Fishing Frenzy

Travelling with your family may sound like a lot of fun but the journey itself can be far harder work than you imagined. Many have taken that journey and haven't been keen to take it again. The most important thing if you do decide to take your children along with you is to plan ahead.

If possible, on a car journey, you can prevent much of what you will otherwise have to deal with is to travel when your children will likely be sleeping. If you are travelling at a different time or you feel that they may be too excited to sleep then let them run around beforehand in order for them to burn any excess energy. Don't cancel this out by giving them sugary drinks or snacks. It is also advisable to have something to keep them amused during the journey such as colouring or puzzle books.

If your children are a bit older, they will often take pride in being responsible for holding the map and shouting out directions. This will also save you from the otherwise inevitable question, "are we nearly there yet?". If they are bored, try entertaining them with games such as "Eye Spy". It may be wise to research others before the journey as it can soon become tiresome.

If you're flying to your destination, the situation can be far more intense. You may have to suffer their whining whilst queuing as children often don't understand why they have to stand around for so long which can boil over into the departure lounge.

Once your children are on board, the fun really begins as you will then be forced to keep them busy for potentially a long flight. The answer to this, if your preparation was right, lies in your flight bag. There will hopefully be some items to keep them entertained such as an iPod or snacks. Snacks are almost essential as the food served on the flight may not satisfy them and then the whining could really begin to escalate.