Raise your hand if you need a break ✋✋🏻✋🏿✋🏽✋🏾
Vacationing with kids can feel, well, like not a vacation at all (especially if your kids are under 4). Take this for example: we were recently traveling to Charleston as a family of five. When we arrived at the car rental place, I suddenly realized my luggage was nowhere to be found — the one that was filled with everything I needed and all the things for my new baby who was only a couple months old (I'm not talking about "extra" belongings like a toddler duvet cover). Between my burning, tired eyes, the totally overwhelming feeling of packing for a whole family, breastfeeding every couple hours, it just got totally lost in the shuffle. A whole week’s trip with nothing for me or the baby. Great. But somehow, between King Street in Charleston, the drugstore on the corner (shampoo, diapers etc) and clothing stores — we found a way to get through it. Here’s what I learnt: to vacation successfully as a parent you need to be flexible. You need to get into a rhythm. And you need to forget about “everything going perfectly”. Because, well it won’t. Once you’ve successfully done all of those three things, well, you’re golden! Here’s some things that have helped me see the light:
A personal essay every parent can relate to:I May Never Stay at a Hotel Without a Kids’ Club Again, The Strategist
Whatever the New York Times says about traveling with kids: How to Travel With Children, New York Times
Things to listen to: A 24-Hour Family Road Trip Playlist, Fatherly
A website that finds family-friendly hotels so you don’t have to: Little Guest Collection
A hotel that thinks of kids (and has a treasure box upon arrival for them): Perry Lane Hotel
More kid-friendly hotels: Rosewood Hotels, Borgo Egnazia, Four Seasons
Stroller and car seats for traveling: Doona, Baby Zen Yoyo, Pico Car Seat
Suitcases for the plane: Ollie Ella
The perfect traveling companion: Our Duvet