Raring2go! Raring2go! 23 First timers Go slow. You won’t be able to pack in as much sightseeing – nor unfortunately, late–night boozing – as you’re used to before you had your baby. Remember your holiday is supposed to be restful as well as a change of scene, so don’t put pressure on yourself, so you can take the odd toddler tantrum or rainy day in your stride. Enjoy the ride Car, train or plane journeys can be long and boring for little ones. Think of the journey as part of their holiday: easier said than done, so make sure you’ve packed plenty of favourite toys, changes of clothes and for older children, possibly even a checklist of things to look out for. Take plenty of rest breaks to stretch legs or have a run about. Many service stations have play areas. Red tape and red rashes Do your research beforehand. If you’re going abroad, check if your child needs a passport, a visa, any innoculations and organise them long before you plan to travel (go to www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-checklist). Make sure you’ve bought enough sun screen, insect repellent etc and refresh your memory on how much liquid you’re allowed in your hand luggage. Be prepared to have to taste your baby’s milk or pureed food at security. Home from home If you’re worried your little angels will trash a smart place, consider a home exchange that’s child-friendly, or a farm stay, or university accommodation. Try homelink.org or venuemasters.co.uk for more information. Relieve the pressure This tip for a stress-free flight is from the Rough Guide to Travel with Children: massage your child’s ears from behind and give the earlobes a few gentle tugs from time to time. Toddlers also find it helpful to suck on something or have a drink during take-off and landing. Hotel hot tips Check out the ones that offer free places for kids, or discounted meals, especially if all yours want is a small bowl of cereal or some fruit. Posh hotels are the best places to breastfeed. Seriously. The staff will pride themselves on their discretion and should be understanding that you don’t want to do it in a loo or an unfamiliar place. With a little charm and luck, you should be able to sit in comfort in their lobby. Baby on board? Travelling with children needn’t be stressful if you follow these simple hints First imers Go slow. You won’t be able to pack in as much sightseeing – nor unfortunately, late–night boozing – as you’re used to before you had your ba y. Remember your holiday is upposed to be restful as well as a change of scen , so don’t put pressure on yourself, so you can take the odd toddler tantrum or rainy day in your stride. Enjoy the ride Car, train or plane journeys can be long and boring for little ones. Think of the journey as part of their holiday: easier said than done, so make sure you’ve packed plenty of favourite toys, changes of clothes and for older children, possibly ev n a checklist of things to look out for. Take plenty of rest breaks to stretch legs or have a run about. Many service sta ions have play areas. Red tape and red rashes Do your res arch beforehand. If you’re going abroad, check if your child needs a passport, a visa, any innoculations and organise them long before you plan to travel (go to w .gov.uk/foreign-travel-checklist). Make sure you’ve bought enough sun screen, insect rep ll nt etc and refresh your memory on how much liquid you’re allowed in your hand lugga e. Be prepared to have to taste your ba y’s milk or pureed food at security. Home from home If you’re worried your little angels will trash a smart place, consider a home xchange that’s child-friendly, or a farm stay, or university accom odation. Try homelink.org or venuemasters.co.uk for more information. Relieve the pressure This tip for a stress-free flight is from the Rough Guide to Travel with Children: massage your child’s ears from behind and give the arlobes a few gentle tugs from time to time. Toddlers also find it helpful to suck on something or have a drink during take-off and landing. Hotel hot ips Check out the ones that offer f ee places for kids, or discounted meals, especially if all yours want is a small bowl of cer al or some fruit. Posh otels are the best places to breastfeed. Seriously. The staff will pride themselves on their discretion and should be understanding that you don’t want to do it n a loo r an unfamiliar place. With a little charm and luck, you should be able to sit n comfort in their lobby. Baby on board? Travel ing with children ne dn’t be stres ful if you fol o these simple hints 22 raring2go.co.uk 1 Remember your first aid kit! Make sure it is well stocked and that everything is in date. Useful items might include sterile water for cleaning wounds or irrigating eyes, plenty of plasters and a couple of larger dressings for wounds and an instant ice pack to reduce swelling from bumps, bruises, or stings. Fran from Little Lives First Aid has shared her top tips for keeping safe when out and about this summer: 2 Water safety Ensure you follow safety advice and educate your children about the dangers of water and teach them to swim – and of course, young children should always be supervised in and around water. If your child has a near drowning incident with apparent recovery, observe them closely for a few days. Signs such as fatigue, cough and breathing difficulties could indicate secondary drowning. 3 Sunburn Keep kids out of the sun at the hottest times of the day. Use a high SPF sun cream with a good UVA rating and reapply regularly, especially if they have been in the water. Cover heads with a hat and eyes with sunglasses. To treat sunburn, cool the skin with water, apply a soothing after sun lotion, and give them pain relief. Seek medical advice if it’s severe. 4 Heat exhaustion Heat exhaustion can occur when the body gets too hot and can make a person very unwell if untreated. Be particularly alert if your child has been playing in the hot weather all day. They may start to look pale, sweaty and complain of headaches, nausea, vomiting, and tummy cramps. If this happens move them to a shaded/cool area, remove excess clothing and give them plenty to drink. If their condition worsens, phone 999. 5 Bee and wasp stings Remove a bee sting from the skin by scraping it out sideways using the edge of a credit card. Wash the area with soap and water, then apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Consider pain relief too! If the sting is in the mouth, get them to take sips of cold water or suck on an ice cube. Phone 999 if you see signs of an allergic reaction such as breathing difficulties, a rash, swollen face, lips, or tongue. Have a wonderful summer and stay safe! www.littlelivesfirstaid.co.uk 5Top Tips for keeping your little ones safe in the sun
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