Mixing it Up and Relaxing on Family Vacation

IN OUR TRAVEL with children we have noticed that one thing is a constant: our boys are instantly attracted to other families traveling with children, too. So we get the opportunity to meet many families and briefly discuss their travel for the simple fact that it is too awkward to just stand there while our kids stare at their kids or their children’s toys. This is also interesting, because it gives us a peek of how other parents approach the family travel experience. And we recently got that chance to connect with other traveling families in the last couple of weeks vacationing in Florida.

I watch many parents with tight control over what their children are allowed to see and do while traveling and I know that they are not taking full advantage of the travel opportunity. Whether you travel to another area of the state or across the country it's expensive so ensure you are getting full return on your investment! Travel is about getting out of the box of normalcy and children should be allowed to spread their wings and stretch out into the world.

Spread your wings and fly little one!

Traveling with children, especially young ones, is an adventure no matter what the destination. I am proud to say that our 4-year old is a fantastic traveler for his age and our 14-month son is learning to be. His personality seems to be a little bit impatient. He has no words to fully communicate what he needs but he appears to be learning what travel is all about with every new trip and travel experience that he is exposed to.

Pawn to rook four, bro!

We are at the end of a 2-week trip with our sons that took us from the Capitol City of Alaska across the entire country to the Sunshine State. In our family travel approach we safely attempt to expose them to everything we can. We cannot help but focus on activities that pertain to children but we also include adult activities to make this exposure more comprehensive and foundation building for their future.

Turtles!

This past week we visited a turtle farm and it was a very enjoyable for the entire family. Our oldest also really enjoyed watching a hairy (human) chest competition so much so he pointed out the winner to me at lunch the next day! Yes, this is what happens on some Caribbean cruises - kids mesmerized by a full production, singing and dancing show that many children would not sit still for, while Dad and Mom were happy to be engaged in a more adult activity.

Fountain gazing: a favorite activity for all ages... 

When traveling having a good routine can be a challenge. Moving from hotel room to hotel room in a short time span can be challenging. There are always unforeseen challenges, of course, but knowing where the known challenges are in our travel plans prepares us to prepare our sons about what's ahead. We approach the entire activity as an adventure and keep on repeating our travel mantra often: “this is all part of the adventure.”