Guest Author - Kimberly Misra
1. It’s not going to get any easier. A lot of people put off traveling until their kids are older, assuming it will be easier then. There’s obviously some truth to this: if you live in New York City and have your heart set on a journey to the Australian outback, you may find it easier to wait until your kids can deal with jet lag and long flights. Some trips are best saved until the kids are older. But that doesn’t mean traveling with older kids is easier. For one thing, when your kids get older you’ll have school schedules to contend with. And while a two year old is unlikely to complain of boredom or missing friends, a teenager is another story.
2. It’s not going to get any cheaper. It’s often cheaper to travel with younger kids; children under two may get free airfare if they sit on your lap, many attractions waive fees for young children, plus you can probably do with a smaller hotel room.
3. It’s educational. Nothing broadens the mind like seeing new sights (even in the next state over). You can plan your travel around things your kids enjoy: a visit to a great dinosaur museum, a trip where they can learn to fly fish or snorkel. If you’re pulling your kids out of school for the trip (schools differ on reaction to this), you needn’t despair that they are missing out on their education.
4. Travel is good for families. Most families these days have hectic schedules, with working parents and kids involved in several extracurricular activities. By taking a vacation, you’ll be setting aside a few days to just be together and create lasting memories.
5. You can start small. Not everybody is ready for a three week tour of Europe right out of the gate (we sure weren’t). Starting early gives you more practice time to get down the basics of travel, find out what you prefer in a hotel, learn your child’s limits, and discover what you really need to bring (and what you don’t). By the time your children are ready to take those far flung, adventurous trips, you’ll be an old pro at traveling with kids.
6. Travel is fun. With careful planning on your part, kids of all ages can enjoy travel. Everyone needs a break in routine and everyone benefits from seeing things with
