Traveling with kids is a special kind of adventure. Magical, messy, and often mildly maddening (sometimes all at once).
As a married mom of two (a curious 11-year-old girl and an endlessly energetic 9-year-old boy), we travel
a lot. My husband and I have braved cross-country road trips, survived red-eye flights with snack-deprived children, and navigated more public restrooms than I care to count.
Do I have it all figured out? Absolutely not. But I've logged enough miles—and meltdowns—to know what keeps our family trips joyful
and relatively sane.
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My Hard-Earned Family Travel Wisdom: 1. Everyone needs a job. Especially the grown-ups. Before we leave, my husband and I divide roles like we're running a project. Routes, tickets, and hotel logistics? One person. Snacks, emotional regulation, and packing the "Oh No Bag"? The other.
When expectations are clear, the load feels lighter—and no one's arguing in the rental car line about who forgot the headphones.
2. The "Oh No Bag" is non-negotiable. This bag has saved our butts more times than I can count.
Inside: Travel wipes
Kid meds + Band-Aids
Chargers + backup battery
Snacks (protein > sugar)
Electrolyte packets
Uno cards
If you think it's overkill, you haven't experienced a delayed flight with a tween meltdown.
3. Build in recovery time for everyone. Instagram might make it look like family trips are all museums and hikes. But real joy lives in the downtime. A pool afternoon, solo coffee run, or just lying on a hotel bed doing nothing? That's the good stuff. Don't schedule the joy out of your trip.
4. Let the kids lead at least once a day. Each of our kids gets a "power pick" per trip: a restaurant, an activity, even just a snack stop. They feel empowered, heard, and way less likely to resist the historical walking tour
you want to do later.
5. Don't forget the marriage in the middle. Traveling as parents doesn't mean forgetting you're partners. A morning coffee before the kids wake up, a glass of wine on the hotel balcony, even just a long walk while they FaceTime Grandma—those mini-moments help keep you synced and sane.
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Your Family Travel Sanity Cheat Sheet: BEFORE YOU GO: ✅ Align on parent roles
✅ Build a loose itinerary with buffer time
✅ Let each kid pick one thing
✅ Pack the "Oh No Bag"
ON THE MOVE: ✅ Divide and conquer daily
✅ Schedule downtime (for kids
and grown-ups)
✅ Leave room for spontaneity
✅ Make time to connect as a couple
MINDSET SHIFT: The goal isn't perfection. It's connection.
Ten years from now, your kids won't remember if you hit every stop on the itinerary.
They'll remember that time you all cracked up over spilled snacks, that weird souvenir shop, that moment when you let the day unfold.
So go make the memories. Pack extra snacks. Embrace the chaos. And when in doubt? Deep breath. Big laugh. And maybe… one extra snack bar in your bag, just for you.
Kristel (TA Marketing Ops)
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