Travel with Kids - Why You Need To Make It Happen

Joel: No catchy title. We wanted the reader to know what they are signing up for in reading this article. Number one, should you travel with kids? Yes, but there are things you can do to make it more enjoyable for everyone.

Emily: Backstory - we both love to travel. We did as individuals prior to marriage, while we dated, and since we’ve been married. While we believe there will always be a time and place for getaways as a couple to recharge and reconnect, we see so much value in bringing them along for the ride most of the time. We have not viewed our children as a barrier to experiences we want to have. We have been traveling with our kids since they were all infants. We started with in-state trips to visit Joel’s family and state wrestling tournaments. Within a few years, and a few kids, we progressed to out of state ski and beach trips. Each trip, we honed our skills a little more to make traveling with kids enjoyable for all. A good friend planted the mindset seed early on to integrate the kids into what we love to do, not to wait or put our passions on hold. That's exactly what we do. Thanks for that amazing advice, Becky! That said, it does look a lot different. We’re not traveling at the same pace or trying to cram as much into as little time as possible. It’s slowed down a bit and the goal has shifted a bit to sharing in moments of joy and working through moments of challenges together. 

Joel: I am a big idea kind of guy. Set the goal, achieve the goal. Plan to go here, take the fastest route to get there. When traveling with kids, this is not the way to do it. Emily is very good at gently reminding me to slow down. The other day in Cuba, when I was in a hurry to get to our destination, I almost missed the joy of the kids discovering massive slugs on the sidewalk. Take time to view the experience through your children’s eyes. Shut down your task-oriented brain and tap into their natural awe and curiosity. Special moments will happen when you're not paying for them to happen. Our best memories in Cuba were our cheapest ones! 

Emily: In the same vein, let’s slow down the article. Before we leave, I engage the kids in the planning and preparation process as is appropriate for their ages, and to be honest, as time allows. For smaller trips, they pack their own bags. Sometimes I give them a list and sometimes I am more hands on. If they forget socks - they borrow someone else’s. On rare occasions, we buy what we need when we get there. For bigger trips, I am much more involved to make sure everyone is comfortable. I will never forget the salient memory of cold, wet feet in Ireland as a college student; unmet basic needs can make an incredible experience a little less enjoyable. I try to anticipate meeting basic needs then plan for needed items efficiently to limit discomfort like cold, wet feet without overpacking. More stuff packed is more stuff to manage. For every trip, I let the kids pick a few meaningful items. The boundary for this is either what fits in their bag after their “needed” items are packed, or if it’s a bigger trip, I give them a small bag and they can bring anything that fits within that (e.g. quart sized ziploc bag). I also ask them for snack and treat requests ahead of time. Sometimes we go to the store, other times  I put it on a list and shop solo, I have also let them add what they want to a pick-up order. The goal is to engage them in the process to build their skills and to make them feel like an important part of the preparation process. 

Joel: In terms of planning the trip, you cannot completely keep the agenda open. It helps to have a few big ideas taken care of. For instance, travel dates, locations, and where you are going to stay should be taken care of prior to your journey. But what are you going to do each day? Where are you going to eat? Don’t sweat it. 

Emily: We like to do lots of research ahead of time to have an array of ideas, but not have much “set in stone” to allow for naturally occurring opportunities. Some of our most cherished memories when traveling have been those that happened organically - like restaurants recommended by the locals and stops along the road that weren’t in any blog article or guidebook. 

Joel: We are currently traveling with five babies. They’re ages 10, 8, 6, 1 and our newest we will meet in November. A strategy that has been very successful for us during travel with kids is to schedule one thing a day. When we focus on one activity per day, that allows us time to get there without feeling rushed and is not too overwhelming for the kids. 

Emily: Then, if we feel up for more, we do more! Exhausted kids and parents usually aren’t enjoying themselves, each other, or their surroundings. To geek out a little, the survival “downstairs brain” isn’t a good place to be operating if you want any learning or happy memories to occur. Less on the agenda is best to keep everyone in their thinking, “upstairs” brains.

Joel: Listen to your kids. Their idea and your idea about what to do that day are not always in alignment. When we have taken on too much, our kids will tell us. They either tell us with their words or their behavior. Slow down and listen. Our six year old came to us during our Cuba trip and told us that today was a lot for her and she was tired. Listen, don't push ahead!

Emily: I’ll add - our kids rarely have the words to tell us unless they are loving it. We have to be good at reading their non verbals. Along with this, we like to give them choices and say in the agendas ahead of time and during the trips. The key is making sure they’re all choices you’re ok with! 

Joel: “Why not wait until they can remember it?” All five of our babies are ten and under. Our traveling while they are this age is creating a family culture. One that values difference. A culture that is open to new foods, new people, and new experiences. Having these attitudes do not just happen. They have to be developed. Eamonn, our lovable one year old, is very comfortable meeting new people. Yesterday, we were invited into our Cuban neighbor's house. She is an older woman who he calls, “nanny.” She held him and he was content!

Emily: These experiences are creating their core. Just like your kids will not remember every book read to them, every song you sang together, or every meal they’ve had around the dinner table, it is undeniable that those are all good, healthy experiences for our children on all developmental levels. Along with this, as much as we love to travel, we also love our home and our village. Our home, family, and friends provide stability and support to feel grounded and connected. We also want to spread our wings, get uncomfortable, and expose ourselves to the incredible world outside of our beautiful home base in Iowa. 

Joel: This brings up another strong point on why to travel with kids. Kids and babies are universally relatable. Our five in tow have opened so many rich experiences that we would not have had if it were not for them. One of our favorite things to do in Havana is to walk in the streets. Our family has brought a lot of joy to many people here. I have also mastered the phrase, “muchos niños - muy loco” which is always greeted by laughter. Due to food insecurities in Cuba, babies are not common. The average family has less than two children, so seeing four with a fifth on the way is very unusual. We are met with much amazement and curiosity, which in turn has opened so many doors.

Emily: These moments are great for our learning and our kids’ learning, too. These moments have lead to so many conversations, like why families here only have one or maybe two children, what food insecurity is and what that might feel like, etc. These conversations would not be as rich or perhaps not happen at all if we were not faced with them head on through interactions in real life. Our goal is that these moments are creating our kids’ core to be empathetic and open minded to the reality that people live in so many different ways. 

Joel: Yes there will be magical moments and no they will not all be magical. While in Cuba, we all got sick. Read our next article to see how we have managed some unpredictable moments and how that’s had shaped how we *try* to plan ahead for them. 

Takeaways: 

1. Establish your why. 

2. Keep doing what you love, adjusted.

3. Slow down and enjoy the ride. 
   

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.