Don't you just love planning a family vacation? You imagine the time away from laundry, responsibilities, having fun, and exploring new places with your kids. Showing them the things you love, or perhaps having a first time adventure yourself. Sure packing can be stressful, but just the thought of getting away from every day life is so invigorating! And having something to look forward to keeps you happy and energized through the tougher parenting moments.
You research, plan, pack the perfect activities for the plane or road trip, and are totally prepared for anything unexpected. Then you get to your amazing destination, and realize that you may just need a vacation from your vacation. Sure there are fun moments, but sleeping arrangements aren't always optimal, there are picky eater struggles, and of course you can't please everyone.
We recently took our girls for the first time to New York City, and in just a short three day weekend we were reminded of the joys of travelling with kids. So if you are planning a getaway anytime soon, um...good luck. Here are the 10 Truths of Traveling with Kids.
The 10 Truths of Traveling With Kids
1. It's the Mom's Job to Pack -It's an unspoken rule of parenthood, the responsibility of packing falls on mom's shoulders. Every time.
2. You Will Forget Something Important - No matter how many lists you make, there will be something you desperately need. The good news? There's a Walmart just about everywhere so you're good.
3. Someone Will Get Sick - It's inevitable, every time it's vacation time someone gets sick. A runny nose in New York, the stomach flu and double ear infection in Colorado. I'm not sure if it's the germs on the airplane, or the lack of sleep, but prepare and be armed with meds parents!
4. Someone Will Tantrum Over Hitting the Elevator Button - Seriously. Just split it up, one of your children gets to push the "up" or "down" button, the other can push the number inside. If you have three kids the third can hit the "close or open door" button. If you have more than that, well you're screwed, but you probably already knew that.
5. Someone Will Cry Over Putting the Room Key in the Door - It always happens when you are returning from a long day, have to pee, and it takes your little one 22 times to get the blasted light to turn green. What is it with the ROOM KEY?!
6. Someone Will Get Hurt - They'll fall and skin a knee, walk into a door jam and cut their shoulder, or punch their little sister in the eye while waiting in line at the Empire State Building. Or all three. Not that this happened to us....no our kids totally don't punch each other in the face over an Ariel doll.
7. You Will Not Sleep Well - Forget getting a good night's sleep on vacation with kids. They talk at night, or kick you in the face, or giggle in their sleep. They also wake up way too early, even when you try the "keep them up later strategy". (Doesn't work by the way.) Ear plugs are your BFF...and Pinot Noir.
8. "Don't Touch Anything" is Your Trip Motto - No matter where you go, bathrooms, museums, airports, you're envisioning those little hands touching handrails and them putting those germs in their mouths. And when they go to open that sparkly silver box in the bathroom stall you yell every single time, "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Make sure you pack hand sanitizer. No check that, BATHE in it.
9. You Will Learn Where Every Bathroom is in Your Destination - Want to know where a bathroom is in Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, Serendipity, or Broadway? I'm your girl. It's every mom's favorite thing in the world, taking your kids to a public bathroom twenty times a day.
10. Your Kids Will OD On Sugar - It's OK parents, you gotta do what you gotta do. Lollipops on planes, cupcake taste tests, mucho snacks at the theater...just be prepared for the crash. And by prepared I mean have adult beverages waiting for you back at the hotel.
Sure going on vacation with kids isn't really a vacation, think of it more as an adventure. But no matter how hard the actual traveling part goes, there will be fun times in between the tantrums. And at some point you will see the wonder in their eyes, and be filled with joy, and reminded how precious they really are.
When they aren't whining of course.
Have fun on your trip! And if you need some more expert advice on how to avoid vacation hell with kids, check this post out.
Kristen Hewitt is a television reporter in Miami, and owner of misMEDIA. Please find more of her writing at mommyinsports.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter for more parenting, sports, and healthy living stories.