Safety on Vacation With Children

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As we all hunker down for winter, one thing we can look forward to is planning a vacation for the family during the hotter months. At this time of year, such planning can give hope and inspiration, with the promise of day trips out, good food to eat and warm rays of sunshine.
However, planning a vacation with a new baby or very young children can sometimes feel impossible. It’s tricky trying to find the right place to stay, not to mention the worry of whether or not it will be safe and clean (to your own standards) once you arrive. Here’s how to make any vacation let or property family friendly and safe for everyone with minimum fuss.
Research, Research, Research
Make sure you do your research and look into resorts, apartments or hotels that simply cater for families. It’s really no good to just book a vacation, arrive at the destination and find that it’s only geared for couples, retired people or single travelers — no matter how wonderful it looked online. Wherever you stay, it needs to have lots to offer for families, and most importantly, children.
Thankfully, companies that make vacation lets are now getting much wiser to this. Villas and hotels are more child friendly than ever, and there are also great hybrid hotels and apartments such as Native aparthotels which offer well-staffed and properly-equipped properties with enough space for families to relax and enjoy themselves in major cities.
Once you’ve chosen your accommodation, what needs to be done to make it more child friendly?
Tips to Make a Vacation List Family Friendly
When making a vacation property safe for children, there is no one exhaustive list, but a handy guide or checklist can make things a lot easier to cope with.
Think about some of the following.
  • Pack lots of disinfectant wipes and antibacterial hand gels, so that surfaces and door handles can be given a thorough clean
  • In your luggage, have a clean blanket that can be placed on the floor for very young children and toddlers to play on. This will save them crawling on the floor and you won’t have to worry about it not being as hygienic as home
  • Buy a safety latch and fit it to the lavatory in the property to ensure that the lid is shut when it is not in use
  • Always have a supply of night lights
  • Buy some covers to make sure electrical outlets are secure
  • It also helps to make spot checks at the property. Take a child’s eye view, get on the floor and crawl around to look for hazards you might well miss as an adult. These can be simple things such as hard corners on tables and cupboards, and even things that have been hidden under cushions and could end up in the mouth of an inquisitive child
  • If there are tables and cupboards, make sure the corners are covered loosely with masking tape and cotton wool or soft cloths to prevent banging and scraping hazards to knees and heads
  • Lastly, if there is a balcony, check to ensure there is a safety net on it. Always make sure that the door leading to it is locked at all times when it is not in use.
Planning a vacation with a young family can be fun, and there needn’t be worries associated with it if there’s a little forethought and thinking ahead. It means you can enjoy the long summer break, the better weather and the promise of lots of fun adventure.

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