Travel With Your Kids - It's Worth It!

Many people believe a vacation is not a vacation if you have your kids tagging along. While I will agree it is definitely not the same as a relaxing vacation with your husband or friends, it is still a vacation that is well worth the time, energy and, sometimes, stress.

We have been traveling with our kids since they were very young. We took many vacations before our oldest was two years old. In fact, we have some interesting stories to tell of road trips gone haywire, where kids were fighting and crying in the back, or the time one of our kids threw-up all over himself and carseat and we had to stop in a parking lot and clean him and his carseat, before we could continue the road trip with the slight smell of puke in the back. Yeah, there were definitely some crazy vacations.

However, despite the craziness, we have always enjoyed the memories and adventures we have taken with our kids.

Not once, have we regretted taking a vacation.

It may be more work.

It may be less relaxing.

It may be stressful.

But in the end those experiences are becoming a part of your children, even if they are too young to remember every detail. And they are becoming a part of you, too. You are growing and becoming a different person because of those moments as well.

If you are nervous about vacationing with your kids. Start small.

Take a short weekend trip to test the waters. The more you travel with your kids, the more confident you will be and the more prepared you can be for those crazy moments. Starting small means you can always head home if things get out of control. But don't let one time ruin it forever. Try again and hope for the best. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

Some people prefer to plan each day to the hour, knowing exactly what will happen at each point. However, our preference, especially with kids, is to make a list of different activities you would like to experience while you are there. Having a list will make planning the day much easier, as you can figure out what will work with the weather, moods, etc., without taking hours to search. And if things get a bit crazy you can quickly punt and pick something else.

Before you go, pick a few things your kids will need for comfort; blanket, stuffy, book, etc.. Having something from home will help them adjust to the change in scenery and sleeping arrangements. While sleeping in a new place can be exciting for some kids, others need more to help them sleep while away from home. You want to be prepared for the latter so you can do your best to accomodate any issues that may lead to lack of sleep.

In the evenings, we tend to have wind down time with the kids. We eat dinner, play games or watch a movie. Brian and I grab a drink and unwind as well. This may be the only relaxing time in the day so be sure you take advantage of it when you can.

While traveling with kids can be stressful, these are memories you and they will cherish for the rest of your lives. These adventures are what will mold them into the beautiful humans God created.

Take the time to travel with your kids, I bet you will enjoy it in a totally different way, and it will be a wonderful memory.