Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ORDER
and
DISCIPLINE
on the
ROAD
OK
,
OK
,
WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE
. Order and discipline on the road may seem
like an oxymoron to you, but you won't be hooting when your 5-year-old launches
a screaming stem-winder in the middle of Fantasyland. Your willingness to give this
subject serious consideration before you leave home may well be the most important
element of your pretrip preparation.
Discipline and maintaining order are more difficult when traveling because
everyone is, as a Boston mom put it, “in and out” (in strange surroundings and out
of the normal routine). For children, it's hard to contain excitement and anticipation
that pop to the surface in the form of fidgety hyperactivity, nervous energy, and some-
times, acting out. Confinement in a car, plane, or hotel room only exacerbates the
situation, and kids are often louder than normal, more aggressive with siblings, and
much more inclined to push the envelope of parental patience and control. Once in
the theme parks, it doesn't get much better. There's more elbow room, but there's also
overstimulation, crowds, heat, and miles of walking. All this coupled with marginal
or inadequate rest can lead to meltdown in the most harmonious of families.
The following discussion was developed by leading child psychologist Dr. Karen
Turnbow, who has contributed to the
Unofficial Guides
for years and who has spent
many days at Walt Disney World conducting research and observing families.
LILIANE
Discuss your vacation needs with your children and explore
their wants and expectations well before you depart on your trip.
Sound parenting and standards of discipline practiced at home, applied consist-
ently, will suffice to handle most situations on vacation. Still, it's instructive to study
thehandyouaredealtwhentraveling.Forstarters,asidefrombeingjazzedandablaze
with adrenaline, your kids may believe that rules followed at home are somehow sus-
