Traveling with kiddo’s is one of the most gratifying experiences of fatherhood. Loading up the family ‘truckster’ and watching the daily routines of life disappear in the rearview mirror is exhilarating. Put on your patience underwear because everything will take twice as long and melt downs will happen. Just keep in mind, it’s all about the memories not the agenda. Here are some travel tips for rookie fathers.
Small trips before big vacations
Our first trip was for just a weekend to a cabin at a lake. My wife had me pack what seemed like everything in the house for our 13-month son. I needed someone to help me with ‘travel tips for rookie fathers.’ You know what I’m talking about. It was exhausting, I felt like by the time I unpacked everything I was turning around and repacking to leave. Don’t feel you need to take the entire house with you, odds are there is Wal-Mart 20-minutes away. Before taking the big plunge, start off with some day trips. Trips to zoos, state parks or kid friendly museums are a great starting point to figure out what need to pack. Good thing, the older the kids get the less stuff you will have to take. Remember practice small trips before big vacations.
Create memories
Don’t be a naïve parent and waste your money taking a 3-year to Disney World. What can you remember when you were three? Instead go to a local fair, nice park, or something like that. Most travel experts suggest big trips with kids should start around 6-8 years old. Believe it or not, pitching a tent in the backyard can create some great memories. If you do go on a trip, be sure that you get in those pictures with your family and create memories. You’ll enjoy showing your family and friends the pictures and it help your kids remember the trip.
Pit stops take forever
I have found pit stops take forever. Those days of road-tripping with quick pit stops are long gone. Pit stops will take twice as long if not longer with kids. Getting them out of the car, herding them to the restroom, washing hands, trolling the candy isle, and getting loaded back into the car can take an easy 20-minutes. If you and your family are traveling by airplane, remember baggage claim will take longer with all the extra suitcases. So, if you can pack snacks, drinks and have your kids wear slip on shoes they can put on themselves (if they are old enough). This will save you a lot of time and money during those unplanned pit stops.
Home rules vs. road rules
Just because you’re the king of the house doesn’t mean you have to be the iron fisted king of the minivan. There are home rules then there are road rules. Learn to pick your battles when it comes to the home rules. There are no timeouts when in the car or in an airplane. If you’re driving, breakout the old road games like the license plate game, getting a trucker to blow their horn, and my favorite the quite game, to engage them. Remember you’re in survival mode until you reach your destination.
It’s a trip not a vacation
Traveling with kids is work, it’s a trip not a vacation. If you want a vacation, you will need to go with your wife or wait till your kids are older. Make a list of 5-6 activities that you’re willing to do and let the kids pick which they want to do. Since the kids picked it, they will be more excited and engaged about do it. If you can pick out some activities before you leave on the trip this will allow you to pre-book everything you can which will help you better plan the trip and budget more efficiently. Also, many attractions offer online discounts.
Bottom line
Keep your schedule loose, this will help create less stress for you and your family. Don’t expect everything to go as planned, you’re in a different place eating different foods your kids may not have tried before. Pack as little as possible, the less stuff you must pack the less stuff you have to keep up with. There’s a good chance they will have what you’re needing near your destination. Be sure to stash some snacks to save money and time, unplanned pit stops take up a lot of time. Pre-book anything you can from tours, museum tickets, theme parks, and transportation. Bottom line, go with the flow and remember it’s all about creating memories with your family. Finally, watching your kids explore and experiencing new adventure is priceless.
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