Once you’ve had kids, you might worry that taking a family vacation can’t possibly be as fun as it was before you had kids. And while your life before kids likely was a lot easier and more stress-free when it comes to travel, it is completely possible to have an amazing vacation even when you’re toting around your little ones. To show you how you can do this too, here are three tips that will help you in planning a kid-friendly vacation.
Figure Out Your Priorities
While you might have previously been able to plan multiple activities each day on your other vacations, taking vacations with kids will require you to start to prioritize a little more. Depending on the ages of your children, you might only have a few good hours in them each day when they aren’t hungry, napping, or otherwise preoccupied. Knowing this, Sally Black, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you create some “must-do” lists for the places you’re considering visiting on your family vacation. Try to keep this list small so you don’t wind up being disappointed if you’re not able to squeeze absolutely everything in when also trying to deal with your young kids.
Plan Your Flights Wisely
For many families, it’s the actual travel to their destination that brings about a lot of the problems with taking their kids on vacation. So to help shift the odds a little more in your favor, you’re going to want to plan your flights very carefully. According to Bob Payne, a contributor to Parents.com, you may want to try to fly on traditionally slower days, which include the middle of the week. Also, try to not be able to board or deboard a plane around your child’s nap time, as he or she might be particularly unhappy if his or her normal sleep is interrupted. And if you can avoid airports that are known to be very busy, you might be able to save both yourself and your kids some stress during the whole flight and airport process.
Stick With What’s Age Appropriate
Although you might have always dreamed of going to Italy and spending days looking at all the art and experiencing the history, this might not be a good match for your family if you have young kids. So even if it means sacrificing your wants a bit, Judy Koutsky, a contributor to CNTraveler.com, advises that you stick with what’s age appropriate for your kids. As a good rule of thumb, water is usually always a great activity for kids of almost all ages.
If you want to take a trip with your family and are worried about ensuring your kids will enjoy it as well, consider using the tips mentioned above as you wade through the planning phase of your trip.
