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Kids have their own personalities and needs and wants and you ignore
these at your own peril. On one memorable trip we took through northern
Italy by car, our 3 year old announced on Day Two that she didn’t want
to get in the car again. Surrounded by Tuscan villas and sun-dappled
eateries, we spent the next few days sitting at the pool.
We have
come to an uneasy peace with our travel desires, refusing still to
quit, but alert to how travel has to change based on the different ages
of our kids. Here are a few things we learned along the way:
Traveling with Little Kids
Young kids are tough. Both too young to remember the “memorable,”
once-in-a-childhood must-see destinations like D.C. and the Grand
Canyon, they need to be constantly entertained, or drugged into
submission with video or game consoles.
Here, we have had good luck with resort and cruise holidays. Family
resorts usually have kid clubs available for kids over 4. Dads can get
a break from focused pool vigilance and maybe even a little midday
snuggle time with the spouse even if you’re stuck in a one-room
courtyard view hotel room. Cruise prices haven’t been lower in years,
some around $150 per day and also have full time childcare facilities
almost always included in the price of the trip. While the purpose of
a family trip is to spend time with the family and I never advocate
splitting up the group for very long, preserve family sanity by
planning a few babysitting options.
Traveling with Bigger Kids
Kids six through twelve are in the golden years of family travel. They
are still interested in what you have to say, will remember key parts
of the trip, and can teach you things you’ve long ago forgotten because
they actually are studying subject matter in school. If your son or
daughter is just learning about U.S. history and our government, now is
the time for a trip to Washington D.C. Travel the country’s parks if
your child is into science and nature. And now is a good time for that
tour of ballparks if you have a pint-sized sports nut in the house. There will never be a better time for making memories and deepening
your relationship with your child than time spent doing and seeing
things you both can be passionate about.
Summertime travel can sometimes feel like a sacrifice when each person
can’t get exactly what he wants. Travel dynamics and logistics are not
nearly as easy as when you were a couple without kids. But like a lot
of things in life with kids, if you look at children as an opportunity
rather than as an obstacle, you can find things to do together that are
made even more special because you are seeing things through their eyes.
To read travel tips for dads with teens, click Travel Tips for Dads with Teens
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