Plan to Avoid Stress, Especially on Vacation

By Jennifer Scotton

To help reduce stress, we like to keep our children on a regular schedule. This prepares them for what is to come and gives the kids a sense of security. We know that when their schedule or environment changes, we must be proactive and plan ahead to avoid stress.

We devised a strategy to reduce our 10-month-old daughter’s stress as we prepared to embark on a recent family vacation, the first for her. We knew we’d have a long car ride ahead of us, and she’s not used to spending so much time in the car. I spent time looking for engaging activities to keep her entertained on the 11-hour car ride as we planned our trip. I gathered some of her brother’s hand-me-down toys that she had never seen before and devised some creative activities to keep her occupied. We planned an overnight stop to break up the 11-hour drive, as well as rest stops along the way to give the kids a break from the car. It may appear to be overkill, but the extra planning ensured that the trip went as smoothly as possible when our daughter’s patience for the ride wore thin.