The Secret to Traveling with Kids

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone tell me that they’re so jealous of all the traveling we do with our kids.

When I tell them they should do it too, they quickly follow up with a long list of reasons for why they could never. At the top of the list is usually a general fear of how it would play out with their particular family.

I get it. I’ve had times when I’ve had my own list depending upon the season of our life.

Sean and I always imagined a life filled with travel and adventure with our kids. With Seven we lived it.

Then Serai came and we got scared. Bless her, she was just so much more unpredictable than her brother and that, combined with the logistics of traveling with two, seemed so much more daunting.

We’ve now doubled that daunting number of travel companions and here’s what we’re learning…

There will always be something about life seems daunting.

There will always be something that makes your dreams seem like they have to wait. There will always be uncertainties, things that need your attention elsewhere, other places to allocate funds, or the chance that that fun time you dreamed of could end up being really miserable in practical application.

We all have our reasons for why it won’t work, but if traveling with your family is something you really want for your life, there’s no amount of reasons that should ultimately stand in your way. If you really want the life you dream of then you just have to do it. You just have to start living it right now.

Will there be sacrifices that have to be made? Almost certainly. Will there be times when it feels scary? Yes.

But don’t let fear be the thing that keeps you from the dreams you have for your life and your family.

Those people you see out there doing the things you wish you could do — most of them are scared too, or at least they were at some point along the way.

Like I said, we’ve been scared to travel with our kids. We still are depending upon the circumstances! :) We aren’t exceptional, and our kids aren’t exceptional either. They are not especially endowed with patience or resistance to throwing fits in an exhaustion-induced toddler rage.

They are very much like your kids, and we’re very much like you.

We’re also terrified that it will be us with the inconsolable toddler on the flight. (It’s one of my top 5 non-tragic worst nightmares ever, actually.)

We approach the possible outcomes to disruptions to our sleep schedule with fear and trembling, just like you.

We don’t always know how things are going to shake out either, and try to prepare ourselves for disaster.

The only difference between us, and the families who say they could never, is that we just do. That’s the secret. We prioritize, we work hard, we sacrifice…and then we jump in and just do it.

If you tell yourself something is impossible for you, if you say you can’t – then you never will.

The families doing the things you wish you were doing are making it happen because they gave themselves permission, and they jumped in even though there was uncertainty.

There is no reason you can’t start being one of those families today.

Don’t wait for the “right” time or circumstances, because they may never come and life passes quickly.

So take the trip! Go on the adventure!

Might you go down in a blaze of glory? Probably not. Will there be bumps along the way? Probably, yes.

But, chances are it will be great, and you and your family will walk away with amazing memories to last a lifetime.

For practical tips on traveling with kids, check out these posts:

Road tripping in an RV with kids

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