Is traveling with toddlers worth it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aside from family beach house, we didn’t think so and didn’t travel between the baby/not walking phase until age 4. Not worth it for us. I had rambunctious toddlers!

This was us. We had a family beach house and went there often, but it was easy because we had all our stuff there. And one time we went to the uk for a month when ds was 2.5 (for DHs work, and I had a month between two jobs) and we stayed in a rental and it was awesome. But even though ds was a very easy going baby, we never thought the travel was worth it to do anything more than that. People talk about the kid resorts, and honestly that is my idea of hell. I preferred to hang at home. Dh and I took a couple kidless trips too - thanks to my mom who was able to watch him. It’s funny because looking back, I am shocked that I think we only did 3 or so real trips in 8 years and does that mean I just didn’t take any vacation time for that many years? But I think that’s right? Which is fascinating because we are big travelers, but I think we just decided that traveling with a kid would have sucked. Once he hit 8 and Covid was over, we’ve been making up for it. With 2-3 crazy trips a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two kids under 3, a year and a half apart in age. I miss traveling and like the idea of a family trip somewhere nearby for a few days, either in April or this summer. However, every time I start researching places I think about all the things we would have to bring, how the kids’ routines would be disrupted, nothing would be baby-proofed, etc, and it just seems overwhelming. We’ve done two road trips to Upstate NY to visit relatives, and those trips were exhausting. Is there any way to make a vacation with toddlers pleasant? Or better to just wait and save money for a trip when they’re older?

No. I also find these trips depressing. I used to travel freely and enjoy sightseeing, dining out, sleeping in etc

traveling with toddlers reminds me how much I lost by having children. I love my children but greatly miss the high quality life I used to live.

I was definitely this way. Too depressing to be stuck in a hotel room not having sex, and having to whisper from 7pm on, and tied to the nap schedule during the day. Hang in there because within a short time, traveling with kids because awesome. For us it was around age 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly how old would the kids be when you do the trip?

Oldest turns 3 in the spring. Youngest would be between 17-20 months, depending on when we go.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Sounds like it’s doable, but only if we pay extra and have a childcare plan. Will have to discuss with my husband if we want to go that badly. Maybe we’ll just save up for a bigger trip in a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

[Anonymous]

Expectations. It's all about expectations.. Do less, enjoy more.

[Anonymous]

Barely anything with toddlers is "worth it".

[Anonymous]

Not worth it, IMHO. Mine are a similar gap. Travel started getting fun/way less stressful right around age 3. They sleep in real beds, they can sit in real chairs to eat, they use real toilets (maybe with a little topper). So the stuff shlepping is really cut down. They enjoy it. They’re more flexible - skipping a nap for a travel day or a big event is totally manageable. We’re still shlepping noise machines and black out curtains, and the younger can’t pull her own suitcase yet, but that’s manageable.

Honestly, the only thing that’s worth it travel wise before 3 is to see people you love. Otherwise, pass. And honestly, try to get those people to come to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

LOL -not everyone has babies who will sleep blissfully like yours…no matter how wanted those babies wer. Count yourself lucky, and stop thinking this is the norm for everyone else. I had one baby who was like yours, and one who was terror when traveling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

Oh god, stop saying “ baaaaaabies.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

LOL -not everyone has babies who will sleep blissfully like yours…no matter how wanted those babies wer. Count yourself lucky, and stop thinking this is the norm for everyone else. I had one baby who was like yours, and one who was terror when traveling.

I was replying to someone who said “kids are the worst” because they can’t eat dinner at a restaurant. Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

If I wanted to eat take out on a balcony with kids sleeping inside and enjoying DH's company, I can do that at home. That's what we mostly did for the early years. We've taken our 12 year old to 6 continents since covid, so it's not like we don't know good travel. But the idea of being resigned to the Ritz Carlton kids pool on Miami Beach or a kids club resort in Jamaica is my idea of hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

If I wanted to eat take out on a balcony with kids sleeping inside and enjoying DH's company, I can do that at home. That's what we mostly did for the early years. We've taken our 12 year old to 6 continents since covid, so it's not like we don't know good travel. But the idea of being resigned to the Ritz Carlton kids pool on Miami Beach or a kids club resort in Jamaica is my idea of hell.

That's sad. I can sit with my husband just about anywhere and be happy. Even better if I am overlooking the ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t stay in a hotel room with my kids from the time my oldest was born until my youngest was 5, so 8 years total. We only stayed in vacation rentals or visited family/friends in their homes. We also didn’t leave the time zone and didn’t go any further than FL or NY.

My kids were both excellent sleepers but they didn’t sleep well in car seats and they didn’t fall asleep well with other people in the room (like if we all shared a hotel.) So I didn’t want to mess with that because otherwise their sleep was excellent and DH and I got lots of downtime as long as we held onto the sleep schedule. During those years, the best trips were to beachfront condos/houses, eating easy food mostly in the rental, maybe going out to lunch. We didn’t really eat dinner out because the kids went to bed at 7pm and we started getting them ready at 6:15.

They are teens now and we travel all over. It’s just a season of life and I remember it very fondly.

Kids are the worst. Imagine going on vacation and not even being able to go out to eat with your husband.

No wonder women are increasingly opting out of having kids.

Not my feeling at all. Eating good takeout on a balcony over looking the water while the babies sleep blissfully inside. Babies you hoped and prayed and waited for. Sitting next to the person you love and who also loves the babies? Priceless.

If I wanted to eat take out on a balcony with kids sleeping inside and enjoying DH's company, I can do that at home. That's what we mostly did for the early years. We've taken our 12 year old to 6 continents since covid, so it's not like we don't know good travel. But the idea of being resigned to the Ritz Carlton kids pool on Miami Beach or a kids club resort in Jamaica is my idea of hell.

That's sad. I can sit with my husband just about anywhere and be happy. Even better if I am overlooking the ocean.

You misread. That's exactly the point. I can sit with my husband anywhere and be happy. We're sitting on the couch right now happy. I don't need to schlep noise machines and potties and 22 pounds of pulls ups to a kids club in the Grand Caymans to enjoy time with my husband, when I can do it at home for a few years.

And in any event, my primary house overlooks the ocean. That's what I'm looking at right now. Sorry you have to go somewhere crappy though to enjoy your time with your husband.

[Anonymous]

Toddler age beach vacations were easy and fun. Around 6 is when the city/other style vacations became fun.

I think a lot depends on your kids though. DS was never the type that had to be kept to a strict nap schedule and it was easy for him to fall asleep in different settings.