Traveling with grandchildren

By Genevieve S. Brown

We know how you feel -- your grandchildren are perfect, adorable little angels who bring you and the rest of the world nothing but joy. And if they don't, you can always give them back to their parents, right? Not if you decide to travel with them!

Still, if quick visits and even overnights leave you longing for more time with your grandchildren, consider traveling with them. More and more seniors are finding that trips with their grandchildren are great bonding experiences filled with wonderful memories – if planned carefully.

Helena Koenig, founder of Grandtravel, a company that caters exclusively to grandparent/grandchildren trips (no parents allowed!), said intergenerational travel grows every year. “There is nothing grandparents want more than to share special experiences with their grandchildren,” she said. “They want to pass a cultural inheritance on to their grandchildren.”

Talk to their parents
Talking with your grandchild’s parents is the first step in planning a successful trip. The parents will know if their child is ready to be away from home without them, and they will be valuable resources when planning the destination and activities their children tend to enjoy. Children bore easily, so it is important to know what really piques their interests. Your grandchild’s parents will also be able to tell you about sleeping and eating schedules, and it is best you try to stick to these, even on vacation. Children thrive when they know what to expect and are most comfortable in a routine.

Do a test run
Even if you and the child’s parents agree that he or she is ready to travel, have a test run. After all, you won’t know about homesickness until you’re already away from home, and it is best to find out if your grandchild is miserable away from his or her parents on a day trip rather than a weekend-long vacation. If you’ve never spent time with your grandchild without his or her parents, this is a good opportunity to do just that. Take the child to the zoo or to the beach and see how it goes. If it doesn’t go as well as you hoped, maybe your grandchild is not ready to travel with you, or maybe you just need to warm up to a long weekend with several more day trips.

A test run will also help you assess your own limits. Remember, children have seemingly endless energy and are difficult to keep up with. If you find yourself wiped out after just a few hours, you may need to either scale back on your travel plans or wait until the child is a little older.

Prepare, prepare, prepare
After you have decided on a destination, explain to your grandchildren where you will be going and what they can expect from your trip. Will they be traveling by plane? What sort of a place will they be staying in? Children are at their best when they know what to expect and surprises are at a minimum.

Make sure your grandchildren have proper identification, including contact information, on them at all times during the trip and be sure to have a recent photo of them in case they get lost. You should also have a notarized authorization form from your grandchild’s parents in case they need medical attention. Make sure you are crystal clear on medications and dosages if they will be taking any during the trip.

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