You probably think this is a joke. You have done everything possible for a trip where your whole family can have a great time and I am talking about homesickness… But no, this is not a joke. Children, especially little ones, might experience homesickness during travels. Adults might too, when put in the situation of spending a longer period away from home.
We all feel comfortable in the intimacy of our homes, surrounded by things we know and use every day, sleeping in our cozy bed, eating the food we like and meeting our friends. When traveling, all these change and we face the new each step… And this can be fun and exciting, but can also cause a deep homesick feeling.
There are many reasons for your children to feel it, like the experience of a totally different culture, which they do not know and makes them uncomfortable; an inappropriate program, including too many adults-attractions, that get the kids bored and irritated, just eager to return home; health problems or bad weather, tying them to the hotel room, etc.
But you can prevent it, or at least minimize the homesickness feeling, trying some of our ideas:
- Let the kids take with them some personal, intimate belongings – a toy, a fluffy blanket, the evening-story book, anything that could help them feel at home;
- Prepare the children, according to their age, about what they will see and experience, about the culture, the language, the habits – this will ease the impact and make them feel a little more comfortable in the new place;
- Balance the everyday schedule, including both attractions for adults and kid-friendly activities – let them run in a park, enjoy a cartoon, turn a playground upside-down; it will release their energy and keep them happy;
- Try to keep a little of their daily routine. If your kids are used to getting up early in the morning and play a little before breakfast, try to do the same during your trip. Surely you want to rest as much as possible, but having calm, peaceful kids is more important;
- Get the children involved in the whole trip – ask them questions about their likes and dislikes regarding the place, try to find similarities with your home town, take pictures, keep a vacation journal, pick some souvenirs for the loved ones at home.
Feeling better already, no? There are ways to make the little ones feel good even when you are traveling, you just need to think a little about the things they like and need and try to offer as much of them as possible during your trip.
Enjoy your vacation and make the most of every experience!
The post How to deal with children’s homesickness when traveling appeared first on FlyingKids.