How to Get Jazzed Up About Holiday Travel with Your Kids

Ah, the Holiday Travel Season is here again. Not the fun Holiday Travel with four weeks of summer vacation waiting somewhere off the coast. Stressful, time-bound, Holiday Travel for the Thanksgiving -New Years season is upon us.

When You Can’t Remember Why You Had Kids in the First Place

When the boys were little just leaving the house was an adventure. Going to town needed to happen between naps, meals, playtime and after a fresh diaper. Getting all the gear in the car left me exhausted and a few times driving way without the kids. (Boys, if you ever read this, I never did lose you at that age, that came later). Before you start your holiday travel do a few things to remember why you had kids in the first place!

Go in and watch them sleeping. (Why this should restore our faith in the little darlings I am not sure but the internet says it does.)
Watch Old Family Movies. (Like the Facebook/Instagram/Youtube clips from last year) We only put the good stuff on social media so fall in love with your kid’s avatar again.
Call the Grandparents have them recite all the wonderful items you have now to help you parent. (Ipads, podcasts, DVD players, iPhone apps, sippy cups.)

Can you really believe people took children on long trips before portable DVD players?

*** If you are traveling soon, take advantage of this deal from our partners at Disney – you can get 4 Disney DVDs of your choice for just $1***

Only fix the kids favorite meals for a week. (For 6 weeks on a road my kids ate pizza, hot dogs, and pasta) I might have pickled them from the inside with all the preservatives but dinner time was blissful!
Old school it with the TV and watch crazy stuff like I Love Lucy, The Adams Family, and The Sound of Music. Use this as a generation connector and constantly remind them how difficult life was without a cell phone.

Remeber How Dull It would Be to Fly Without Kids

Remember flying with babies? The total stare down of the other passengers as you boarded the plane. Their inner thoughts were audible.

Please, please please don’t sit here!
I bet he cries the whole flight.
Why do they always sit next to me?
Is she really going to change the diaper on the tray table?
What was that? Is that food on my ear?
Do you really need to turn around and look me the whole flight?
No, I will not move you should have booked your seats earlier.

Without Children to Travel with You Would Have Missed

The toddler fascination with airplane bathroom

“I need to go Mommy!”

“You just went.”

” I can feel the pee!”

I think my kids wore diapers on the plane until they were 5 years old. One trip to the bathroom on a two-hour flight no more! And please, please don’t touch everything.

Hide and Seek in the Cavernous Airport Bathroom

And what about the monstrous airport bathrooms where you could lose your child in the vast sea of stalls. I appreciate the convenience of multiple lanes of stalls but when your three-year-old crawls under the stall and then can’t find you it becomes a frantic game of hiding and seek.

Just think, those of you who travel without kids missed running up and down the bathroom stall isles hissing your child’s name and looking for their little legs under the stall doors.

Mommy Can I Have

The airport offers a plethora of worldly goods all at you figure tips. Toothbrushes reside right next $12 dollar bacon filled chocolate bars that are only a stone’s throw from exciting animal shaped luggage.

I tell you what is a child to do?

Without children, you might have sat quietly scrolling through Facebook. With kids, you now need to get up a look at everything while repeating the word no a 100 zilloin times.

Practical Tips for Holiday Travel with Children

Put the children and yourself to bed early the night before travel
Cuddle, snuggle and talk about all the fun you will have the next day
Set expectations of time if they are old enough ( we will leave at 10 am and be at Grammy’s by 6pm)
Pack plenty of snacks
Explain airport rules– age appropriate about how important it is to listen to mom while traveling.
Make sure you have packed the lovey, toys and new games on the electronic and to hold their hands
Podcasts are awesome family driving entertainment
Pray

Finally to Get a Little Perspective

Watch this over and over until you can quote it by heart! Then the lines at the airport won’t seem so long.

If you are going to Grandma’s house take a look at the 5 Tips for Extended family Travel

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Tanya

Getting on a plane changed dramatically once my kids arrived. Mainly, my motion sickness went away, who has time to throw up and keep a baby happy simultaneously. I adore traveling with my boys. Planning, packing, driving, flying we are Team Joya off on an adventure. Find her on:Facebook-/-YouTube-/-Instagram-/-Website