“The point is the journey, not the sitting still”:

Oh no! Summer holidays. Time to go away! Do you get stressed just thinking about the travel?

Holidays should be fun, relaxing and a wonderful experience for all of you. If you are planning to travel en famille this year, here are 10 tips to make the most of the holiday travel season.

Have a wonderful time!

1. Keep positive. If you are stressed about the headache of travelling, your kids will pick up on it.  Change your perspective and make the trip an exciting adventure for them. Don't forget that it's about the journey, not just the destination. Your positive attitude will be the best holiday gift you can give your family.
2. Normalise the experience. Explaining to children about motorways, highways, country roads, busy airports, delayed flights and irritable passengers will help alleviate their discomfort when the unexpected happens.
3. Prepare for fun.  Involve the kids in planning what to do while en route to your destination. Limit electronics and create activities that utilise all of their senses to keep them happy, alert and occupied. Make sure that you have enough variety to last throughout the trip, and don't forget that it's a round trip. If you’re on a flight, and you take along the iPad or other device so they can watch their own shows, make sure you have headphones. The other passengers don’t want to listen also.
4. Create special travel moments.  Each time you travel, give your children something to look forward to that builds memories. Perhaps it's getting a special drink at the airport or at the gas stop or maybe it's taking silly photos along the way. 
5. Tag team.  Set up an agreement with your partner in advance regarding the roles that are needed while travelling with kids. Working together is important so that you can take breaks and keep your patience in check. 
6. Brace yourself for public displays of attention. Expect that your children may have meltdowns and have a quick plan of action for dealing with it. If you accept that the occasional meltdown is a reality of life on the road, it will be much easier to handle.
7. Airport Security. To make it easier for everyone, don’t take things on carry-on baggage that will be confiscated in airport security lines such as spray cans of deodorant or hair spray, a pocket knife or manicure set or liquids or gels over a certain size. If you’re not sure of the requirements, ask your airline or check the fine print on your e-ticket. Also, give ample time to get through the security lines. It's impossible to gauge the length or the speed of the lines, so be conservative and factor in extra time.
8. Gifts. Don't wrap gifts before going through security as they may just get unwrapped. Pack the tissue and wrapping paper in your suitcase so you can wrap presents after arriving at the destination.
9. Social Media and Mobile App Deals. Many hotel and travel social media channels and apps have last minute deals and sales so if you’d prefer to stay independently rather than in the family room of your rellies, they’re worth checking out. We’ll be highlighting a few in the coming weeks.
10. Paying for staying? Look for value-added amenities and services when booking a hotel or holiday apartments such as free WiFi, complimentary breakfast, free parking and more. These perks provide additional value and can help stretch your dollar during the holidays. Having said that, they are hard to come by within Australia at this time of the year. If you’re staying in a hotel, make sure you make friends with the Concierge. He or She will be one of the best informed people you can meet about where to go, how to do it and what’s on to make sure you get the most out of your holiday.