Travel once you have kids

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Keeper of The Spirits
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AG
I am interested to get thoughts from the people on this board about travelling once you had kids:


  • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children?
  • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?
  • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?
  • How is travel different for you know that you have kids?
  • What things have you done to make travelling easier?

And I've heard, travelling with kids isn't a vacation it is a trip.
Wicked Good Ag
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It don't exactly know what you mean by vacation vs a trip because those can be the same but it is different

With kids you have to focus on the things that will make them and the entire family happy. Places to eat have to be dumbed down a bit sometimes because of how the kids act and the expense of the meals you may want to eat compared to the budget you have

I will say that some of the things I liked as a kid I get to do with our kids if they are interested which is fun

Travel tends to be a ton more stops that are kid related in terms of extended breaks from driving when they are younger to stops involving activities that my wife and I wouldn't stop for ourselves. We tend to take many more car trips to see various things along the way and also the expense of a larger family in terms of air fare etc

Find what you want to do and figure out how it fits with your kids interests until you know your kids ideas of fun as they grow older and then try and do things they would love and you will understand your kids and relate much better later on in life
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TXTransplant
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My son is 14, and I also happen to be a single mom, and we travel quite extensively. But that wasn't always the case, and our trips have changed a lot over the years.

When he was really little, due to both his age and financial limitations, we tended to take shorter/weekend trips that were within a couple hours driving distance from where we lived (Nashville, Chattanooga, Gulf Shores), and we would visit places like the beach, aquariums, zoos, etc.

Our first real "vacation" away from home that also happened to include a plane ride was actually to New Braunfels. We have family friends with a house right on the river. My son was almost 18 months, and to be honest, I was a nervous wreck the whole time, trying to keep an eye on him. Our other plane trips were to Houston to visit family.

Once he reached 3-6 (and his dad and I had separated), I started taking him on trips by myself. Our first four trips were to Gulf Shores and Disney World. Both of these places were destinations I had traveled to frequently with my family when I was growing up, so I felt totally comfortable taking him. These trips were definitely easier because he was potty trained (I refused to go to Disney before that happened). Air travel was limited to flights <2 hours in length.

There is something really special about taking a 4-5 year old to Disney for the first time. I have very fond memories of my childhood visits, and the memory of my son seeing the Magic Kingdom for the first time still makes me a little misty-eyed.

When we first moved to TX, we focused mostly on TX trips - visiting friends and family in Austin, New Braunfels, San Antonio, etc, although, we did do the third trip to Disney after moving here.

Once we were finally settled here and I had some financial stability, we started taking two trips a year. Since 2013, we've done the following:

- three Disney cruises (two out of Galveston) - as an only child my son LOVES these
- a trip to the Grand Canyon
- one trip to Florida to visit Universal/Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Kennedy Space Center
- a trip to NYC
- a trip to Disneyland
- two international trips, one to Germany and another to Italy (both with Adventures by Disney, although, we did spend a few days in Rome on our own)
- two trips to Hawaii, with a stop in San Diego on the second trip
- a guided hiking/camping tour to Havasu Falls in Arizona

This summer we are going to Jasper, Banff, and Lake Louise.

The older he's gotten, the more adventurous/outdoorsy our vacations have become. We do a lot of hiking, zip-lining, snorkeling, etc. I let him help choose what activities we do.

My son was 10 1/2 on our first international trip, which was a great age to have that "first". I wouldn't have wanted to take him any younger.

The guided tours are a luxury, but since it's just the two of us, I can afford to splurge a little (and travel is what I work/save for).

We have a long list of places we still want to go - Alaska, Yellowstone, France/Normandy, Japan, and Australia, just to name a few. Sadly, as he approaches high school, our travel time is becoming more limited, and I realize I'm quickly running out of time with him.

We are also not big gift-givers. My son has everything he needs, and I don't want to clutter our house up with junk. His birthday is also just 5 days before Christmas, and he is with his dad for Christmas Day every other year. So, instead of giving a lot of gifts, we travel. My son knows that the trips we take are his gifts.

We have made some amazing memories over the years, and my plan is to make even more. We have custom picture albums from several of our trips, and had professional family photos made on the beach in Maui.

Travel is so much fun with him, especially now that he is older. I enjoy planning them, and look forward to them all throughout the year.

wessimo
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AG
-How many trips per year did you take prior to having children?

We traveled less when our first kid was a baby but now we have three age range 5-9 and we travel just as much or more than pre kids.

-How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?

We're currently in the middle of one 14 month long trip (Gap year, sabbatical, whatever you want to call it), but on a typical year we usually travel the week of spring break, one or two weeks during the summer, a week over winter break and two or three smaller trips on holiday weekends. Trips range between camping a few hours from home or going overseas. Having to plan around school schedules sucks but it is part of the deal.


-Do you travel with your children or leave them at home?

Only once we left them at home, when my wife and I went to Vegas with friends.

-Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?

No, although sometimes we have other family with us in which case they usually help out with the kids.

-How is travel different for you know that you have kids?
You have to find things that will interest the whole family.

Our kids like theme parks of course, but also like science museums and the outdoors (swimming, short hikes). Dinners at fancy restaurants are out, and we don't do as many winery visits as we might like to.

-What things have you done to make travelling easier?

We almost always stay in AirBnbs since they usually have more space and allow us to cook some of our own meals. Also we have to worry less about trying to keep the kids quiet all the time. For the times when we need to keep the kids entertained during a nicer dinner we'll break out the Kindles.


Traveling with kids is challenging for sure but it is also rewarding to our passions with them. It provides great bonding experiences and it broadens their world view.
HollywoodBQ
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AG
Get them started early and they'll grow up learning how to travel.

In our case, as we moved further away from family, trip frequency decreased and cost increased as we switched from car to plane.

The first decade seems to last forever and that second decade gets going and the next thing you know, they've gone away to college and you wish you could have done so much more with them.

As far as memories that last, those start around age 4 and by age 7 they'll remain in full technicolour into adulthood.

We started out on a tight budget for sure. As the kids reached college age, we had more money and from work, I had a lot of travel affinity program status. So, now they're accustomed to companies like Marriott or United kissing my butt when I check in. We sure didn't start out that way though.
Apache
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AG
  • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children?
  • Usually a nice 7-10 day vacation abroad or somewhere cool.
  • A week with my wife's family in S. Dakota
  • A few weekend getaways to Port A., camping, or maybe San Antonio, Dallas.


  • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?

  • Virtually the same as prior to kids, but substitute a 7-10 day domestic trip vs. overseas. California, Maine, etc. Airfare cost + available time is a factor. (Kids are 10 & 12)

  • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?
  • We've taken them everywhere except our anniversary trip to Virgin Gorda. No sitter/nanny.

  • How is travel different for you know that you have kids?
  • Less drinking & fewer nice meals. No late late nights. Less "alone time".
  • More goofy stuff. Shorter hikes. No abroad travel. More stuff to carry around.
  • Fewer museums, more zoos & aquariums. Memories with kids... priceless!

  • What things have you done to make travelling easier?
  • Plan kid specific things & let them decide what they want to do.
  • Use dessert, snacks & electronic as bribery.
  • Give them an old phone or camera & let them take pictures.
  • Plan on taking breaks in the day, especially when they are young... take it slow.
  • 62strat
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    AG
    We went to aruba with an infant, and back to parent's lake house in houston with both kids a few times, but that was about it in those first few years.

    Now they are 3 and 4, and real trips are beginning to take shape. This summer we have a week in palm beach, July 4th week in wichita (cousins and grandmas house, with a pool in backyard), a few weekend driveable trips (breckenridge to our time share, fort collins KOA, etc), Hawaii in December, and next summer we have Disney land and a kidless 10th anny trip. My parents enjoy watching them, and we have no problems with that arrangement for now. In 10 years, that may go away (parents late 60s now), so take advantage of it while you can.

    We also just did a kidless trip to cancun back in october.

    Summer after next we have a large family trip for my parents 50th anny. They are taking my family and bros family (both have 2 boys, all under 7 now) on a disney cruise.

    People think it might be hard or difficult to travel with smaller kids.. but why wait? Those middle school and high school years are gonna fly by. At the end of the day, yeh maybe the airport/airplane is a bit stressful, or the long drive to a destination, but it's not stressful enough to simply eliminate it all together while they are in grade school. 5-10 year olds are fun, and very adept to traveling honestly. Give them an ipad and a 3 hour flight is a piece of cake.

    We anticipate doing 2 week long trips every summer, then several weekend trips throughout the year. Living in CO gives us a lot of 3 day possibilities within ~4 hours' drive. Then we alternate families for thanksgiving, and haven't really figured out xmas yet.

    Before kids (which was 11 years for us) we did honeymoon in England/ireland/scotland, an alaskan cruise, cozumel, and several weekend trips (georgia, california, a few others). Honestly we didn't travel much.
    jeffdjohnson
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    We didn't really travel the first year of the kids life. Wanted to make sure they got immunized and had good sleep habits. My (now 6) year old has been to Europe 5 times at this point. These were family trips so there was some additional help. I don't find it any more (or less) difficult to deal with a kid at home versus anywhere else. The other day she asked when we were going on an airplane again. I think these are positive cultural experiences for her.
    Keeper of The Spirits
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    AG
    Thanks good responses! We fully plan to keep traveling once we have a kid but have seen so many people just shut their life down after the kids arrive. This is good perspective, travel and experience has always been a priority for us
    GrayMatter
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    AG
    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    We fully plan to keep traveling once we have a kid but have seen so many people just shut their life down after the kids arrive. This is good perspective, travel and experience has always been a priority for us
    I don't understand couples that change who they are once they have kids.

    The biggest change is logistics obviously, but at the core, the traveling experience is better in some ways. You get to experience your travels through a different set of eyes and you'll create priceless memories in the process.
    The conversations will be uncomfortable, but we all have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable for progress to be made.
    ww
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    AG
    • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children? 4-5
    • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less? 3-4, but it was less when they were under 4. Now we are back up to pre-kids travel frequency.
    • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter? Usually only 1 non-kids trip per year. No nanny or babysitter.
    • How is travel different for you know that you have kids? Look for different trip/location/hotel characteristics with kids vs. without, and cost of travel is more of a factor. Try to expose them to new foods, experiences, locations, etc.
    • What things have you done to make travelling easier? Let them pick out own luggage (from pre-selected list), let them have more screen time while flying/waiting/etc. than normal, and find things that in a trip that will make it enjoyable to them without sacrificing our own joy too much.
    TxAg20
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    AG
    • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children?

    20-25. Mostly weekend trips. All Aggie home football games and a couple of away games. Usually a one week anniversary trip, a 1 week guys trip, and my wife would take a few long weekend girls trips.

    • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?

    ~16ish. Usually 1 per month, some months 2 trips. Still mostly weekend or long weekend trips with a couple of 1 week trips. Kids sports and additional cost of paying for 4 people to travel instead of 2 cause us to travel less.

    • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?

    Our kids are 4 and 7 now. We usually travel with them, but take a few trips a year without them if we're going someplace or an event that isn't kid friendly. We tried taking a baby sitter to Vegas. Not worth it as we still did the parenting and the cost was higher. After that we left kids with grandparents and just don't go to Vegas that much anymore.

    • How is travel different for you know that you have kids?

    We used to drive to most of our vacations if the drive was 7 hours or less. Having kids was the impetus for getting my pilot's license. We now fly for all but 2 or 3 trips per year. When our kids were younger (2 to 5 years) we would get a large room or 2 adjoining hotel rooms so we wouldn't wake them up as we go to bed later than them. Now they're easier to put to sleep and sleep better, so we're back to smaller or single rooms. It's still more expensive to travel with 2 extra people.

    • What things have you done to make travelling easier?

    Flying ourselves. Learning to pack very efficiently. Chilling out. Travelling with kids can be stressful. I had to learn to not get worked up when things didn't go easy because of kids. Chilling out is probably the one thing I've done that's made travelling much more enjoyable with kids. Them getting older has probably helped with that as well.
    maroon10
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    AG
    Don't stop living your life when your child arrives, so many people do this. Travel. Do what it takes, take them, don't take them. We're doing our first trip with 2 kids next Fall- Mexico AI. We still travel by ourselves 2-3x a year- use grandparents/aunts so they play with cousins. Good luck.
    ThunderCougarFalconBird
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    AG

    Quote:

    How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?
    Number right now is substantially less because we just added our second. She's actually by far the easier of the two because she's not mobile yet. We probably won't go on many flights until the older one is potty trained.

    Quote:

    Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?
    We've done both. We have not left our youngest overnight yet. We won't until she reliably sleeps overnight in her own crib, so a few more months until then. When we do, I assume we will have grandparents to be primary watchers but will have the nanny come in for mornings when we are gone (in-laws are a bit of late risers and my mom is on her own)

    When our kids get a little older, I intend to bring our nanny and her husband for the times he can get away from work to come. The arrangement will probably be that we will pay regular rate, cover their travel, accommodations, food, and have her take the kids for certain stretches during the day and perhaps one or two evenings if we want to go to dinner but be sure to give her/them enough time on their own.

    Quote:

    How is travel different for you know that you have kids?
    Kids work best on reliable schedules. Right now, we plan around nap time and bed time. That will probably be the case until they shed naps and are potty trained.

    Quote:

    What things have you done to make travelling easier?
    No great advice here except that once your kid is mobile, buy them their own seat on the airplane and strap them into a car seat. Don't try to bring them as a lap child.

    Quote:

    And I've heard, travelling with kids isn't a vacation it is a trip.
    When I grew up, we weren't poor but we weren't exactly swimming in cash. Vacations meant that if we weren't staying with family, the my parents, me and my 2 siblings were all in one hotel room. My wife and I do considerably better than our parents, so part of our budgeting and planning goes into accommodations. That means that over night, mom and dad have their own room -- whether it be via VRBO, AirBnB, a hotel suite, or even just adjoining rooms. The ability to put the kids down at night and do things like....each other....or whatever....returns it back to vacation territory -- especially when your kids are young and leaving them in an otherwise secure location like a room at a nice resort while they sleep to go somewhere on premises for a drink or a meal just isn't possible.
    AggieOO
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    I'm sure things will change, but...have a 6 month old. So far, we've been to:

    - Florida, flew
    - Wisconsin, flew
    - Wisconsin, flew
    - Wisconsin, drove
    - Big Bend, drove

    We have trips later this year for:

    - big bend
    - Phoenix, then grand canyon
    - san Diego
    - Cali/mt whitney
    - Wisconsin
    - another big bend trip

    We will see what else gets added.
    Keeper of The Spirits
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    AG
    Anyone get there kid a passport yet? If so, how was that?
    JJWAGGIE
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    AG
    Absolutely no reason to for anyone to shut down their lives post kids but many do! Is there an impact? Of course there is but you still need to get out and do... take it as an opportunity to introduce your kids to the things you love!

    Every year we take a 10 day trip in the summer, ski trip in the winter, one 5 day adult trip sometime during the year. We found that with younger kids it was best to aim for beaches, mountains etc... not cities. Post kids we tend to avoid hotels/resorts and utilize VRBO to rent condos/houses. We like the ability to have some meals in and put the kids to bed behind a door that allows us to have a few drinks and enjoy the evening. Standard hotel rooms make that impossible.

    As much as we enjoy traveling with the kids... we very much look forward to our one adult trip a year! For those, we aim for locations that are not so child friendly and simply enjoy the kid free time together. If you can swing it, I would recommend this annual trip to all new parents!

    All of our children have passports.
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    AggieOO
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    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    Anyone get there kid a passport yet? If so, how was that?


    Not yet, but she's going to Boquillas, Mexico with us in May. At 6 months, it looks like a birth certificate is all that is needed. We will likely get hers soon though.
    aTm2004
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    AG
    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    I am interested to get thoughts from the people on this board about travelling once you had kids:


    • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children? Usually a long weekend to her family's farm in Iowa, a couple of extended weekend trips somewhere (Chicago, NY, etc), and 1 major trip per year (Alaska, Costa Rica, etc).
    • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less? For the most part, 0 as a couple. The oldest is 5 and my wife and I took our first real trip without the kids last March when we went to Switzerland to visit friends. We did an extended weekend in NYC a couple of weeks before Christmas when she was pregnant with #2.
    • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter? Outside of last year, they go with us. Nanny or babysitter? HAHA! Nope, we corral them. Her parents went on one with us and didn't really help. Sure would have been nice to have them offer to watch the kids so we could at least get dinner and some drinks.
    • How is travel different for you know that you have kids? It's much more expensive and everything is geared towards them. When we went to Switzerland, we flew her sister and her daughter in to stay with our kids while we were gone.
    • What things have you done to make travelling easier? Bought a minivan. Much cheaper to drive and a lot easier now.

    And I've heard, travelling with kids isn't a vacation it is a trip.
    For us, it is a trip and I don't really get too excited to go because it disrupts schedules and we spend majority of the time watching them like a hawk because they're oblivious to the dangers around. We never get to go do anything after 7 nor do we get to sleep in. I'll say that our kids are 5 and 3, and we just added another back in November but haven't gone anywhere with him yet. I'm sure it will change in 10 years when they're more self-sufficient.

    It's still fun, though. My wife is pretty good at finding kid friendly things to do wherever we go and she's also good at finding good deals/coupons to make it less expensive. She's started talking Disney now, so we'll start planning on doing that probably next year and will most likely leave #3 with one of the grandparents, unless we make it a family vacation where her brother and his family and her sister and her family all come, which will mean the inlaws would come as well.

    I'll also say that it took a lot of convincing my wife that leaving the kids with the grandparents for a few days was OK and we wouldn't come back to people who don't know us.
    CDub06
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    AG
    Ours is 14 months. We traveled a fair amount before the kid was born. That did change, but we're starting to travel a bit again.

    Our guys/girls trips have ceased for now, but we have done 2 long weekends together and I'm planning a longer trip for May. Taking the baby anywhere is a major chore, so I'd rather stay home than travel anywhere with the kid for now. Thankfully my parents have been so great keeping her. Despite living 4 hours away, they say "anytime, any place" and have been pushing us to do these things.

    The rub is that we do feel guilty when we are gone. It doesn't really slow us down, but it does nag.

    I do look forward to taking her places...eventually. But I'm not looking forward to traveling with the hordes of families during the standard kid vacation times.
    The Anchor
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    AG
    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    I am interested to get thoughts from the people on this board about travelling once you had kids:


    • How many trips per year did you take prior to having children?
    • How many trips do you take now per year? If less, what are the factors that cause you to travel less?
    • Do you travel with your children or leave them at home? Do you travel with a nanny or baby sitter?
    • How is travel different for you know that you have kids?
    • What things have you done to make travelling easier?

    And I've heard, travelling with kids isn't a vacation it is a trip.

    1) Typically at least two to three week long vacations with countless weekend trips. We went abroad 2 to 3 times a year.
    2) Around 2 week long trips without kids and 1 trip with kids. One to three weekend trips without kids.
    3) Only once a year for a big trip and a few smaller trips do we bring the kids. No, we do it alone and we have a 5 year old and 3 year old twins.
    4) More conservative in cost (she is now a SAHM). When we get away now we are more likely to sit at a beach resort and relax than do anything adventurous.
    5) Wait until they were potty trained.
    HECUBUS
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    AG
    Travel about the same amount, but to different locations for different activities. I disagree with no reason to travel less with kids. They charge double on school holidays and places are too crowded. You also lose the ability to travel according to weather, which stinks for avid downhill skiers.
    JMac03
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    AG
    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    Anyone get there kid a passport yet? If so, how was that?
    We got our kids passports last summer. They are using them for the first time for Spring Break. It was easy peasy. Note both parents must be present unless there is a valid reason one cannot be there (incapacitated, incarcerated, etc). I'm sure you can get other waivers or have notorized paperwork to waive it.

    We used to do one larger family vacation every 2-3 years and hubs and I go somewhere every year. We also do something as a family even if it is going out of town for a few days. We will probably start traveling a minimum of of 1-2 times as a family per year now. Kids are 9 and 15.
    JMac03
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    AG
    Also kids passports are only good for 5 years, not 10.
    ChipFTAC01
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    AG
    We got both of our kids passports when they were about 4 months old. Had a family wedding in England when they were about 7 months old. We also went ahead and got their British passports before that trip as well (my wife is English).
    62strat
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    AG
    Keeper of The Spirits said:

    Anyone get there kid a passport yet? If so, how was that?
    It's no different than getting your self a passport. Take a picture of them that meets the guidelines (or have it taken at walgreens), and get a passport. Get them a SS number first, though it's not required.

    We got our first child's pp at ripe age of 3 months. Laid him on a bed on a blue blanket and took a picture until it looked right. He went to aruba at 6-7 months.

    Both parents aren't required to be there; an absent parent can fill out form DS-3053 (notarized) along with photocopy of ID used for notary.
    JJWAGGIE
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    AG
    We ski every year... travel from Texas to wherever we are going with all three kids. Have never missed a year... even when our children were babies. Can we be choosy about the weather? not possible. Do we get perfect powder days? only if we are lucky. Do we have a damn good time... absolutely! Kids are not a reason to stop enjoying life.
    Greener Acres
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    AG
    Quote:

    Absolutely no reason to for anyone to shut down their lives post kids but many do! Is there an impact? Of course there is but you still need to get out and do... take it as an opportunity to introduce your kids to the things you love!
    I think this is key. We've discovered that there are some difficulties in travelling with kids, because kids are kids. All of the things you deal with at home, will happen while travelling. But that includes seeing their eyes light up at learning or seeing something new for the first time. That includes the creation of memories. People that say kids wont remember this or that, forget that the parent is experiencing the moment with their child. And the parent gets to have build a memory as well. I remember my daughter doing some things that she'll forget but are etched in my mind as hilarious/cute.

    Our motivation to travel with kids is enhanced by limited parental assistance. If we want to see the world, we're bringing them with us. And we don't want to wait until "the time is right".

    HECUBUS
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    AG
    I think you get my point. There are certainly good reasons to travel less with kids. We vacation the same amount, but different. Jobs determine vacation time. Our skiing is down to one week a year, but we take other trips we wouldn't be taking without kids.

    One thing I didn't consider:
    If you include sports travel, then it's much more with kids. Trips to Houston, Roundrock, Dallas, Waco and San Antonio for weekend tournaments don't feel like vacations, but we're booking rooms, eating out and having as much fun as possible. I have friends with kids on national teams (crazy friends) and that is all of their travel.
    Keeper of The Spirits
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    AG
    I really hope to avoid travel sports, our kid will never pay the bills with sports.
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