How we survive vacation with kids!

We love to get away and our boys love it, but traveling with kids can be hard. We have gotten used to packing up quick and taking our kids on the road, so I thought I would share a little bit about how we make it work. I’m usually in charge of packing because if my husband was, we probably wouldn’t even have a suitcase with us! Anyway, now that we have three kids, the car space is tight so I’ve learned it’s easiest to pack light. Most of the time we have access to a washer and dryer so that is extremely helpful. I try hard to use one suitcase for myself and the kids!

We take a lot of road trips so it’s all about car entertainment. Most of the time we are driving to Table Rock Lake! It usually takes us about 3-4 hours to get there. We’ve also driven to Wisconsin with our kids and Florida! Florida was a crazy long drive and we probably won’t do that again! We make sure to pack lots of snacks and iPads! iPads are everything when it comes to traveling with kids. We download our favorite movies and shows for the kids and it helps so much! I used to pack a bunch of toys, but honestly they don’t play with them in the car. They are mostly just interested in food and then asking us “if we are there yet.” We also make sure to take one good pit stop and let them run crazy through the gas station and pretend like they aren’t our kids. HA! Really though, it’s embarrassing.

The house or hotel we rent is usually everything to the kids, sometimes they don’t even care if we go anywhere else. They love playing in a new space. When we travel, we let our older boys sleep together. It’s so much easier and it’s comforting to them to have a buddy. We always bring our pack’n play for the baby, it feels like a lot to pack, but really if you have a baby never leave home without it. However, a lot of places offer pack’n plays or cribs so always check.

Swimming when we travel! Swimming makes me nervous with kids so we have a rule that if we are anywhere near the lake, we always have life jackets on. If we are at the pool, we put our water wings on before we even walk into the pool. Now that our oldest can swim on his own, we set rules on where he can swim and we designate a parent to each child. Then we each have a kid or two to watch like a hawk instead of watching three kids at once. We never leave them alone near the water and if we need a bathroom break, everyone goes! It might sound like common sense but it’s honestly good to talk some of this out before trips and remind each other how important water safety is.

Water safety is important, but it is also equally important to be mindful during other activities on vacation. We always stick together and we make sure to remind our kids to stay near to us over and over again. We set expectations and rules before we head out. We try not to give ourselves anxiety and when I say we, I actually mean me. My husband always stays calm and then I’m usually the one freaking out. I’ve found that talking through our activities is helpful and keeps us in the right mind set for tackling adventures with the kids!

Most of all we just focus on having fun! It’s crazy with kids, but reminding yourself to enjoy it is crucial because making fun memories is important. Remember to relax a little! Always bring a stroller or a double stroller because even kids that can walk get tired on vacations! Snacks and water bottles are a must. Don’t forget wipes for dirty little hands and baby bottoms. Below is my light packing list…remember a trip to target on vacation can’t hurt so don’t sweat it if you forget something!  

• Three outfits – including undies and socks
• One pair of jammies
• One pair extra shoes
• Motrin
• Benadryl
• Sunscreen
• Life Jackets
• One swimsuit
• The pack n’ play
• Sippy cups
• Car snacks and room snacks!