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My Way on the Highway
Easing the Tension When Traveling with Preteens
By Sue Marquette Poremba
They need a break from their parents. "We found that cell phones are a wonderful boon for this age," Pitesky says. "We can be in, say, a large bookstore and let the older child go off on her own to browse, knowing we can always find her easily by calling her.
Walkie talkies are also useful. When my son wanted to crash in the room and watch television after a long day, we took off for a half hour of adult time in the hotel lounge. He could reach us instantly, and we let him know when we were on our way back to the room so he could unlock the door.
"Avoid eating unhealthy fast foods and plying them with sugary snacks," says Mandel. "They will feel stressed and become more disagreeable. If the places you are visiting do not have preteen-friendly food, pack staples for them: peanut butter and whole wheat bread, oven-roasted meats like turkey breast, instant soups and pastas, etc.
Preteens aren't always content with "little kid" activities, and parents aren't always prepared for their child's "teenager" behavior. Kim Price of Rootstown, Ohio, took her stepdaughter and several nieces and nephews on a trip to Myrtle Beach. "The younger children played games in the hotel room and played happily in the sand while we were on the beach," Price says. On the other hand, her preteen nieces were more interested in flirting with boys from their hotel's balcony or going to the nearby amusement park.