We have all seen the Instagram posts showing a beautiful family, frolicking at a vacation local in the sun-kissed light of early evening? Do they tell you that the beautiful evening was interrupted with whining or a tantrums,?? Traveling with kids is it worth it?
After my recent European tour that was both wonderful and challenging at the same time, I feel more than ever that traveling with kids is hard (but I believe it’s worth it).
Here’s a little breakdown of my experience, and why I think it’s worth it.
Tips for Traveling with Different ages:
Having kids of such varying ages it was very hard to find activities that satisfied everyone. Trading off and taking shifts was effective. But we also spend a lot of time trying to juggle 
interests to keep everyone happy.
- Talk ahead of time, before a specific destination has been planned. Ask each family member whether this destination and the possible activities could be of interest.
- Explain to each family member that they each have a say in the situation, but that there will be compromises from time to time.
- Accept that disagreements will arise. Try to come to a consensus that can appeal to the majority of family members. While there needs to be a set destination, allow for flexibility once at the location in terms what activities are planned.
Toddlers
Most parents would probably agree that this is the hardest time to travel with kids. My biggest struggle to adjust was that there was no use in being in a hurry with a toddler–if he wanted to stop and inspect a leaf for 10 minutes, or play in a fountain, he would.
Kids
Although our middle son is older and no longer requires extensive time to inspect leafs and such, he found many things “boring.” It seemed that the plan for the days need to center around keeping him stimulated. Which is no easy feat for his generation of YouTube obsessed Ipaders. Toddlers can be distracted more easily but older ones cannot be fooled, and seem to need constant stimulation.
Teenagers
While teenagers are known to be moody, lazy and obsessed with social media, they’re also the ones who can make or break a family vacation.
We are fortunate enough to be blessed with a well-adjusted mature teenager. There weren’t the typical teenage concerns surrounding friends, irresponsibility, or general hating being with the parental units…. However the occasional butted heads or meltdowns did happen (as they will). We tried to move on as quickly as possible, hoping the less we dwelled on them, the less she would too.
Ultimately it usually came down to a combination of lack of sleep, due to the heat. Exasperation by close quarters, and hunger or bathroom needs…. All solvable issues but amplified when tempers are short and moods are big.
My biggest advice for all ages
Have lots of snacks and goodies available. The first 10 days or so of our European tour, our youngest freaked out if he couldn’t have his milk. The first day in Paris we were not prepared. I didn’t have the milk with us while we were out and about. In the middle of a toddler tantrum we ended up stopping at a café in Paris and paying 6 euros for a glass of milk ($9.10 CND). A costly rookie mistake but lesson learned.
When kids and adults are restless, it may be partly due to hunger. Make sure to have snacks easily accessible, particularly on longer drives or train rides. This can help to soothe a kid’s temper or help an adult feel less fatigued. Pack a variety of things like:
- Healthy snacks such as fruit slices, carrots, nuts, and granola bars
- Sweet treats like cookies, candy, and fruit snacks
- Filling foods like sandwiches, cheese, and crackers and sandwich meat
- Drinks such as water, juice, and in our case milk.
…And in the adults case wine goes a long way….just saying. 😉
Is it worth it?
Yes, it is. Travel exposes them to nature and other cultures helping to build their sense of responsibility and global awareness, among other things. Plus, as a family, we benefit from creating special memories and having time to bond.
It’s inevitable that one kid will not pose! But the rest of us look happy because we really were happy!
Balancing family and travel is hard. In fact, balancing just about anything with kids is hard. Despite the occasionally and inevitable, short tempers and big moods, which families seem to save exclusively for each other. Its 100% worth it.
And you? Every child and every family is different, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your challenges traveling with kids? And is it worth it?
