Are You a Traveling Team Parent?
Playing sports is going to provide your kid with many different physical and emotional benefits including improved self-esteem, better social skills, a healthier heart, and a lower risk of obesity. As a parent, however, you are quickly going to realize just how much work it takes to support your young athlete as they travel from game to game. Here are a few tips that will help you prepare for your next team trip.
Service Your Vehicle
Depending on how much you drive and what type of driving you do, you might need to have your vehicle professionally serviced as often as once every two months. During these service calls, your mechanic can carry out a wide variety of important maintenance tasks such as topping off the fluids, lubing moving parts, and checking the tread on the tires. You should also familiarize yourself with your family car so that you can carry out a quick visual inspection the night before you hit the road.
Join a Hotel Reward Program
Signing up for a hotel reward program could save you quite a bit of money if you spend more than a few nights a year away from your home. Not only do reward members get lower rates, but the hotel might allow you to make last minute reservations without charging you additional fees. At the very least, you should look into signing up for a credit card that gives you cash back whenever you spend money on travel expenses.
Keep a Travel Kit Ready
In addition to keeping an emergency travel kit in your vehicle, you should also have a bag that is packed with all of the gear you and your children will need for their games. You might want to include an extra pair of clothes, some toiletry items, ice packs, over-the-counter painkillers, a portable power pack, like those from TYLT, for your electronics, an umbrella, sunscreen, and some non-perishable snacks.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
During your travels, your smartphone is going to be invaluable to you and your family. In addition to the GPS helping you with directions, you also want to download some apps that will give you information on the weather and traffic. If you are having a tough time keeping track of your child’s practices and games, then you should take a look at family calendar apps that will sync information across all of your devices.
No one wants to have their car break down while traveling to a game or find themselves without a place to stay after spending hours at a tournament. Being a team parent can be quite challenging, and that is why you need to spend a little extra time planning every step of your next trip well before you pull out of the driveway.
