Life as a SEN mum

It’s that time of year where we’re thinking about holidays and days out. When you’ve got kids travelling can be a major concern, and potentially sway your decision. There definitely isn’t a one size fits all approach to travelling with kids. But there are some things that can help ease the stress of travelling.

Snacks

This one applies regardless of how you’re travelling this summer. It’s not just a case of keeping them quiet, but if you’re on a long journey where it may not be easy to eat at usual set times, or to get hold of food it’s always useful to have something to hand. For those of you with autistic children it will also ensure you’ve got plenty of “safe” foods to hand in the eventuality that you have to make unscheduled stops at places that don’t necessarily serve anything your child (or you) might eat. As well as snacks make sure you take plenty of water, this is one of those we all plan for and at the same time is the thing we always forget and then get stung with over priced bottles of water.

Activities

Obviously this one is very much dependent on a child’s age. Travel games are always a win in our experience. They don’t have to be shop bought, simply a pen and paper can work well for a variety of games, and who doesn’t love a game of I Spy? If you’ve been into McDonald’s recently, the chances are you’ll have a game or 2 of Dobble lying around which are perfect for travelling.

Stickers are brilliant for younger kids, a pack of stickers and a note book. Sticker books, or even stickers that can be stuck to windows etc and then peeled off and reused. Or if your child is anything like Charlotte they will just stick them all over their siblings.

Technology can be a life saver on long journeys. Whether it’s a portable DVD player, tablet etc, you can make sure they have their favourite cartoons/films downloaded. If they’re older and more into games just make sure these can be played offline, particularly if flying.

Plan pit stops

Obviously this doesn’t apply if you’re flying or travelling by train, but if you are travelling by car check where service stations are and what facilities they have. If you’re travelling a particularly long distance you could also look for any points of interest along your route and get exploring, making your holiday start before you even arrive. Planning ahead can also help you work out when is best to stop for food etc. It can also prove beneficial if you do happen to get stuck in traffic, so you know whether you can maybe make a previously unplanned stop until things get moving.