Safety practices you should teach your children when abroad
Travelling with your children is a great way of creating lifelong memories. You’re also allowing them to experience different places, people and cultures from around the world – enriching their lives. But travelling with children isn’t without its concerns. You’ve got to keep them safe – to do so, we recommend teaching them the following:
- To set up a meeting point
When you visit new places, always get your kids to engage with their surroundings – ask them to look at landmarks they’ll remember and organise a meeting point, should they get lost. Arm them with a business card of your hotel’s details so they have local contact information as a back-up.
You can always act out stressful scenarios so your kids have some practice under their belts and know what to do rather than panic when they can’t immediately find you.
- To respect local customs
Once you know where you’re going, you can research the local culture and make sure you and your kids know the basics. For example, giving a thumbs up in Italy or Greece can be as offensive as sticking your middle finger up.
To really impress the locals, you could get older children to learn a phrase or two in the language – thank you is a good starting point.
You should also prepare them for countries where children get a huge fuss made of them – Thailand and Egypt, for instance. Or, if your child isn’t fond of attention, avoid travelling to such places.
- Safety signs for beaches and swimming pools
As soon as you arrive, your kids are going to want to jump straight in the water. But get your rules set early – for instance, always telling you before they swim. Also, make sure you point out the safe zones in the pool and sea they shouldn’t leave.
To minimise any stress, invest in swimming lessons before any travel to ensure they’re confident in the water.
Sources:
50 Top Tips for Travelling with Kids