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Travel Discussion
Silly to take young kids to England/Ireland?
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Anonymous
| My parents took me to the UK for the first time when I was 6. I still remember many details, and I remember it as the beginning of a life-long love of travel. |
Anonymous
| I can't think of any trip that would be silly. Traveling should be a fun adventure. Our kids have enjoyed every trip, regardless of the location or their ages. I know families who have stayed on farms/B&Bs in Ireland who had a blast! Their kids really got to experience some neat stuff. Aim to do kid-friendly stuff (ie: don't drag your kids through boring museums all day long) and you'll have fun. I'd say go for it! |
Anonymous
| Just got back from England with a seven year old, and we had a great time. I was worried about the country not being particularly "kid friendly," but didn't find that to be the case at all. I do have to say that my dc is articulate for his age and very well behaved (if I do say so myself -- but it was often commented upon by others) and everyone we met seemed quite charmed by him. As noted above, I think people were much more helpful to us than they would have been had we been traveling without dc. That might not be the case, however, if you have a couple of screaming, sleep-deprived toddlers. I just say that, because I think you have to judge the personality of your kids. While dc has always been very adaptable and was not thrown off at all by the long flight, time change, etc., we have kids in the family who would have been a total mess the entire week. |
Anonymous
| Definitely take them. Clearly you OP do value travel and I agree with all PPs who say that travel shapes who you are. Maybe your children will not remember the trip (maybe they will), but you always will. |
Anonymous
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Funny you should ask OP as I just took my two boys (then 3.5 and 5.5) to (western) Ireland last summer. Here is my perspective:
They had a great time. They liked the airplane ride, they liked the sheep farm we visited, they liked the puddles and the jaunting cart we took. They liked running around the gardens and having fun with Mom and Dad. And they loved throwing sticks in the river for the retriever that lived at the cottage we stayed in. They talk about it frequently although I don't know if the little one will really remember it when he is older. That part doesn't matter too much to me. I think they got plenty out of it anyway. If that is "enough" for you than go for it! But I will say this: Unless you're doing Dublin (which I did not do), a lot of what I wanted to see in Ireland was the natural landscape. The best way to do that is by hiking/biking/horsebackriding. Little legs don't do that very well. My kids are troopers, and they slogged through a few short hikes (and had fun) but it really limited what my husband and I could do and see. In western Ireland, it is often a 2 hour drive between small towns, and while there may be a kid-friendly activity (like the aquarium in Dingle), there also may not be. Lots of the cute Irish towns are just that: cute Irish towns. Things that I appreciate, but my kids were unimpressed by the thatched roofs in Adare. I've often wondered if London would've been a better trip. The advantage of London is that I think there are much more kid-friendly attractions in a small space... so if you need to, you can take a cab to the Tower of London and save their limited walking capacity for tearing around on the Tower grounds! In Ireland, I think the kids quickly got a bit tired of the length car trips between towns (we were based in Killarney). So... just my two cents. |
Anonymous
Totally agree with this. I'm the PP who went to London, and I hope to take ds to see the Irish countryside in the future, when ds is older. However, I knew from experience that ds is NOT impressed with scenery or architecture. London has lots of things he thought was fun (the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, mummies at the British Museum, boat ride down the Thames to the Tower and on to Greenwich, etc). I'm hoping someday he'll learn to appreciate the charm of the countryside, but I know that's a few years away, at best. |
Anonymous
| PP--you explained the issue with Ireland very well. There is a big disconnect between what small children will tolerate and what adults want to see. For example, although I grew up there, I have never been to the Skelligs. Definitely not on the agenda with small children! With small children I would definitely want to fold in stops in a few more "urban" centers--towns with a swimming pool, indoor playgound, ice cream place, etc. When we go we will be hitting Dingle, the indoor aquadome in Tralee, Fota Island in Cork, various playgrounds and farms, horseriding for our DD who is 5, beaches if the weather is nice and perhaps a movie theater if the weather is really nastly. It I were alone with DH it would be very different. |
Anonymous
| We took our son to Ireland when he was not even 2, and we look back on that as one of the best trips we ever had. My impression was that rural Ireland was quite hospitable to young children, Dublin not so much. As someone who used to live in Germany, I would say that Ireland was more kid friendly, especially in the smaller towns and countryside. Germany always seemed more dog-friendly than young child friendly. (What comes to mind is the woman in the restaurant who hissed that is was no place for children, while she was accompanied by a little rat-dog!) |
Anonymous
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My three-year-old has gone on 3 international trips and we're planning/hoping to go to England again this year (although good god, airfare!).
I love to travel. I love to visit my friends in other countries. I love to be in other countries. I love to be with my daughter. I need to take some trips that do not involve visiting my very conservative father. That about covers why we travel internationally. I hope that traveling this young will instill in her a curiosity about the world and interest in engaging in it ... and it would be nice if she has some great memories of our trips ... but the worst-case scenario is that we have a great trip together in a great place. That seems like a pretty good deal in itself And I was just amazed at all the cool kid stuff in London. Get "London With Kids" from Time Out. |
Anonymous
| I think it's a great idea! My parents started to travel with me at that age and your kids definitely will remember at ages 4, and 6 for many years. As far as destination: I would, depending on how much time you have, decide on England OR Ireland, and not try to fit too much into one trip! Assume you will return! |
Anonymous
And the Irish. |
Anonymous
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OP, is this a trip you want to do for you, and your kids would be coming along? I think other posters have covered the risks/limitations of a trip to Ireland with kids the ages of yours. But there are things we do because we know it will benefit the kids, and things we want to do and the kids aren't going to be scarred by coming along, even if they wouldn't choose it as their favorite trip ever.
I think they would be more likely to enjoy it, rather than tolerate it, if you waited a few years. But if you want to see your friends, maybe it's worth it to go now. |
Anonymous
| Yes, it's silly. |
Anonymous
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They will remember it! OP, do it! Great literature, history, Harry Potter, leprechauns ...
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