Tag: #travel #mommystories #parenting #airplane #airport #toddler #travel #adventureswithmom #wanderlust #havekidswilltravel #humor #travelingtots

Why travel with kids?

 

Between the long car ride, even longer flights, packing, unpacking, upsetting a child’s routine, missing school, potential dangers and so on… the list of reasons not to travel is long. We’ve also been criticized for not taking kid-friendly trips (read – Disney… but we are working on that). And, what’s the point of going through all of this when the kids will forget most of it?

For me, the answer is simple… I want the foundation of their thinking to be rooted in the notion that the world is so much bigger than their town in their state in their country. I want the connections in their developing minds to form on whispers in different languages and footsteps on ancient relics.

 

I want them to hear the music of different nations, to see art and to experience the culture of worlds near and far.

 

I want them to experience the wonder of nature. To feel snow and dessert. To splash in waves and to climb. I want them to explore.

 

I want them to know that our town in our state in our country in our world are amazing and filled with places to play and people to meet…

 

Trips Included in this Post:

Scotland – August 2016

Lake Placid and Montreal – December 2016

Florida – February 2017

Vermont – February 2017

France, Switzerland – March 2017

Las Vegas, Iowa, Chicago – April 2017

Sleepy Hollow, Upstate NY – May 2017

Greece – June 2017

Contact for more information or suggested itineraries.

 

 

The “Getting There”

We love to travel, but let’s be honest getting there sucks. What I’ve learned is that you have to leave your expectations at home. On those long-haul international flights that you expect a TV, ya won’t get one… but on that 1 1/2 hour flight, you will have a TV and charging station.

I also learned that having a child that was easily lulled to sleep by the simple start of jet engines, doesn’t mean they all are. There are kids (ZAC) that could be exhausted and almost asleep walking onto the plane only to kick into hyper-speed the moment those engines purr.

So what do I do… 1. Don’t EXPECT anything and 2. Bring everything that you can carry and not an ounce more!

Below is my carryon packing list:

  1. At least one pair of headphones per person, then a backup.
  2. Portable DVD player with a few movies.
  3. IPAD
  4. Computer
  5. Phone *I’ve been on flights that stream entertainment via free, but limited wifi so have the Gogo Entertainment App ready to use. Then be ready to hand your phone to your toddler the entire flight while you watch the Spongebob movie on the portable dvd player.
  6. Snacks, obviously or so you’d think. Silly me assumed that we could just buy food at the airport until I had a showdown on the candy aisle with an angry two-year-old. Let me just tell you, one of us left crying and it wasn’t him. (Thank goodness for in-flight beverages).
  7. A sense of humor. Don’t even bother packing your sanity, cause you’re going to loose it but if you can step back an laugh when the flight attendant suggest Benadryl next time – you’ll be fine.

With that said, I always try to be considerate of the others on the plane. I let Jake and Zac torture me, but I stop them from being loud, bouncing around and kicking the seats in front of them… Or at least I try (we can all have goals).

Getting there may not be the best but being there is.