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Taking your kids on a business trip is never ideal. But it is sometimes necessary. Fortunately, you can make the process easier with some forward planning and asking for advice.
Book Child-Friendly Places
If you’re flying with your children, make sure you can all sit together. Also, if you are flying business class, make sure that your child can sit with you. You don’t want to book your trip only to find out that you can’t sit together or that your child can’t fly with you because of some silly airline policy. Also, the same might be true for hotels at American destinations. Some might not be okay for children, so check to see if they have services for kids, such as a daycare center.
Plan Your Time Well
When you book your trip, one of the best things you can do is give yourself a lot of extra time to get where you need to go. If you have a meeting or need to be at work, try to get there earlier than scheduled. That way, it will be much easier to find your way around, and you won’t be as stressed out when you travel. If you plan well, you might even be able to turn a business trip into a short vacation. If so, you can spend the weekend in the city and maybe hang out with the kids.
Ask Your Boss Before
When talking to the boss, a lot of people neglect to ask about policies. But you need to let them know because you don’t want to break any rules. They may have ideas, know of resources, or be able to talk about their own business problems when taking the kids on trips. Also, depending on how well you know your coworkers or potential clients, you could even ask them for ideas on where the kids might have fun if they already know of the place you are traveling to.
Do Only What You Can
There’s no doubt that traveling with kids can quickly become stressful. But with work to do, it’s more important to think about what you can do than what you can’t. Try not to work too much or take on too much while you are traveling. And show the kids how you do your job while you spend time with them. You might even meet and get to know other business travelers who have their children with them. Meaning your kids and theirs can get along and make friends.
Book an Apartment to Cut Food Costs
Food is one of the biggest expenses when you travel, especially with kids. The average American spends around $33 per day on vacation. You can save money and get some rest by ordering in or buying groceries if you have an apartment hotel. This way, you won’t have to worry about taking the kids to a restaurant or paying a lot of money. This will help save on personal costs, but also save the company some expenses that really can be avoided.
Summary
You can take the kids on a business trip if you need to. And you can make it easier by booking child-friendly accommodations, planning your time correctly, and saving on food with apartments.
P.S. This post contains affiliate links.
