Sometimes parents can get a little stressed out about their kids traveling, no matter how old their kid happens to be, or the fact you’re going to a 1st world country with full travel insurance! Here are some tips for keeping your parents calm about your travel plans.

1. Show them how to check your flight arrival using basic Google search i.e., just putting your flight number into Google (example). Practice this with them a few times. This will allow them to track the progress of your flight. Keep in touch with them via txt message or email on your travel days, where possible. Just letting them know you’re making your connections and when you’ve arrived safely will help put their minds at rest.

2. Show them pictures of where you’re staying.

Parents who are used to staying in $200-300 a night hotels sometimes assume that if you are staying somewhere that’s $40-$100 a night then it must be a roach invested ghetto.

Video calling can be grainy and not really show them how nice somewhere is. So, get in the habit of sending them photos of your room, your bed, the pool area, your street and the outside of the hotel.

3. Email them your flight and hotel confirmations.

TripIt can be a great way of organizing these (just the free version). I like to allow it to scan my emails and collate my trip information.

However, no matter how simple Trip It is, some parents like you to just forward them your booking emails, especially for your flights and the first few nights accommodation. It’s a good idea for someone to know where you’re staying at all times anyway.

4. Have a communication plan.

Set your parents up with a free calling app. from an international broadband service. Select one where, if you both have the app, you can call each other for free. Take them through the process of making an international phone call for any times when they want to ring you on your international number.

Again, no matter how simple it is, parents can be slow learners when it comes to technology so be patient with them and expect to need to show them, oh fifty thousand times.

Make sure the app you go with is compatible with your phone and their’s e.g., both Android, iphone, and Windows. Yes, my mother in law has a Windows phone, just to make things complicated (but not really since plenty of apps work on all 3 platforms).

Give them the phone numbers and addresses of any friends you’re planning to visit.

5. Don’t do dumb things.

For your sake and their’s, don’t do dumb things. Make sure they know that you only take taxis with seatbelts, that you don’t take boats that don’t have lifejackets, and that you don’t hire a scooter when you don’t know how to drive a scooter and don’t have a motorbike license. You will see other travelers doing these dumb things left, right, and centre, but it doesn’t mean you should.

Make sure they have a copy of your travel insurance documents and convey to them that you have read your policy and won’t be doing things like adventure sports that aren’t covered.