Choosing a destination with kids can be a tough task to tackle. There are a lot of things to think about and if you have never traveled with kids before it can be difficult to know where to begin as far as knowing where to choose.
Vacations with kids aren’t at all the same as going on an adults only trip since with kids you have to do a lot of negotiating and compromising your own needs for theirs. Since they are only children you can’t exactly expect them to be reasonable so you can find yourself sighing a lot and wanting to feel like you are “on vacation.” However, since you are still technically “on the clock” as a parent it can be tough to feel as if you are on a break.
In order to balance your own enjoyment with making sure that the kids are taken care of, you should do the following things when planning your vacation.
Choose Somewhere “Kid Friendly”
Make sure that you and your family choose somewhere that isn’t just fun for adults but has appeal for kids. Generally, this means attractions, animals, swimming camping, or toys. When choosing your location try to look for blogs or forums which focus on advising parents whether the destination is advised for kids. You will want to make sure that the places you are looking at are properly maintained and clean.
This isn’t to say that you should choose somewhere kid friendly that doesn’t at all appeal to adults. You can easily choose a happy medium which provides enjoyment for all of the family.
Choose a Destination Not Too Far Away
The last thing that a parent loves is long travel time with whiny kids. Why choose a destination which is a 4 hour flight when you can find something just as interesting which is closer.
Make sure that you do proper research to ensure that you aren’t choosing somewhere which requires lots of hassle and travel when you could have driven 30 minutes away instead!
Bring Activities
You want to make sure that you bring plenty of activities for your kids for travel time and for the evenings when you want to relax and kick back. When you are ready to wind down and have a few drinks and your children are bored and running in circles, this is the perfect time to put on a movie or pull out some coloring books.
Arrange Childcare
It may be beneficial to plan childcare before your departure and look into some options so that you can plan at least one night out without your little ones. While children are wonderful, a vacation with a little adult time is always nice.
