Traveling to the awe-inspiring “Land Down Under” with kids may seem like a daunting experience. The long-haul flight, change in temperature, and the unfamiliarity of Australia can all make your child a little irritable. Not to worry, this is something that all parents face when traveling abroad.  However, traveling to Australia with young children isn’t as difficult as it sounds. As long as you’re fully prepared, your trip should be a total breeze. To keep on the right track and avoid any potential mishaps, follow these tips and don’t forget to breathe!

Pack Comfort Items

You’ll want to make your children as comfortable as possible during a long-haul flight. There is always controversy over giving your children access to their comfort item when traveling.  Many people fear it will lead to both the child and their parents depending on it long-term. However, at times like these, comfort items are an exception. They become extremely helpful and can erase any anxiousness that your child might have about the flight to Australia.

A comfort item can be anything that puts your child to ease during difficult situations. This could be a favorite blanket or an iPad or tablet. Whatever item works for your child and is guaranteed to comfort them, bring it.

Fly At Night

If you can take a night flight to Australia, it is your best option by far. Traveling with kids during night means they may end up sleeping most of the flight and this is every parents dream, right? On the other hand, when you travel during the day, your kids will have already slept well the night before. With all the excitement, you might not be able to get them to sleep on the flight.  Bebe Voyage has been rounding up travel bed reviews for you to check out!  If you are on an overnight flight, this might be an invaluable addition to your carry-on luggage.

Play Family Games

Playing any type of family games in public does sound a little embarrassing, but sometimes it’s all you’ve got.  Every parent is fully aware of  just how dreadfully long these games can last. One game becomes you with post-it stickers on your forehead and your kids laughing uncontrollably at you. The flight to Australia long though and if you want to avoid grumpy children, you might just have to take the hit.

Prepare Them For The Trip

Before heading abroad, we prepare by researching all of the important information on our destination. Many of us forget to prepare our kids as we get them new clothes and pack their bags. What we really should do though, is speak to them about the trip, make sure they know the reason behind your trip and what the flight will be like etc.  For great destination advice and travel preparation tips, join our online community of over 10,000 families on the go.

Bring Surprise Entertainment

Who doesn’t love a surprise, right? Buy your child something small that they really want and hide it in your bag for when/if your child starts to get a bit antsy about the flight.  Having a surprise distraction with you can keep your little ones satisfied and more willing to cooperate with you. It’s’ guaranteed to help them if they start to feel sick, or when they won’t stop screaming. I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that there’s nothing worse than being on a flight with a screaming child, so save yourself the stress and embarrassment with a bit of good old-fashioned bribery.

Stick To A Routine

I honestly can’t stress enough, just how important it is to stick to a routine when you’re in Australia. It makes things much much simpler for your child and allows them to have a better experience, which will have a knock on effect and is likely to make your trip more worthwhile.  Sticking to a routine doesn’t have to be difficult, it simply requires you to make a few alterations to your life prior to travel. Doing so should make your child more adaptable to change and more comfortable in Australia. If possible, try to incorporate some things that you will be doing regularly in Australia, into your day to day life, before traveling. This familiarity should ease your child into the sudden change of lifestyle.

Have The Safety Talk

When traveling anywhere in the world, it’s always a wise idea to have the safety talk with your child before jetting off. Australia is known for being a safe country to visit, but it’s still important that your child knows how to stay safe when abroad.  The safety talk could cover things like stranger danger, the importance of wearing sunscreen and Australian wildlife. There are plenty of articles online that can advise you the best way of having this chat with your child, depending on their age group. Following this advice should hopefully make your child aware of what to avoid in Australia and how to deal with potential problematic situations, without scaring them too much!

Traveling to the other side of the world with young children can be a scary prospect and there are plenty of things to consider before you make the journey. However, if you do your research and prepare, there is nothing to fear. Once you arrive in Australia you and your kids will be in for the experience of a lifetime!  For more information on Sydney from the Bebe Voyage community of experts, check out our exclusive travel guide.

Our thanks to Stuart Cooke for contributing this wonderful article.  Stuart is a blogger who works at Uni Baggage, a door to door luggage delivery service for students around the world!