Kids Can’t Tell: Guiding Your Children’s Health While on Holiday
Written By Javier Olivo
A dream vacation with the family is an ideal getaway from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Traveling with the family is the most joyous especially everyone’s there. Bringing in the kids won’t make an easier time, but with the little ones tagging along, it certainly brings a whole new experience for both parents and children.
When traveling, you need to ensure that everything is going smooth. Money, food, transportation, and directions are the most needed when going on travels around the world. However, most people neglect the fact that you need a healthy body and mind when going on trips.
There have been countless stories about upset stomachs and fever-ridden bus rides on what most families consider a dream vacation. Whenever these unfortunate illnesses happen, the trip goes down for the worse as most families cancel potential activities during the stay. Severe sickness even shortens the holiday, prompting most tourists to go home and seek immediate medical attention.
When children get stricken with illness during a vacation, parents tend to focus on them more. Children are more susceptible to infections and other disease causing vectors more than adults. This fact is the reason why most parents would prefer ending a vacation rather than going on and risking to worsen the illness further.
In this article, we’ll talk about the basics and important to-do routines when going overseas for vacations. A vacation is supposed to be fun, that’s why we need to focus on our health to make the most out of the countless experiences we can have while traveling the world.
Determining Your Prime Vacation Spot
It’s always a good start in planning a vacation when you know the place you’re going. Should it be a tropical country with famous beaches? Should it be a city with a lot of culture and activities to offer? Or would your family rather go on a wild safari? Determining the place that you and your family would love to spend time, effort, and finances set you on the right course.
Seasons Do Count
If you already picked out a destination, then the next step would be to determine the season that place has during certain times of the year. Places like the Safaris of South Africa, for example, has seasonal changes which can significantly affect your experience while being there.
According to several reliable sources, the best time to go is during the month of May to September. This period is considered the best time to go because wildlife is freely roaming and easier to spot because of the smaller vegetation.
Seasons play a significant role in determining the health of your kids and the outcome of your trip. As mentioned before, the Safaris of South Africa have seasonal changes in them which could mean the perfect holiday or a disappointing journey back home. Dry seasons can spell disaster for your kids due to high chances of getting heatstroke or dehydration, while wet seasons could bring in colds and cough for your children.
In the months of December to January, the temperatures are a lot hotter which could affect your kids. Since the bush is thicker during this time of the year, a lot of mosquitoes could also pose a dangerous threat to your children because of the diseases these insects spread such as Malaria, Dengue, West Nile, etc.
The Proper Clothing
Part of going on vacations is getting to flaunt that expensive dress you bought several months ago. However, if that dress isn’t up to par with the country’s norms, then don’t wear it at all. It maybe too offensive for the locals there which could look at you negatively. The Proper clothes don’t have to be more fashionable, but they should also provide safety and comfort at the same time.
When going on Safari trips or Jungle treks, make sure that your kids are wearing long sleeve jackets that protect their arms and legs from possible mosquito bites. Boots and other essential footwear is also a must when it comes to traversing jungle terrain. Sites such as French Connection have these kinds of clothing readily available.
Medications and Paperwork is a Must
When going on trips, bringing of medications is always a good idea. However, always have papers prepared just in case that customs decides to take a look at your medications. Drugs that have potentially addicting properties such as psychotropics are in regulation for most countries.
The important things to remember are: Always bring prescriptions from your doctor about your medication. Also, international laws state that medicine brought into a country by a foreigner which includes you and your kids should only last 30 days or fewer, depending on the length of your stay.
Trying the Local Delicacies
Trying out the local food is part of a memorable experience when traveling to several countries. However, having a guide to point out the best and cleanest food around is a must if you want to experience your vacation further.
There are a lot of horror stories about travels that went awry because parents disregarded their children having upset stomachs. In reality, these kids were already experiencing early stages of diarrhea. In severe cases, children develop dysentery from eating dirty food on the streets during a vacation with their parents.
International Immunity
Vaccines and certain other precautions are also a great way for your kids to have fun during your vacation safely. This fact is part of the reason why determining your destination is a crucial stage for your trip.
Do some research and ask your doctor about what the possible vaccinations are available for your children. Talk to your doctor about where you plan to go so that they can also determine what vaccinations to give to your kids.
Knowing the Nearest Hospital
Another great reason why determining your destination before your trip is by knowing where the nearest hospital is in your location. Some places such as tropical islands in the Caribbean don’t have hospitals but have clinics who have limited equipment, resources, and workforce.
The lack of tools, resources, and workforce, however, should not prevent you from going to their clinic should a medical problem arise. These clinics could still provide you with first aid and a chance to contact a more suitable hospital if there is one nearby.
Bonus Tip: Don’t let your children stray far away from you!
Always keep an eye out for your kids on the places they go, the food they eat, the things they touch, etc. Hollywood often depicts these unfortunate events as horror movies, which is why you should always keep watch on your children.
Takeaway
A vacation should not end up in a hospital or a premature stoppage. To ensure that your kids will have the best time during their trip, plan for everything in advance and keep a close watch on them. Tips such as determining the location, having the right clothing, etc. can all make your trip with the kids more fun and relaxing.
Sources:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/children
http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/family-travel.html
https://www.safaribookings.com/south-africa/best-time
https://www.iamat.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-travelling-with-medications/
http://www.frenchconnection.com.au/