How To Travel With A Child With ADHD? Practical Travel Tips

It’s good to see that the travel landscape is becoming more inclusive with better accessibility, knowledge, and digital amenities. Still, as a parent, how to travel with a child with ADHD remains a concern for me.

Yes, there are days of triumph and there are days when my pillows know it the best! As a mother, I also understand how the child suffers. With so many stimulations and things to do, the child feels confused and ends up ruining her mood and not enjoying a single activity.

Now, initially, I struggled a lot while taking her on trips. I knew how to help a child with ADHD in school, and the teachers and educators helped me with the basics there from the very beginning.

However, I did not know how to make the entire process smoother for her. I checked out applications such as the Liven app and discussed the issue with specialized educators and her school authority.

I paid attention to the tips they shared, but I relied more on my practical experiences and the takeaways of the trial-and-error methods I tried during each vacation with her.

And then one fine morning last year, I came across something brilliant on Conde Nast Traveller. A mother has written about her son with OCD and ADHD and how they have survived the child’s first long-haul flight.

It was so relatable!

So, I felt inspired to share some practical tips on how to travel with a child with ADHD. And what could be a better forum to talk about it than Dream and Travel? Here I could fuse traveling with my experience of traveling with my daughter.

How To Travel With A Child With ADHD: A Mother’s Way Of Dealing With It

ADHD, just like many other disorders, can single a child out, and their co-travelers can be cruel if they don’t understand the causes of their peculiar behaviors.

As a mother, I have to be always careful that she is not feeling isolated or someone is not bullying her. It can quickly exacerbate if left unchecked.

Having said that, while traveling, each situation requires a distinct approach. Every child, whether neurodivergent or not, shouldn’t feel excluded, and adults are responsible for ensuring that social environments are safe.

Moreover, raising a child with ADHD is a long game. There is no one to blame. As a mother, I used to get confused, and of course, people who are encountering my daughter for the first time will be so.

Thus, it’s a long game for me! Still, I try to follow some standard tips while traveling with my daughter with ADHD.

1. I Cannot Punish My Child

What’s “usual” when a child forgets something, or they just refuse to follow what you are saying? You punish them or scold them so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

Now, I cannot do the same with my daughter.

You know what the educator at my daughter’s school told me? “You really have to be patient, and you have to accept that she is not creating this mess because of carelessness or stubbornness.

This is how she functions. So, you have to support and not punish her.”

I know that she will forget her things, and initially, it was quite a task to cross-check everything she had packed and unpacked.

ADHD can cause occasional instances of misplaced items, forgotten things, or lost time. Instead of resorting to punishment, parents and teachers can develop a system that accommodates these missteps.

When a child with ADHD makes a mistake, disrupts the flow, or engages in a conflict, punishing or responding overly emotionally can cause even further disappointment.

Moreover, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges, a child with ADHD has problems in controlling their impulsive behaviors.

Discipline can be possible without punishment. Adults should establish specific rules regarding misbehavior and, if a disciplinary measure is necessary, explain clearly why the child is receiving it.

2. I Have To Plan And Schedule Activities For Her

There is no doubt that kids with ADHD function better when there is a proper schedule. So, it can be a vacation or a long holiday, I always plan the activities for her.

As she is growing up, it’s more like discussing the day and itinerary with her so that she can suggest the activities she wants to explore or the places she wants to visit.

It’s always what she wants to do at first.

Then, there are turns of approvals and dismissals of the plans discussed. Finally, there is a fixed plan and I make it a point to forward it on WhatsApp to everyone in the group.

When she was younger, I used to make a visual planner for her well before the trip started. Now, it is a bit relaxed.

I have learned this from my daughter’s teacher. She always followed this practice when taking the kids on excursions.

3. They Always Need Some Quiet Activities

Quiet activities are very important for my daughter. These may sound like little things. However, these tricks really work.

I carry games and art and craft stuff for her. These things keep her busy in the hotel room.

Now, these quiet activities allow her to enjoy some downtime and they can learn how to initiate and enjoy independent activities.

Furthermore, with these activities keeping my daughter busy, there has been a remarkable drop in her screentime, touchwood!

4. I Always Keep The Meals And Snacking Time Regular

Well, my daughter really does not have the stomach for it. She is all over the place when she is hungry.

So, I ensure that she eats something at regular intervals. I pack lots of fruits and nuts for her. It’s great that she likes them and she is not much into junk.

Similarly, I have to make sure that she is hydrated. So, she has her water reminders and I must tell that she is a good girl, in that way! She loves her drinks and now it’s the other way around.

She reprimands me for not drinking enough water! It’s fun, you see!