Keep Your Family Safe & Healthy on Your Trip

Whether you're traveling to an exotic land or to the next state over, traveling with your family is fun, exciting and sometimes a little stressful. You are busy booking plane tickets, hotel rooms and activities that everyone in the family will love, and you're almost ready to go. But have you thought about your health? Traveling can be a big change on your eating, sleeping and exercise patterns, so you need to be prepared to keep everyone feeling their best. Here are a few tips:

Pack Wipes & Sanitizer

Babies and toddlers love putting everything in their mouths — toys, keys, basically whatever is in reach. When you're traveling, you're going to be in a lot of areas where you can't control the cleanliness and your baby will be exposed to new germs. Be as prepared as possible with plenty of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer. Wipe down the seat and tray table when you get on the plane.

Lather your kids' hands with sanitizer before they even think of touching a snack. And be prepared to wash their hands extra thoroughly after using a public restroom. The last thing you want is for your baby or young child to have an upset stomach, so do what you can to avoid germs and bacteria.


Plan Activities

Your teenagers stay up all night and sleep all day when you're home, so how are they going to adjust to a travel schedule? Start by battling jet lag. Make sure everyone gets on the local time of the place you're traveling to as quickly as possible. If you need to keep everyone up that first day, plan something active to keep everyone moving. For the rest of the trip, put a limit on screen time and cellphones, not only to keep your teens engaged in your vacation, but also to help them keep a normal sleep cycle. Sleep is a crucial part of keeping your immune system strong, so insist that your teens keep to the family sleep schedule.

Bring Snacks & Probiotics

You're going to be busy making sure all of your plans stay on track. You're in charge of making sure the kids are dressed, everyone is in the car with plenty of time to make your flight and everyone is having a good time. That can be a lot of pressure, and it's easy to forget to take care of yourself.

Traveling can wreak havoc on your stomach and digestive system, so be sure to include some healthy foods and drinks along with all the tasty vacation treats. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated all day long (if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated). You also should consider taking a probiotic to help build up healthy bacteria so you don't encounter any stomach problems in the middle of your trip.

Consider Mobility & Movement

If grandma and grandpa are coming along on your vacation, you may need to make some special arrangements. You still should plan all of your active and physical excursions, but make sure they are safe for everyone. For example, you should see if there's a place where they can sit or take a break if necessary. You also should plan for some down time between activities or even plan for an entire day of relaxation. You also may want the grandparents to wear a medical alert system so they can keep track of their heart rate and their other health stats. And if you do run into an emergency, the medical alert device can notify certified agents to respond quickly.

You don't need to do anything crazy to keep everyone in your family healthy while you travel. Be prepared with a few extra items, and you're sure to enjoy your vacation.

This is a guest blog post.