This is a topic that’s rarely posted on blogs, but one I felt would help people, especially parents. If people prepare ahead, then travel and kids don’t have to be mutually exclusive terms in the category of fun travel. Let’s change the conceived mismatch from mustard and jelly to peanut butter and jelly in one fell swoop.
Unfortunately, I can’t really include babies here. Why that is I can't tell you anymore than why the baby sleeps for a certain amount of time, what and how much he eats, how his temper tantrums register on the Richter Scale, or why his eyes are blue. On our first trip with Axl, for example, we braced ourselves, knowing that Axl had already had an extensive reign of terror throughout his short five month tenure as first born of the family. Traveling to the Republic of Ireland, we figured there would be more crying, less sleep, more fussing and less cooperating. We figured we would at least have the green parachute of the rocky coast of West Cork to stroll him around if all else failed. It turns out we lucked out. Not only was Axl a perfect angel, but he enabled us to go places, leaving the proverbial monkey wrench in Jordan, our home at the time. Now that the kids have graduated from baby and toddler status, I think I have more insight. Here are five fundamental truths about traveling with kids.
1. Kids love vacations
Do you know how you plan for your vacation? How you’re going to have walks along the beach, drinks along the pool, and fine local food to attack your dormant palate? Well, the kids have a plan of their own. To them, all is good. A vacation is a freebie to them. Here they get to sleep with the parents, eat with them, and hang out with them. Your status, of course, doesn’t change. If you as the parents were tools at home—I am a hammer, Liebi is a saw—for example, then your status has just been upgraded to power tool, meaning you can now enable them to get MORE of what they want. That means more movies, more food, more pool time, and fewer rules.
2. The Kids’ favorite site
All right, so not ALL is good. For those with a five or six year old, what do you think would be their dream destination? Disney World? Six Flags? Water parks? Zoos? The truth is actually much simpler…and easier. The fact is, kids will take a public playground any day over some elaborate theme park that includes the brain numbing waiting in line that dictates for them to actually behave before you can get on a ride. I’ve taken them to San Diego many times. There’s the Wild Animal Park, Sea World, the Star of India, the Children’s Museum, and more attractions than you can shake a Harry Potter wand at. And yet the kids prove, time and again, that there is no substitute for a decent playground. Parents on a budget (high or low), take note. Then there’s option number two, although maybe not as cheap, especially if kids talk you into buying things. That would be toy stores. The next time you visit the Big Apple, take the kids to FAO Schwarz, and your boring sightseeing up till then will be forgiven in a New York minute.
3. Kids’ interests
I recall us walking around Amsterdam as a family, admiring the channels and old world houses when Liebi found a sign advertising for a cheese museum. Of course Liebi, a budding cheesemaker, wasted no time in pointing this out to the whole family. She said, ‘Cheese museum! We could go to the Cheese museum!’ Axl immediately filed his protest—quite vocally, I might add: “JUST YOU, MAMA! JUST YOU!” In other words, cheese museums might be the best thing since sliced bread (or sliced cheese), but you will never enjoy them if it cuts into the kids’ time. Taj Mahal? The pyramids? Do they have a playground? No? Is there at least a camel? Yaaaawwwn. Now you know why kids are in no hurry to grow up.
4. A Kid's routine
They have it during their school week, they will want it on vacation. While your routine might fly end over end out the window—say hello to noon cocktails and added pounds from all the good food, bye bye to internet and cell phone access—a kid’s principle of having a routine doesn’t abandon him, even if we are only talking about a three day trip. A kid still wants breakfast in the morning, snacks and playtime (and quiet time!) during the day and yes, bedtime stories at night. And please don’t deviate too much from their regular menus, or you will hear about it. On vacations, it’s the adults who act more on whims than kids do.
5. Kids need activities
So why do you think kids can be a royal pain whenever they fly on a plane or drive on a long car ride? It wouldn’t be because they are strapped to a piece of furniture like Hannibal Lecter, would it? The fact is, tying kids down, especially during their physical peak hours, is the equivalent of trying to confine a troop of monkeys to a greenhouse. Think they would go nuts after a while? You bet they would. On the plus side, it’s one of the few times when the kids will actually nap...no wonder, the boredom and monotony gives them more z’s than a dictionary.
We actually have a trip coming up this weekend, where these theories will be tested…and eventually proven, I’m sure.
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