Is Your Child Capable Of Traveling By Themselves?

Airline travel has certainly made the world a whole lot smaller. And in the age of disintegrating marriages, many parents will need to face the possibility that their child may need to travel between each parent by themselves. Would your child be able to cope with such a scenario? While a lot of airlines offer an unaccompanied minor program for those between the ages of five and twelve, what happens once your child becomes a teenager? Read on for a few thoughts you should consider before this situation arises for you.

The most important item you need to consider is whether your child is indeed comfortable with the idea of traveling by themselves. While some kids will view the whole journey with a sense of adventure, others will see it as a scary process that fills them with anxiety and dread. If your child falls into the later category, then you should not force them to undertake the trip until such time that they are 100% comfortable with the idea.

We instill a sense of stranger-danger into our children from a very young age. This can sometimes lead to a sense of confusion within the child as to when it is appropriate to ask for help, and who should be asked. Make sure that if your child is going to be traveling on their own, that they know exactly who they can ask for assistance if they have a question, and how to generally protect their own safety in certain situations and locations, such as public restrooms.