Going overseas with school is becoming increasingly popular. Traveling abroad for kids is a great educational resource. Not only is it good for them, it is good for parents as well. Your child gets the opportunity to stand on his or her own two feet for a little. It will give them a great confidence boost. However, traveling abroad is not always straight forward. If your child has no previous experience of foreign travel, it is best to help them with what to pack.
What Paperwork Do You Need?
Helping your child to pack is a great way of challenging him or her. For instance, do they know what documentation they will need? Often when you are traveling to a foreign country you need to bring documentation and paperwork. For instance, packing your passport is essential. First of all, you need to make sure that it is valid for both your outgoing date and return date. In some instances, you may even need to have a VISA and proof of health insurance. Needless to say, you also must make sure that you pack your tickets.
What Is The Weather Going To Be Like?
If you are not sure what the weather is going to be like where your child is going, it is best to be prepared for all eventualities. A warm sweater may be required at night and you should be prepared for rain. A mack-in-a-bag is a good idea. A couple of different pairs of shoes for sight seeing and then a pair of boots to keep the rain out must also fit in the suitcase.
What About Medication?
When your child needs special medication, you want to make sure that you pack that in an easy to access bag. It is a good idea to pack any medication as part of the hand luggage. If your child is traveling with school, make sure that you tell his or her teacher that your child needs medication. That is particularly important when it comes to medication such as inhalers for asthmatics and allergy medication.
Packing Soap And Hair Shampoo
Although most hotels supply hair shampoo, the same thing may not be true if your child is staying in a hostel or other budget accommodation. It is best to make up a small personal hygiene kit containing the following items:
* Shampoo
* Shower gel
* Soap
* Deodorant
You may even want to put some washing powder in the bag to make sure all eventualities are covered.
Top Tips For Easy Packaging
Before you put everything in the suitcase, put all of the items that you are thinking about packing on the bed. Is it all going to fit in? If you are not sure that it is all going to fit in the suitcase, do a trial pack. Remember to keep your eyes on the weight of the case. Airlines are sometimes a bit mean when it comes to weight limits.
What About Packing Food?
It is true – most kids probably want to pack a few of their favorite snacks. But, this is where you should put your foot down. Yes, it is tempting to say yes. but traveling abroad means broadening your horizons. At first it may sound like a bad idea, but it is really time for your child to try something different. There is bound to be something that he or she will like. You will find that away from the home, most kids are happy to try new things and exciting taste sensation.
What About Packing Money?
You should never pack cash in a suitcase. Any cash or spending money should go in the hand luggage. Set your child a spending limit and make sure they are aware of how much money they can spend per day. This is an excellent way of learning more about budgeting and being responsible for money. Just in case, it is a good idea if your child has access to emergency fund. A prepaid credit card is a great idea. You can leave it with your child or a responsible adult.
Above all make sure that your child understands that this is a learning experience. Things may go wrong, but it is really what you do when things go wrong that matters. A bit of common sense is right at home in any suitcase.
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