LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS – that’s my advice for taking little kids on vacation. Let me explain. It sounds like a bad thing, but it really isn’t! Keep reading for some unconventional, but super effective tips for traveling with little kids and toddlers. I promise these tips will make your vacation memories SO MUCH BETTER.
Backstory: When we first got to Hawaii I had a whole list of activities planned. I thought: fun new place + fun new adventures = happy kids!
We started having lots of meltdowns right away. Violet in particular (3yrs old) just kept asking to go back to the hotel room. Which let me to a big realization, and is the reason I came up with these more unconventional tips for traveling with toddlers.
That’s when I realized, a vacation can feel like a HUGE change to a kid. It can be very overwhelming to be in a new bed, a new place, and without their regular toys/friends/pantry etc. And especially younger kids might not understand that the change is temporary. Traveling can be really hard and emotional for toddlers!
Even if they’re really excited about the vacation, they can also experience homesickness or overwhelmed feelings. It can make them want to retreat to what feels safe.
After I realized this, we switched to a lower-expectations, more kid-led vacation. That is my first tip for traveling with toddlers.
We only did 2-3 of the outings I originally had planned daily for our 2 week vacation. Instead we spent a lot of time at the beach and the pool. That is where the kids were the most happy.
It was very simple, but happy kids made the memories better. It was also a good reminder to me to be present in the simple moments, and grateful for the small, everyday things – like cuddles with my baby girl, discovering hermit crabs for the first time, or burying our feet in the sand.
There is so much beauty in the littlest moments with kids. They don’t need any kind of extravagant activities. My kids would pick collecting rocks on the beach over Disney World any day. That, to me, is a huge lesson in what really matters: the little moments with the ones you love. OK lets keep going with the tips for traveling with toddlers and little kids.
I have a few more quick tips for traveling with toddlers and little kids. Keep reading!
1. Make sure you pack any comfort objects they normally sleep with when traveling with toddlers and little kids.
I let my kids each pack their favorite toy, and anything they needed to sleep with. For us that included special blankets and binkies.
2. If your kids are acting out during an activity, try asking them what they want to do right now. This is one of my best tips for traveling with toddlers.
This is an opportunity for them to either to express their need for rest, or decide they would like to stay. I notice my older two kids (5yrs + 8yrs) will quickly change their attitudes, and begin enjoying an activity more, if I let them know they have some control over their environment.
3. Ease up on screen time rules.
Every moment of vacation doesn’t need to be active! A little extra screen time won’t hurt anyone, and can be a great tool for traveling with little kids. They don’t have their toys/activities from home, or friends, to entertain them. You can always rely on a little screen time if your kids are bored, but not ready for an adventure/outing. On that note – if you are in a small space sharing a hotel room – don’t feel guilty using the TV for bedtime, or early morning wake ups.
4. Grocery shop for some of your kids regular snacks when you first arrive, or plan a grocery delivery/pickup.
I have found that having a good stock of snacks that my kids normally have at home goes a long way. My kids tend to get hangry, which is not fun to deal with when you don’t have access to your kitchen! I dump a bunch of non-perishable snacks they like in a drawer in our hotel room. That way they have constant access to their favorite snacks on vacation.
And before you say I’m catering to cranky kids, and encouraging bad behavior, with these tips… Try looking at these tips for traveling with toddlers this way:
Kids are actual real people, with real emotions, and valid feelings. When they act out, they’re trying to express something. A tantrum just means they don’t have all the skills to appropriately express their feelings (yet).
My goal isn’t to stop the tantrum. When I react in these moments, my intention is to understand their feelings, and make sure they know I care about how they feel. I also treat tantrums as a teachable moment, by showing and telling my kids how to appropriately react when they feel upset.
Here is what I do when my kids are having a meltdown, in addition to the above traveling with toddler tips:
1. Remain calm! Set an example of how to control and appropriately express emotions by controlling your own.
2. Let them know calmly, that their behavior is not appropriate, and that they can kindly and calmly share what they are feeling. This won’t stop a tantrum in its tracks, but it is a good to let them know right away how to express their feelings appropriately.
3. Validate their feelings. Let them know it is normal to feel stressed, angry, or overwhelmed in new situations.
4. Ask them what they need and actually listen. Let them know that in order to get what they want they need to ask calmly and kindly.
5. If they continue to have bad behavior, remove them from the situation as best you can. When possible, avoid buying treats or toys, or using bribery to get your kids to calm down, as this really can create a pattern.
Of course – desperate times call for desperate measures, and I’m never above buying candy for a cranky kid when we are on a plane or in another situation where leaving isn’t an immediate option. Sometimes your sanity has to come first so you can survive the situation too.
What do you guys think about my tips for traveling with toddlers and little kids??
Do you, pack in every activity possible, or go at a slow pace and just enjoy the simple moments? Let me know in the comments!
Check out more of my travel tips here! Shop Violets swimsuit here, and my outfit here.
