It’s your first family vacation since having kids and you’re nervous about it. You want to make sure everyone has a good time and makes memories, but you’re also anxious about taking them so far away from home in such a new way. Whether you’re taking a road trip, a flight, or a cruise, it’ll help to already have an idea in mind about how to safely travel with your children. Take a journey through this article to learn our best advice for safety tips on vacation.

Plan ahead:

Before you book anything, make an itinerary of what you want to do. Research where you want to go, how you’ll get there, what are reviews like, etc. Everyone will be somewhere they are unfamiliar with and it’ll take extra time to navigate this new city. By making this list, you can scope ahead what sort of limitations you have for activities, like finding out a show you want to see lets out after the buses stop running. Check the weather and see what you need to pack accordingly; you can only get so accurate when you’re planning months ahead, but it’s better to overpack with more clothes than needed rather than needing to purchase raincoats and sweaters from the airport souvenir shop as soon as you arrive.

Pack smart:

Keep your essentials in your carry-on baggage and pack any extras into your checked luggage. While it doesn’t happen often, having an airline lose your luggage will put your vacation to a rough start, especially if you have your toothbrush, glasses, and all your clothes lost with your bag. Having these items close by and losing a couple outfits is not ideal, but a preferable scenario.

Remember medication:

If anyone in your family takes medication, whether it’s just some ibuprofen or a full-sized Epi-Pen, have whatever memory-assistance system you need to make sure that isn’t left behind. In some cases, you can have a local pharmacy fill an emergency prescription for forgotten medication, but for expensive or controlled drugs, you may be without it until you return home.

Watch them like a hawk:

Pack bright colors for your kids so they’re easy to spot in a crowd, or use a backpack with a safety harness so you can make sure your little runner can’t make it far away from you. Keep them ahead of you in large crowds so you can watch and make sure they are staying close and aren’t getting left behind, and teach them a system for what to do in case they get lost. You can make sure your phone number is with them in a backpack or some article of clothing they won’t leave behind, and tell them to find an employee or worker nearby to stay safe until you retrace their steps. Consider putting an Airtag in their backpack so you can quickly find them if they wander off while you’re buying lunch.

Stay organized:

Any important documents like boarding passes, IDs, and passports should be kept in their own storage location, and not just loose in everyone’s pockets. Pull them out when you need them, then put them right back when they’re done.

Traveling with children can be an enjoyable and memorable experience, but it's important to take the necessary steps to ensure their safety. By following these tips, you can have a successful and safe journey with your children, and create memories that will last a lifetime.