Traveling with kids can be hard and overwhelming. I think we can all agree that we want to do it. We want those wonderful childhood memories for our kids and beautiful memories for ourselves of our children in these magical places! As someone who as embraced traveling with my children from the time they were very young, here are my tips for traveling with kids without going crazy!
1. Choose the right type of trip. A River Cruise with lots of stops at historic sites where you will peruse museums, do some shopping and eat at fine dining establishments... this sounds lovely but a nightmare for young kids especially. I would suggest thinking about the types of things your children will enjoy and make that a priority. Keep in mind how busy you can realistically be given nap schedules etc and plan accordingly.
Things to Avoid with little ones : Adventure sports like ziplines, surfing, sailing, ropes courses, safaris etc.
If you have older kids on the other hand! Go for it! These are the types of things that older kids dreams are made of! My kids want adventure these days so I tend to plan things to get them out and moving!
Suggested Trips for littler kiddos: AirBnB near the beach where you can escape to the house for a nap or to get out of the sun. Theme park travel such as Disney or Legoland. Cruises. All Inclusive Resorts with kids clubs.
2. If your resort has one, utilize the kids clubs. Of course, do your research and feel the place out, but most of these places are super secure and have great staff. This way the kids can have their kind of fun, and you can go adventure or have some super nice dinners without stress. Now that our kids are older, we don't utilize these, but when the kids are little they are a life saver!
3. Know your kids. If you know your child gets sensory overload quickly, you may not enjoy going to a theme park like Disney. As much as it pains me to say, Disney is not for everyone. Some kids really have a hard time if they have sensory issues or are on the spectrum. Know what your child can handle.
4. Let the naps happen. Some kids will sleep anywhere! Mine were this type. If your kids are, go with it. Bring a stroller or plan your car riding around the naptime and let them nap while you are getting to your next destination.
5. Keep it fun. We try to do one kid "fun" thing each day. If were are going to some super stuffy museums, we make sure to sprinkle in a bike ride or something fun so that they never feel too bored. Now that they are getting older, this is getting easier. Our boys now enjoy museums as much as we do so its never an issue. I would argue that traveling with kids can be MORE fun because you will do things you wouldn't do on an "adult" trip. Let yourself be playful and childlike!
6 Let them help you plan. Letting them have a hand in the planning of your vacation is a sure fire way to get them excited and get the buy in for the activities. you can order visitor guides from different places, or let them peruse websites. Our boys love to look through pamphlets for areas we are planning to visit. If you know anyone in the area you are visiting you can have them send you a handful so they can get excited. When in Disney we let them help make our plan through the parks.
7 Remember your kids will still be your kids. If your kid cries when they are tired, he or she will still cry when they are tired. It is vacation not a lobotomy. Set your expectation to a realistic level and know that there will be hiccups.
8. If you are driving pack entertainment. We like to do road trip bags. I plan on doing an entire post for this, but briefly, you put one thing in a bag for each hour of your trip. This helps break up the time. Little things we like to pack are, card games, fidget style toys, snacks that they usually don't get to have such as fruit snacks, art supplies that are car friendly. Keep a look out for this post!
Remember, these are magical memories. Even the tough times when traveling can turn out to be a funny story a few months or years down the road! Each time we travel we have an opportunity to make a deposit in the memory banks of those little minds.
