Wanting to go on that amazing family vacation this year but not sure if you can handle it financially? Do you want to venture out from your normal routine and travel, but you aren’t sure if your kids can handle the change of scenery?
Our family loves to travel. We’ve always packed our kids up and have taken them with us whenever we felt the need for a weekend getaway for an annual summer vacation. It’s important to us to show our kids the world and how diverse it is.
Can I say that things are always pretty and we never have a melt down? No.
Can I say that my kids are so adaptable and always say “yes ma’am” when they don’t like the food that is prepared for them at the place we’re eating while out of town? No.
Can I say that my kids have learned a lot about different cultures, lifestyles, and people? YES!
And for that reason, thats why we travel.
We’ve learned some ways to save money here and there on vacations so it doesn’t end up costing us an arm and a leg. Also, we’ve found some great sites that help us save money and plan ahead. {that’s a different post, coming soon!}
I asked my friends if they travel with their children and if not, what holds them back from traveling. Here we go with 7 tips for traveling with kids.
1. “We love traveling with our children. I think a good theme is “Expect the Unexpected.” I think the biggest hang up we have (as parents) is we spend so much time planning and saving that we expect our kids to get that. and act accordingly. Not so much.” -Sami from SamiCone.com
**Don’t expect too much from your kids. If you do, the vacation will end up not being fun for everyone. Yes, it’s good to keep to your schedule as much as you can and understand they’ll be more wound up than usual, but give them some grace. It’s exciting for them too!**
2. “I think a lot of parents dread travelling with their kids because they’ll hear the inevitable “Are we there yet?” or the kids get too bored, or need too many potty breaks. (Having just one, we really don’t have a problem, as he’s always had to self-entertain.)” -LeAnn from MontessoriTidbits.com
**Allow them 3 times to ask “Are we there yet?” throughout the road trip or flight. That way you don’t hear it the entire trip. Also, take a handful of things for your kids to do to stay occupied while traveling. {again, another post coming soon on this topic}**
3. “We don’t have the money to travel much – or time off work for my husband. Our family is growing so, finding affordable accommodations for larger families and families with little ones is always a travel frustration for us. The kids are a piece of cake in comparison to that!” -Amanda from ThePelsers.com
**Try using sites such as Hotels.com and Hotwire.com for discount pricing on accommodations, flights, restaurants, and more! Also, check out SixSuitcaseTravel.com for discounts for the growing family.**
4. “We like to travel with our kids. We always pack a snack bag and a busy bag. Even though my kids are getting older, we still need those things. LOL We make sure we stop when needed and don’t make a big fuss if we have to stop more than planned. A big must for us is NO SUGARY drinks on a long drive. It goes right through them. Water only for long trips. It works best for us. As for money issues, we try to give them a budget and stick to it. This way they don’t want to buy something everywhere they stop. It gets expensive with 4 kids, but if you plan it right, it can be a really great trip! Wherever you may be going.” -Tara from The Trendy Treehouse
**Giving a budget and no sugary drinks on travel days are great tips for keeping your kids under control while traveling. Yes, it can be expensive, but like Tara said, if you plan enough ahead and save, and use the right resources, your trip can be affordable.**
5. “We love traveling with our children. We pack snack bags, blankets and pillows. We look forward to fun stops along the way and all of the things that take us down a path we never imagined. The car is one of the few places you can truly turn everything off and have all of those conversations you ‘mean’ to have at home – but get caught up in the chores, etc.” -Rebecca from Moms Mustard Seeds
**Leave most electronics at home if possible. It’s ok to bring the DS or iPad for a game or two here and there, but one of the great things about traveling in a car, is that you can turn off screens if needed and have conversations that you might not have at home.**
6. “Oh, Traveling together is one of our family’s favorite things to do! We always try to set aside tax refund money each year for travel. It can be expensive, but there are some things we do to minimize costs. 1) For our family of 8 it can be pricey to go to museums & such. We purchase a membership to our local science museum every year, and with it we can get reciprocal admission into many museums across the country. 2) A few weeks prior to leaving I will check Groupon & Living Social for dining & other deals for the destination city. 3) For cutting down food costs we always find a hotel that has free breakfast, and if you can find a Residence Inn or Homewood Suites they have free dinner as well – that saves a ton!” -Holly from iGoBoGo.com
**Always check Groupon.com for deals on the destination city and look for hotels with free breakfast.**
7. ” I think it’s a myth that large families can’t find hotels. We use a combination of Priceline.com and Six Suitcase Travel when we travel. It’s nice that Priceline doesn’t ask how many will be staying in your room” -Rachel from SurvivingTheStores.com
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