Our first vacation as a family of four

Ever envious of people who travel so much with kids and it looks like SUCH a good time but then you go on vacation and you’re like na, I’m good! I’d rather stay home in my comfort zone.

Vacation is exhausting! It never goes as planned, especially with kids but I do feel that it’s very important. Kids need to travel and explore and see the world around them, it gets them out of their norm and initially might produce anxiety but that’s what allows them to grow. I remember as a kid we would take road trips to the beach, or Niagara Falls or even the local park and I just remembered how everyone was so vested in it, parents would get along and they were always so much nicer to us kids on vacation lol!

My point is, as hard as it gets and even if your little getaway turns into a disaster, your kids will always remember the good part of vacation. We went to Virginia Beach last month, it was about a 8 hour drive. We decided to not go too far south because the heat is not very easy with kids and we couldn’t afford to fly because my family also went with us. Im not an expert by any means, we don’t travel enough because with work it gets nearly impossible these are just tips i’ve noticed from my experience what people tell me.

Ways to make it a successful trip with the littles:

5. be prepared for weather, pack an outfit for the least expected weather no matter where you go.

4. do your research prior to booking a hotel, make sure there are kid friendly restaurants around and easy access to the beach, city, etc. Be sure there is an elevator (your’d be surprised how many don’t have one)

3. don’t plan your every last detail, with kids and nap times it is nearly impossible to go sight seeing, beach, out to eat at a designated time

2. enjoy, enjoy, enjoy… Im guilty of not doing this. Our trip to the beach last month was so stressful and I feel like i didn’t enjoy it as much as I wish I would have.

1. don’t set your expectations too high … you cant get too disappointed if you didn’t expect the best outcome from the beginning