Travelling with kids: simple ways of ensuring safety without panic.
One of the most fearful times of our lives is in live mode at present. The COVID fright is here to stay and keep us on our toes for longer than we had ever imagined. Despite that, most already have or will need to come out of the ‘protection of isolation’ offered by staying indoors. Maintaining the economical stability of the family (resuming work) is becoming the pressing reason for many for risking the outdoors despite the lurking fear of corona at every nook and corner. To add to the trouble, travelling with kids amid this horrific pandemic is becoming increasingly unavoidable, be it for work, social binding or vacay-craving.
How do we take them out on a travel, ensuring their safety, and yet avoid panicking like a mad hatter throughout the trip? This write-up is dedicated to all parents who are contemplating an expedition with their kids, especially within an infant or a toddler to ease their anxiety and share some tricks and tricks of travelling safely amid the never-ending COVID waves.
Be a responsible parent, get vaccinated
First and foremost, always remember the dictum ‘prevention is better than cure’. When the same is adjusted for COVID, it is not an hyperbole to state that
‘Prevention is the only key when you have no cure’.
The most reasonable thing you can do is to become be the shield that prevents all access of COVID to your family. Please, take your primary vaccination and boosters as soon as you get eligible.
Plan ahead: pre-book your hotels and transfers
Good planning and cautious plan execution is the key to a stress-free COVID-time journey. Book your cabs, flights, and train tickets a good time in advance. Precheck with the hotel/ cab services and make sure that they diligently follow the COVID regulations and ensure child-friendly services. You do not want to be stalled at a crowded place like an airport or cab waiting area for last-minute cab-hunting.
I recommend stand-alone villas (rather than the crowded hotels) to maximise your family’s safety. All leading travel partners like MakeMyTrip are now offering a wide selection of affordable and trustable personlised stays. .
On our last trip to Goa, we booked a beautiful apartment on the seashore in Candolim; breakfast and cleaning were included in the stay. However, the best part was that all through the stay, we were mentally at ease as there was no rush to have meals at the common area, use the common pool or come in contact with fellow guests. SO MUCH FOR THE MENTAL PEACE!
If not travelling for necessity, try to avoid peak tourist seasons for the destination. That way, you can frequent the desired places without constant, mind-nagging fear of contacting the dreadful virus while outdoors.
Always precheck the COVID trend of the area you plan to visit; you do not want to end up being locked down during your vacay.
Keep sufficient supplies of sanitiser, face mask, extra shields, handy toys that your kid loves and finger snacks to munch on (decrease distraction from wending machines and never-inviting toy shops).
Rehearse with the kid, make them accustomed to wearing PPEs
This little practice game will go a long way in making sure that you do not end up struggling with your kid on the D-day. A month before we started our much-awaited Goa trip, I took the kids out to park with face shields on (during the low-attendance time for starters). In the start, my Lil one (then 7 months only) resisted the mask, pulling it off every time I put it on. Steadily, she got used to its presence, getting acquainted with the mask and the mask-on time significantly increased.
Our elder chap, the superhero of our lives (advitya), got used to the mask and shield very quickly and was all excited during the mock drills. However, he needed constant counselling to prepare him mentally for the trip, which included
- He would keep his facemask and face shield on at all times.
- He would not touch the front of his PPE (personal protection eqipment) and if done, he would immediately wash/ sanitise his hands.
- A strict no shopping policy.
- He would eat his snacks and play with his brought-from-home toys.
- For any other meal we will have, we will sit at one place (no hopping around), sanitise our hands and eat peacefully.
- He can use the mobile/ I-pad for gaming once we are seated in the plane or cab. The 1-hour rule was rolled back for the travel.
- The same rules will apply whenever we are out of our villa or visit public places.
Thankfully, by the time we reached the airport, the taxing rehearsals actually paid off and we had no hassle cruising through the crowded hallways without any major falteration.
Ensure safe transits through public places/ Maintain strict personal protection
All said and done, even with the most painstaking planning, when you reach a crowded place with people brushing across you and COVID on the peak, you get skittish nevertheless. But, that’s exactly not the time to panic but the time to put your plan into action. You can not believe how disciplined the kids can behave when carefully prepped up for any challenging situation. To keep them motivated and prevent the roaring of their discontent meter, we had small meals at the airport while we awaited the boarding.
I may have looked like a typical over-protective parent, but I ensured every surface my kids touched were pre-sanitised before a probable contact ( I am so so thankful to the disinfecting wipes that made my life really easy and gave me much needed peace of mind). After we boarded the flight, I cleaned the entire touchable area without any hesitation, although the glaring eyes all around me did make me hesitate a bit. Our PPEs stayed strictly up all through the travel, except for times we sat to eat or the times the ‘Lil miss Pika’ lost her exceptionally well kept cool.
I won’t say that I did not panic but for most of the time in the trip, we were in good control. After leaving the airport, we boarded our pre-booked cabs and breathed relief as we entered our secluded villa.
Stay away from the crowd
Travel and avoid crowds? So undoable, isn’t it. But, given the current COVID scenario, this ‘undoable’ is in your best interest. When bound to travel, my small piece of advice would include avoiding:
- Crowded destinations
- Crowded tourist spots
- Travel at peak traffic hours
- Crowded public trasport, walk for short distances and maintain a minimal 1 metre distance from others. It is best to hire a rented vehicle (car/2 wheeler) for the enitre duration of the travel. It is economical and safer this way.
- Excessive outdoor: Focus on spending quality time with each other rather than spending time at quality (possibly crowded) tourist attractions.
Do a bit of research and find some less crowded, and possibly more beautiful vacay destinations. Do not fall into the trap of advertisements and head towards that universally crowded Shimla or Goa hotel/ resort. When travelling with kids during these perilous times, you may have to trade adventure for safety.
Be prepared, know the symptoms and report early
Make a list of essentials and do not try to travel light on them. Make sure you tick the following in your travelling with the kids, COVID-travel check-list–
- Your child’s routine or commonly required medicines
- Thermometer, emergency medical kit
- Extra masks, shields and sanitizer
- Disinfecting and face wipes
- Your child’s finger food/snacks, infant formula milk/cereals that should atleast cover the travel time
- Personalised water bottles; buy packged drinking water rather than using common water dispensing outlets
God forbid, in case any of the family members experience symptoms likely to be COVID, follow the guidelines.
Isolate, report and get tested.
Do not try to hide or negative the symptoms or rush back home. This puts the life of the affected person at risk during the travel. also put other people in the group at stake. Not to mention that this irresponsible act will put the health of your family and wellbeing of hundreds of co-passengers at stake.
I know of a person who attempted to dodge the airport screening and booked a cab home as soon he got fever but what followed was a dreadful torment. His condition went spiralling down and by the time he reached back, he had to be admitted to a ICU straightaway.
Don’t panic
Be informed that in more than 90% of cases, all you would need is to isolate the person and take symptomatic medications. Only a few affected patients (less than 1-2%) will need hospitalisation or higher care. Also, please keep in mind that any delay in seeking medical care can itself prove detrimental to the patient’s recovery.
We love travelling with our kids and have since then voyaged inter and intrastate, by car/ train/plane, with our two kids and with larger groups (luckily, we have an awsm social circle). Thankfully, every trip has been refreshingly memorable; no one has ever fallen down to COVID.
Although. we should definitely pray to the almighty to keep everyone safe, but it is our foremost obligation to make sure that we sincerely play our parts in this combat against the formidable opponent quoted as COVID.
Stay safe, travel safe!
For CDC guidelines on travelling with kids, you can visit here.