Hitting the Road with Happy and Healthy Kids

Kid #1: No soda pop (since he was 11) - Running
Kid #2: Fresh Veggies - no frozen box meals - Frisbee Golf
Kid #3: High Protein High Iron Meat eater - Cheerleading (YES it's a Sport!)
Kid #4: Pescatarian (since he was 10) (I had to look it up: a Pescatarian is a Vegetarian who is ok with eating fish) - Cross Country running team

All four kids have developed their own preferences for food and they are all into various sports and activities.  So, as you can imagine, planning out the perfect family summer vacation can be a challenge.  We have to put into consideration the activities that we will be doing and where we are going to eat.


Particularly because they are all in sports they all have an interest in watching their diet and making sure they are eating healthy.

When we are at home they can always run to the kitchen for a late night peanut butter and banana sandwich. But we can't always do this when we are on the road.

And then there is the car.  Being in a car with 6 people on a roadtrip can require some compromises to make sure we all arrive at our destination with our sanity intact.

Here are a few tips from the kids for making sure we have a happy and healthy roadtrip:

1.  NO STINKY OR LOUD FOOD

One person chewing on bubbleyum bubblegum can fumigate an entire car in less than 60 seconds.  I love black licorice on a long road trip but its actually not very healthy for you and it also has a fumigating effect.  My husband loves Cornnuts.  Those have also been banned partly because they are so stinky but also because of the noise factor.Nothing is worse for my kids than sitting shoulder to shoulder with someone who is smacking or crunching in their ear on a long road trip.


2. FREQUENT STOPS


Just be prepared for them.  Making frequent stops on a long road trip is actually healthier for you.  Stretching your legs is a good thing and you're less likely to have to stop on the side of the road for someone who just can't make it to the next stop. (Murphy's law of travel is that if this happens it will happen at the most highly traveled portion of your trip with the maximum number of onlookers).  Sometime we even do some stretching or quick situps along the way.

3. PICNIC BASKET

One summer we were able to travel from town to town stopping at Subway sandwich shops for lunch because we knew it had something there that everyone can eat.  But you can only eat Subway for so many days in a row.  Be prepared with your "picnic basket" go to meals that everyone can eat.

4. START OUT WITH A GOOD BREAKFAST

Most importantly check out if the hotel where you are going to stay has a breakfast program in the morning.  Know ahead of time if they are complimentary or not.  Typically a breakfast buffet will have something for everyone but you may want to check that out ahead of time too. Because if you start out the day with happy teens you are off to a good start.

5. DOWNLOAD THE APP

Preload your phone with your favorite hotel chains' mobile app.  This makes it easy to check out if there is one of your favorite places to stay on the road ahead.  We often times find unique places along our roadtrip that we want to explore and this can throw our schedule right out the window.   Or sometimes we make better time than we anticipated.  With the mobile app on your phone you can make/change reservations easily.  You can also check out on your app whether or not the location has a complimentary breakfast (see above).

Monday June 24th Travelingmom.com is hosting another great #TMOM Twitter party along with #HyattKids talking about Happy Healthy Travel for Kids.  Join us at 9pm EST and be sure to RSVP for some great prizes.

You can find out more about the Hyatt App by CLICKING HERE 

Twitter Party: Happy Healthy Travel for Kids
If you're interested in talking more about keeping your kids happy and healthy during your travels please join me along with some travel industry experts at this Monday's TravelingMom.com Twitter Party: 

WHEN: June 24, 2013 9-10 pm EDT (8-9 pm CT; 7-8 pm MT; 6-7 pm PT)

WHO: Panelists@travelingmoms
 @kimorlando @cindyrichards @debmomof3 @ramblingstump @HyattPR @ElenaSonnino @MaryHeston  @LuxuryTravelMom @momstart@savorthethyme

WHAT: Twitter Party – Happy Healthy Travel for Kids

HOW TO JOIN: Follow the hashtags #TMOM and #HyattKids

PRIZES: They'll be giving away a kids' chef coat and adult chef apron, and a Grand Prize of two hotel nights at Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency PLUS one breakfast for four. (North America only, excluding Hawaii).

To be eligible, you must: 
1. RSVP by leaving your Twitter handle in the comment section at TravelingMom.com (If you aren’t on Twitter, it’s easy—and free—to sign up. Go to twitter.com to see how.)

2. Have at least one tweet on the party from 9-10 pm EDT on June 17. 


See you There!

Disclosure: This post and my participation in the Twitter Party: Happy Healthy Travel for Kids was sponsored by Hyatt Hotels.  My opinions and recommendations are my own.







Comments