Experienced parents, what was the hardest age for traveling? When did it permanently improve?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12 was the hardest age. Kid thinks they know everything, won't help wtih anything, only wats to do what they want to do.

Kid is 15 now, and ven they will tell you they ruined the Hawaii vacation.

Teens can be threatened and bribed. Toddlers hands down. Teens you can also leave. Don’t want to go to Haleakala, fine stay here we’ll go without you.

Yeah, I agree with this. I was a horrible drama queen teen but nothing compared to my toddler at her worst. -OP

LOL. Ok, check back in 12 years.

Condescending teen parents are one of the worst parts of this forum. I came here asking for advice and I get snark. Can we not?

No offense but if you’re convinced you’re in the worst stage of of parenting and don’t want to hear otherwise , why did you ask for others’ perspectives? Sounds like you really just needed a vent

+1

The PP giving you advice about teens actually did so in a polite way. Then you came back and tried to compare your experience as a teenager to someone who is parenting a teenager. Vastly different experiences! You had the condescending response. That being said, all stages have their frustrations. Just when you think it’s gotten easier, something comes out of left field, just like life in general. Just got to ride the wave OP.

Alright, i can see that now. Having a rough day. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

The hardest age is when school starts to matter a lot and you have to go during peak season.

[Anonymous]

Anytime after 18 months was a big improvement, but at about age 5 it got SO MUCH EASIER. Totally over naps, no need for a stroller or crib or really any gear beyond clothes and snacks, can entertain themselves reasonably well on a plane, etc. We found traveling with our kid to be genuinely fun.

[Anonymous]

We've been traveling with your daughter since she was a baby. Because she's used to being in the car and flying it's honestly all been pretty easy with her. I would say once they're around 10 it gets to be really easy, but we also have a really easy kid. If we didn't I don't think we would travel as much as we do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The hardest age is when school starts to matter a lot and you have to go during peak season.

This is a great point!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12 was the hardest age. Kid thinks they know everything, won't help wtih anything, only wats to do what they want to do.

Kid is 15 now, and ven they will tell you they ruined the Hawaii vacation.

Teens can be threatened and bribed. Toddlers hands down. Teens you can also leave. Don’t want to go to Haleakala, fine stay here we’ll go without you.

+1

Diapers, naps, car seats, and toddlers who take off running are way worse than moody teens. It’s easy to give teens space and independence.

-with a moody teen in HI right now

[Anonymous]

Depends entirely on your kid. My eldest was a total delight to travel with basically as soon as she got out of diapers. Second kid probably has ADHD and is a nightmare to travel with. Third kid is a toddler now but seems temperamentally a lot more like the first. Fingers crossed for you, OP, that yours is like my first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends entirely on your kid. My eldest was a total delight to travel with basically as soon as she got out of diapers. Second kid probably has ADHD and is a nightmare to travel with. Third kid is a toddler now but seems temperamentally a lot more like the first. Fingers crossed for you, OP, that yours is like my first.

OP here. I think my DD is somewhere in the middle ground. Generally easy, pleasant temperament and adaptable but has a stubborn streak -- when she digs in, she digs in. Hoping it goes away. The first month after she turned 3 was a nightmare, I thought we'd passed the worst of the temper tantrum phase.

[Anonymous]

Parent of now 14 year old twins. We have frequently traveled since they were 9 weeks old. Lots of flights and 8-10 hour car rides. i'm a planner, and have always tried to be prepared to avoid as many meltdowns as possible, but mentally prepared that it would happen. Some airport or rest stop traditions that we developed early on and still use to this day include buying a magazine and one treat that mom wouldn't normally allow. Makes you a hero and kills time at the airport. Or gives something to look forward to at the next rest stop. Toddler years included a couple of new toys that were revealed during a long flight or car ride. They were just things from the dollar bins at target, but new and exciting. A stack of post-it notes, for example. A small, light weight and quiet activity that could distract for a while. My teenagers now just stare at their phones the entire time, but when they were younger, a screen was a special treat after all other options were exhausted and mom and dad needed a break. It was sometimes a reward after a nap, to try to encourage them to sleep. My kids would get overstimulated with too much screen time and that would backfire.

Easier said than done, but the more relaxed you can be (or at least appear) for your kids, it can help them not pick up on your stress or anxiety. It does get easier. And my now surly teens pack and carry all their own gear, so there are some perks to traveling with teens!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After age 4 it gets better and better. My 8 year old is a dream to travel with as long as she has regular food she likes.

But, like all humans, kids still need some grace. I need downtime and rest when I'm traveling!

+1. Way better when the youngest is 4, and becomes pretty easy when the youngest is about 8. Traveling with little ones is brutal, but it gets better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends entirely on your kid. My eldest was a total delight to travel with basically as soon as she got out of diapers. Second kid probably has ADHD and is a nightmare to travel with. Third kid is a toddler now but seems temperamentally a lot more like the first. Fingers crossed for you, OP, that yours is like my first.

OP here. I think my DD is somewhere in the middle ground. Generally easy, pleasant temperament and adaptable but has a stubborn streak -- when she digs in, she digs in. Hoping it goes away. The first month after she turned 3 was a nightmare, I thought we'd passed the worst of the temper tantrum phase.

Hey OP - I just responded (parent of 14 year old twins). My son has ADHD and an insanely stubborn streak. 3 was the worst age by far. They want more independence but have limited rational thought. Wearing him out at the airport or during car trip breaks was a must. I feel like we walked thousands of miles through airports. I would challenge him - "I bet you can't pull my suitcase the whole way to the gate!" or "let's see how many gates we can count...if we get to 30, you can have a treat!" I'm still not above bribery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends entirely on your kid. My eldest was a total delight to travel with basically as soon as she got out of diapers. Second kid probably has ADHD and is a nightmare to travel with. Third kid is a toddler now but seems temperamentally a lot more like the first. Fingers crossed for you, OP, that yours is like my first.

OP here. I think my DD is somewhere in the middle ground. Generally easy, pleasant temperament and adaptable but has a stubborn streak -- when she digs in, she digs in. Hoping it goes away. The first month after she turned 3 was a nightmare, I thought we'd passed the worst of the temper tantrum phase.

3.5-4 was the worst of it for our Dd re stubborn, crying for reasons unknown, etc. we did Disney world at 4 and 4 months and she was amazing and easy going. 6 months earlier I would have lost my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12 was the hardest age. Kid thinks they know everything, won't help wtih anything, only wats to do what they want to do.

Kid is 15 now, and ven they will tell you they ruined the Hawaii vacation.

Teens can be threatened and bribed. Toddlers hands down. Teens you can also leave. Don’t want to go to Haleakala, fine stay here we’ll go without you.

Wowee that sounds like a healthy household!

Actually it is. It is respecting their choice and not allowing them to ruin the vacation for everyone. Why is it healthier to make them go somewhere they don’t want to go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12 was the hardest age. Kid thinks they know everything, won't help wtih anything, only wats to do what they want to do.

Kid is 15 now, and ven they will tell you they ruined the Hawaii vacation.

I have an 11 year old and can see this coming. They’re too old for kid stuff -don’t appreciate adult stuff the same way. My kid loves museums but after 1-2 he’s done, doesn’t want to dig on the beach for hours, hikes are less enjoyable. We try to do a 1:1 parents pick, kid pick but sometimes he struggles to find stuff (unless it’s baseball season)

My 12 year old isn’t a particularly fun traveler (creature of habit, not as flexible as my other kids.. My kids, though, when they were 9 months to 2 years…I stopped traveling. Meeting the needs of a toddler took away a lot of the fun of travel for me. At least if my 12 year old sulks, when he looks back on the trip, he clearly learning and appreciated it -he was just a pain in the a$$ at the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends entirely on your kid. My eldest was a total delight to travel with basically as soon as she got out of diapers. Second kid probably has ADHD and is a nightmare to travel with. Third kid is a toddler now but seems temperamentally a lot more like the first. Fingers crossed for you, OP, that yours is like my first.

OP here. I think my DD is somewhere in the middle ground. Generally easy, pleasant temperament and adaptable but has a stubborn streak -- when she digs in, she digs in. Hoping it goes away. The first month after she turned 3 was a nightmare, I thought we'd passed the worst of the temper tantrum phase.

3.5-4 was the worst of it for our Dd re stubborn, crying for reasons unknown, etc. we did Disney world at 4 and 4 months and she was amazing and easy going. 6 months earlier I would have lost my mind.

This and the post below from mom of teen twins is encouraging. We also try to wear stubborn 3yo DD out at the airport. Lots of walking