Traveling with children often turns into a lesson in expectation management. As I’ve discovered, the experiences I anticipated to be extraordinary—like giving birth, celebrating holidays, or throwing birthday parties—often fell disappointingly short. Conversely, the small, seemingly mundane moments—like family bike rides, indulging in ice cream on a school night, or enjoying breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day—can become truly unforgettable.
So here’s my advice: Keep your expectations low. Really low. As the saying goes, anything that can go wrong will indeed go wrong, and sometimes it gets worse just when you think it can’t. I recently learned this lesson yet again during a family trip when my youngest son endured a relentless stomach flu for four days, complete with explosive diarrhea and a trip to the ER. It’s a perfect illustration of the Murphy’s Law of parenting: if something can go awry, you might as well anticipate it—and even plan for it—to spare yourself from disappointment.
Here are some realities to consider:
- The moment you’re ready to depart, your child will likely fall ill—most often with a contagious bug that involves vomiting or requires antibiotics, or possibly both.
- Expect flight delays, lost luggage, and the rental car agency to be completely out of minivans.
- The “family-friendly” resort you chose will be swamped with rowdy kids and worn-out parents, leaving little room for friendliness.
- If you’re heading to a warm destination, prepare for an unexpected chill, while back home, a heatwave rages on.
- You will inevitably forget to bring your child’s cherished blankie or other irreplaceable comfort items.
- Just as one child recovers from an illness, another will catch it. This cycle will repeat until you return home, where you will then succumb to the same bug.
- Kids’ meals at the hotel restaurant will somehow cost more than a fancy date night back home, and those margaritas? They’ll be pricier than your mortgage payment.
- You’ll find yourself making multiple trips to Walmart or Target to replace everything you forgot to pack.
- Your children will rise with the sun every single day, without fail.
- Once you’re back home, however, you’ll be forced to drag your kids out of bed for school, face towering piles of laundry, deal with a credit card bill that could rival a small nation’s GDP, and navigate a mountain of unanswered emails—all while recovering from whatever illness your kids passed to you.
And that, dear readers, is why it’s called “traveling with kids” instead of a “vacation.”
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In summary, traveling with children is filled with unexpected challenges and realities that can easily overshadow the joy of the experience. Lower expectations, prepare for mishaps, and embrace the chaos that comes with family adventures.