Travel Tip: Win win with Kids

When you travel with kids, there are situations when kids demand something or the other, chocolates, ice cream, toys and so on.

Since they are seeing something new, or in some new place, or some one else doing something, they wish to do the same. But, this may not be good for kids and hence you want to avoid it. How to do that?

On our recent trip to Mahabaleshwar, we were 10 elders and 10 kids. We were having lunch at Mapro Garden. It was an open space and after having lunch, the kids were just playing about while the elders were waiting for their pizzas. Some kid saw people eating ice cream and got an idea of having an ice cream. The idea spread virally in the group and most of the kids (about 8-10 yrs olds) started demanding ice cream. Due to the weather, most parents wanted to avoid ice cream.

I asked the leader of the group of the kids that you have two options. Either to goto amusement park (which was planned for later that day) or have ice cream. Get the count of how many people want to goto amusement park and how many want an ice cream. Some of the parents chipped in with votes for ice cream and as expected all the kids voted for amusement park. The issue was resolved. The kids promptly forgot ice cream.

The main thing about this idea was not the example of showing carrots, but the fact that the kids got a challenge which they won. They managed to get more people to vote for Amusement park. Hence they were happy with the outcome.

Not only give them options, but also a task to get their favourite option win.