatrics and make sure the long trip is suitable for
your children. Also consult with the doctor or a travel medical adviser
so to have the necessary vaccinations done before the trip to China.
If possible, have your children involved in the trip planning. This will
increase their interests and get them excited about the trip. Their
input can also help you to adequately prepare for the trip. You may get
some books from the library or find some websites about the destinations
you’re planning to visit so your children can have some preliminary
ideas on what they are going to experience. You may also try to learn a
few basic Chinese words with your children.
Arrange a relaxing, interesting and rewarding itinerary that is within
the limit of your children’s physical strength. Vacationing with young
children is often better off if the process is simple. For example,
staying in one place with many children's activities might be a better
idea than doing lots of exhausting sightseeing that could be somehow
boring to the small children.
Carefully pack you luggage. Make sure to bring the things with you that
are useful for your children, including necessary clothes, foods, toys,
games, and bottle, nappies if you have an infant. Paper towels and wipes
can be very helpful. In addition, you should also bring some commonly
used medicines for treating simple illness such as cold, flu and
diarrhea.
Help your children to get used to the time differences in advance.
Usually time differences are not a problem to the children under five,
but have strong impact on those older. It is recommended that you and
your children should adjust your life clock three days prior to
departure.
If necessary, it would be wise to have sufficient travel insurance
coverage for you and your children.
During Transit to China
Some airlines may have better accommodations for young travelers than
the others. If possible, you may want to consult with other parents who
had such experiences to determine which airlines should be considered to
take.
Dress your children lightly for air travel. You can always get blankets
in flight if needed. The easy on and off clothes are ideal choices.
Children are more likely to sleep in flight. If they do not want to
sleep, try to keep them amused.
If traveling by train or bus, you may want to make sure that the
sunshine does not hit your children directly.
Try to prevent your children from running around while in transit.
Use all necessary precautions to prevent your children from getting
sick. Statistically, nearly fifty percent of children get sick at some
point during the trip. Typical symptoms include unsettled tummy,
headaches, dizziness and vomiting. Here are some preventions you should
excise. First, do not let your children have empty stomach or eat fatty
foods before boarding any types of transportation vehicles. Secondly, if
possible, help your children to access fresh air during the trip. Third,
encourage your children to think about other things to engage their
attention. Fourth, if your children do get travel sickness, have them
take the medicine as per doctor’s advice.
During Stay in China
When booking attraction or park tickets for children, you may want to
ask if they offer discounts to small children. Most parks and
attractions in China do have special rates for kids under 1.2 meter
tall.
Provide your children with a card with your name and contact information
written on it. This card is very useful in case they become lost.
Help your children to familiarize hotel evacuation procedures in case of
emergencies.
In order to prevent your small children from wetting the bed, do not let
your children drink too much water before going to bed.
Pay special attentions to your children’s dietetic hygiene. Children are
usually lack of natural resistance to infections and may have a hard
time to acclimatize themselves to a new environment. Please keep in
mind: do not let your children eat any food purchased from street
vendors; do not let your children drink beverages with ice; ask your
children to often wash hands with soap water; do not let your children
eat or drink dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized;
feed your children only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables
that have been peeled by yourself; never let your children eat raw meat
and raw eggs; have your children drink only boiled or bottled water and
soft drinks in cans or bottles, avoid tap water, fountain drinks and ice
cubes.
Never let your children go anywhere alone. Keep them within your vision
at all time. |
