Tips to Make the Most of Every Family Vacation

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by our friends at Chloraseptic®. All opinions expressed by me about the brand are true, and my own. 

In my corner of the world, where we enjoy four very diverse seasons, we win the prize for winter. Embracing chilly temps, snow, and ice almost feels like part of our DNA makeup. That said, as spring approaches, we welcome a week or two of sunny vacation, just like anybody.

I work hard all year-long for those coveted few weeks that seem to make the hustle and bustle of everyday life worthwhile. Quality time away might be spent in a cozy log cabin at the base of a ski hill, or a beachside room in the Caribbean, with easy access to the pool bar. Either way, vacations prove so important for bonding as a family, for achieving work/life balance, and so much more. I know I’m not alone.

No matter what one’s ideal vacation looks like, getting sick is definitely dead last on everyone’s list of “things to do” over hard-earned, well-deserved time away.

But sometimes, new climates, different foods, and stubborn viruses spoil a vacation. Even getting to where we’re going poses a threat to our immune systems, especially when travelling with kids – who touch everything! – I shudder just thinking about the planet’s worth of viruses that occupy the airport!

Not to mention, I’m no stranger to bad luck. I once had to miss my flight home due to being stuck in a hotel room with gastro, I was pushed around Disney World in a wheelchair my first trip there, and I passed out due to sun stroke on a trip down south! Now, I say: “better safe than sorry” and improve my family’s chances of enjoying time off from school and work as we approach a vacation by:

• increasing our hand-washing and use of hand sanitizers
• disinfecting high-touch surfaces more frequently
• making sure our immune systems stay strong with nutritious food and healthy activity
• avoiding high-traffic public areas leading up to our vacation

I also pack a simple first-aid kit to bring along on vacation with us, just in case. It includes:

• stick-on bandages of all sizes for cuts, scrapes, or blisters
• elastic wraps for sprains or strains
• tweezers for splinters
• thermometer
• ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain or fever
• antihistamine for allergic reactions
• motion-sickness and anti-nausea medication
• anti-diarrhea medicine
• aloe vera gel for sunburn
• antibacterial ointment
• antacid tablets
• calamine lotion
• anti-itch hydrocortisone cream
• cold and flu medicine
• Chloraseptic® sore throat spray

Safe for kids over the age of 3, with parental supervision, Chloraseptic® is the #1 pharmacist-recommended brand for sore throat liquids/sprays.

Everyone in our family likes the taste of Cherry-flavored Chloraseptic® fast-acting sore throat spray, but the Menthol flavor works just as well relieving sore throat pain – fast. For those who prefer lozenges, Chloraseptic®’s Max Wild Berry Lozenge also targets the pain right when it hurts, right where it hurts. Lozenges can be used for ages 6+.

Vacations exist to be enjoyed – sightseeing, relaxing, visiting, playing, eating, shopping. Don’t miss a single moment of your hard-earned time off feeling unwell. Pack wisely and happy travels!

Featured image photo credit: Choreograph/Thinkstock. Ski holiday: wojciech_gajda/Thinkstock. Kids making sand castle: Purestock/Thinkstock. Little boy: romrodinka/Thinkstock. Family on beach: Purestock/Thinkstock.

Natalie Rea

Mom to two amazing daughters - a feisty teen in middle school, and an ambitious young adult in university. Originally from Montréal's West Island, I now explore the beautiful trails of Hamilton, Ontario. Proud Canadian, vegetarian, dog-adopter, & bleeding-heart liberal. I smile a lot because I have Resting Bitch Face.