Do you wish you could travel more but you have little kids? People think that having little kids means that they have to give up travel. They’ve either been told this by friends and family or have had a rough trip and swore to never do that again until the kids are grown. While traveling with kids can be tough, it can also be very rewarding!
Imagine hiking down a path in the woods and as you round a bend, there it is! A waterfall! Now imagine the look on your child’s face as they discover this beautiful scene. Or maybe you are in a new city exploring a museum when they stumble across a hands-on exhibit. Not only are they learning something, but they are actually enjoying it! Possibly, you are more of beach family and your little one enjoys splashing in the waves before taking a nice long nap while you enjoy the quiet time. Let’s not forget about Disney! A place designed specifically for families with young kids where there is magic waiting around every turn.
Now you’re saying, “That sounds great, but …” Cue the excuses.
Planning ahead is the biggest tip I can give. Do you love museums? Look at that museum website before you go. They may have ideas to help little ones enjoy themselves. Maybe you love the night life, try hiring a local sitter who comes to your hotel room while you go enjoy the night life.
Things to consider when planning your trip:
Destination Matters
Yes, travel looks a little different when you are including little ones. The key is to figure out a way to make everyone in your traveling party happy. For example, I spent 2 weeks on a road trip in Europe with kids ages 16, 13 and 7. My 16 year old was a budding artist, so for her, we visited the Louvre. Yes, I took a 7 year old to the Louvre. To make it fun, you can often ask an employee for tips or possibly even a scavenger hunt. If you plan ahead, you can even create a scavenger hunt as part of your planning process. Later on that same trip in Austria, we found a place that had a 4 story indoor playground. All three of the kids loved it! The 16 year old enjoyed playing like a little kid again and of course, my 7 year old wanted to live there forever.
Check out this post about about choosing the perfect destination.
Plan Ahead
Be sure to look at the attraction websites before you go. Maybe your child isn’t old enough or doesn’t meet the requirements for your chosen activity. No one likes to show up excited about an adventure only to be turned away because a member of your party doesn’t meet a height requirement. Maybe you have been dreaming of seeing a show, but we all know that it’s tough for a 3 year old to enjoy a musical. Why not find out if your resort has a list of trusted sitters you can hire? Or maybe they have a kids club and you can catch a matinee. Maybe you are a foodie tired of only eating at places that offer happy meals. Why not find a restaurant that has some outdoor seating or download a new show/movie for your child to watch while you eat as a special treat.
Speaking of food, make sure you pack some favorite snacks in your day bag. Nothing ruins your day more than a hangry child. We have a child that has food allergies. To make our travels less stressful, we always carry safe snacks for her so that she can keep her energy up even if we can’t find a restaurant that can accommodate her. This also applies to your airport days. You never know when a flight will be delayed or they run out of the free cookies on board. Having a favorite snack can help you avoid a meltdown.
Lodging Matters
Have you ever walked into a hotel room and thought, “I’m so glad that this is only for one night.”? I have. That’s when I realized a little bit of research and reading reviews can really make a huge difference. I once booked a cheap hotel as a stop off for the night during a road trip without doing any research. Turns out that it was located next to a dirt track and we had the privilege of listening to the dirt track races until the early hours of the morning. I guess that’s why it was cheap for a Friday night. Had I spent a little time researching, I would have found this out and might have chosen a different place for the night.
Maybe it’s important for you to have a space for your child to sleep while you relax in the evening. Maybe you only need a place to sleep after a long day of adventure. Or maybe you have a child with food allergies so having lodging that allows you to do some cooking might make the trip not only possible, but less stressful.
Check out this post about things to consider when choosing your lodging.
Bring the Necessities
This will look vary different for each family. For some families, it’s as simple as bringing the favorite blanket or stuffed friend your child can’t sleep without. Other families might need a sound machine so that it drowns out the normal hotel sounds. A stroller might be a must have for your family. Or maybe you plan to doing some baby-wearing, if so, make sure you have the correct pack or wrap for whoever will be wearing the baby. You might be one of the families that needs to bring along medical equipment such as a nebulizer or special feeding equipment. No matter what it is, trust me, your trip will go better if you remember all those must have items.
Be Realistic
If you’re like my husband, he likes to make the most out of every waking moment in a trip. From sun up to after sun down, he wants to experience everything the new location has to offer. While that might work when it’s just the 2 of us, it really does not work when it’s the whole family. Even now, with adult children who join us, that touring style does not work for them.
For the last few years, my adult son has been hesitant to take a trip with his dad because their trip styles were very different. After discussing the issue with my husband and coming up with a more realistic plan to include everyone’s style, we started planning a trip for the entire family. We ended up with 2 vehicles for the trip. This allowed my husband to go out with anyone who was awake and ready to start the adventure. Later in the morning, I drove the second vehicle for those who were not morning people. In the evenings, the same scenario happened in reverse. I drove those who were done for the day back to our lodging while my husband stayed to continue the adventure. Being realistic about everyone’s needs allowed the entire family to have time together while still allowing for those who needed the extra sleep or quiet time. Everyone agreed that they enjoyed this compromise.
Be Flexible
We all know that life doesn’t always go as planned. That happens on trips too. You might have planned on your child being able to nap in the stroller everyday. But when you actually get going, you find your child is too stimulated to nap as you continue your day. In this case, maybe you need to take a mid-day break someplace quiet so they can nap. Or maybe it means you cut your days shorter so that your child can go to bed earlier than normal.
While planning ahead is often the best thing you can do for a successful trip. Sometimes, even the best plans need to be modified due to unforeseen circumstances. We once planned a trip to Disney World and were planning to meet with grandma and grandpa. On day 2 of our trip, our 4 year old developed double ear infections. So we pivoted our plans to include more resort time resting and playing games instead of the original plan to visit the parks each day. While it wasn’t the trip we planned, we all enjoyed the time together and memories were made.
Traveling with little ones might not look like it used to, but it can be an amazing experience full of unforgettable memories for you and your little one!
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