Re: bedtime, one thing we figured out is it is worth it to us right now to pay for a room with some sort of second space. A balcony, or a living room. If you have that, you can use it after bedtime for the adults to have a glass of wine or a room service picnic. Which can be fun! It makes a huge difference.

I also look for a desk or table, because I can set up a kid there with art supplies.

Before kids I never spent time in the room except sleeping etc, so I never saw the point of a suite.

no

Before kids, it would have never occurred to us to stay in a “resort” type hotel, eat on the property a lot, etc. Hotels were just for sleeping and maybe breakfast.

But for traveling with small kids, it’s the option with the least friction. Easiest to entertain kids, keep them optimally fed, and to trade off parenting duties and give everyone a break. Also easiest for traveling with grandparents.

I look forward to being out of this phase but for right now, a big hotel is a great option for us. A pool or two, a few adequate restaurants, assorted over priced activities. That’s what we need.

At those ages we did week long beach trips and long weekends to nearby resorts with lots of space for kids to run around outside (Greenbrier and Homestead). The Greenbrier has little cottages you can book and Homestead pre-renovation had rooms with a sitting area that had a door.

You can rent cribs and strollers at many beach towns. They'll deliver to your rental.

We also did Disney World. In Magic Kingdom they used to have a baby area in the first aid building - basically a quiet room with rocking chairs and changing tables. I remember taking my youngest there.

Bottom line is that it can be done, you just have to adjust expectations.

After three it’s okay but still not at all like traveling kidless.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:I found resorts in Florida or the Caribbean to be worth it. Quick nonstop flights, no time change and you can do as little or as much as you want. A place with a kids club is ideal so you can get a few hours to yourself each day. If not, you and DH can take turns going to the gym/spa/adults only pool.

One of my favorite places at that age was Four Seasons Palm Beach. The kids club at Four Seasons hotels is always free. It was very well run. You could use the spa facilities without booking a treatment so I'd spend a couple of hours each day in the relaxation room, steam room, etc.

Also liked the Boca Beach Club. For Caribbean, Aruba is super easy because most hotels are on a strip across from a bunch of restaurants.

The problem is that a suite at the FS PB or a similar property will run you $3-4k a night. If you do a single hotel room you might have fun while your kids are at a kids club, but you won’t get to have sex and sleep will be limited with everyone in the same room.

Which is why I encourage traveling alone with a spouse and leaving the kids at home.

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.

No way. Hire a nanny to stay a long weekend at home with your kids and go somewhere with your spouse.

It just depends a lot on your expectations for the trip and recalibrating away from it being "relaxing." We started traveling a lot more when kids were 5 and 2, so a little older and we have a bigger age gap. That felt pretty manageable including flights, less "stuff" etc

I found resorts in Florida or the Caribbean to be worth it. Quick nonstop flights, no time change and you can do as little or as much as you want. A place with a kids club is ideal so you can get a few hours to yourself each day. If not, you and DH can take turns going to the gym/spa/adults only pool.

One of my favorite places at that age was Four Seasons Palm Beach. The kids club at Four Seasons hotels is always free. It was very well run. You could use the spa facilities without booking a treatment so I'd spend a couple of hours each day in the relaxation room, steam room, etc.

Also liked the Boca Beach Club. For Caribbean, Aruba is super easy because most hotels are on a strip across from a bunch of restaurants.

^ oh wait, we did do Disney. That was an exception.

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!

No