Upsplash Photo -- Leo Rivas
If you ask for parental opinions on traveling with children, stand
back and prepare yourself for responses of the very strong and greatly varied
nature. While my wife and I were all for packing up the whole gang and hitting
the road, or sky, or sea, we completely understood how daunting the thought of
it all could be.
A simple Google search will yield ample articles and
research-based studies, singing the praises of traveling with one’s young.
Seeing the world, or even other parts of a home state, give opportunities for
families to bond, as well as experiences children can learn and grow from. What the articles and research state are
rarely opposed by parents, because as most know travel is, in its purest form,
a wonderful thing. Parents aren’t put off by giving their kids experiences, but
rather by the paying for, planning, and pulling off of the experiences. Whether
approaching travel when our kids were babies, or now as we travel with our kids
and their babies, three things have been and still remain non-negotiables for consideration.
First,
parents have to count the cost. Keeping up with the Joneses has always been a
thing. However, in this age of social media, it’s an extremely amplified thing.
Constant bombardment via Facebook posts and Instagram pics of seemingly perfect
vacations with perfect families enjoying them can be dishearteningly
overwhelming to most of us in the parental population. No matter how staged we
have come to understand many images in our society to be, the sting of not
being able to give our kids extravagant trips can get to us. However, very
early on, my wife and I learned that it’s not always about where a family
travels, it’s about the family just simply traveling . . . together. In 30
years of parenting, we have taken everything from “eating sandwiches out of the
back of the minivan on the way to the campsite” to “flying across the country
and staying at hotels with cool indoor pool” trips. Not even getting much time
in this blog, are the “staycations” we have enjoyed, and we truly did enjoy
them. Don’t feel the need to overspend or go in debt to give your kids travel
memories. If you are stressed about the finances, chances are no one will have
a great time. Definitely make travel experiences a goal, but also make sure you
do your homework in selecting the right kind of trip for both your family and
your family’s financial seasons.
Planning:
The second thing we always have considered when planning family
travel is thorough planning. When I say “planning,” I don’t mean strict, regimenting
schedules where the parents have to play the roles of “wagon masters.” If you
have had kids for more than a minute, you know flexibility is something you
have to leave room for. But, doing your trip homework paves the way for
smoother travel times. Don’t roll your eyes at travel guides, especially those
created with kids in mind. Of course, the internet is ripe with all sorts of
resources, and your local bookstore or library is, as well. We leverage
websites and travel blogs, but we also enjoy getting our hands on a good old
paper version of a Birnbaum guide. As your planning, don’t forget to include
your kids in the process, you might be surprised how the excitement and bonding
can begin long before your trip does. In fact, there have been so many times
our kids have told us, “planning the trip and anticipating its arrival was as
fun as the trip itself.”
Execution: Finally,
when it comes to pulling the whole thing off, well, if you’ve figured out to
pay for it, and you’ve thoroughly planned for it, execution should be the fun
part. If you’re not worrying about the money, or having arguments in the car
about where to go next because you’ve got a solid plan, you have eliminated a
majority of the typical trip stressors. So, limit your phone usage, which goes
for parents, as well as kids, and purpose to be 100% in the moments you have so
eagerly anticipated . . . together.
Kevin Weaver, CEO of Network211 and father of three sons, lives with his wife KyAnne in Springfield, MO. He enjoys spending time with family, hunting and watching University of Kansas basketball with his boys! He can be reached at kweaver@network211.com
