Travel with Kids

You learn a few things along the way after you become a parent. Before children enter the picture, the world is much simpler and far less taxing. You only need to plan for one person: you. That is, unless you consider having a significant other as well. WELL! HOLD YOUR HATS! That would mean you would have to not only consider your needs, but from time to time…cue dramatic reveal music…the needs or desires of another.

I’ve lived along the coast all my life. As much as I love frolicking on the beach, I’ve always been a little intimidated about packing for the beach. Growing up, my list of beach essentials was lengthy. We’d pack our suits, an extra pair of clothes, magazines, blow-up balls, drying towels, pop-up canopies, water shoes, CD players, soap, chairs, snacks and water. It was a veritable campground on the sand!

We’re on the road a lot, sightseeing and adventuring up a storm. People often ask how we go about budgeting travel, and the truth is that it’s a concerted effort on our part.

Have you ever started planning a trip and wound up feeling totally overwhelmed? It’s easy to get sucked into recommendations and photos, contemplating a jillion different options. There are so many cool places, and not enough time to experience them all! In the Day family, we like to narrow our focus with a few travel questions before getting knee-deep into restaurant reviews and hotel reservations.

In southern California there is a wide variety of theme park adventures for families to enjoy. Ensuring a good day with babies, toddlers and preschoolers requires planning, sacrifice and a big bag to hold it all in. Or two.

I hear these words every time we travel. I hear them a lot of days that we spend at home, come to think of it! Our boys are tiny adventurers down to their core, with a love of the world and a desire to see every square inch of it.

Nate and I travel a lot, usually with a whole slew of kids in tow. It’s taken a bit of trial-and-error but we’ve definitely found a groove and know exactly what we need to prioritize, whether we’re roadside camping or staying in a resort. When friends ask us what they should look for in kid-friendly hotels, we have an extensive checklist of must-haves.

We’re getting ready for our next trip, as usual. Before we leave I always designate a large chunk of an afternoon as "packing day." Packing for kids does indeed take up the better part of a day because, well, there are kids involved!

Nate and I are road adventurers at heart. We travel a lot in numerous vehicles and often discuss trips with kids, so it’s inevitable that we field questions about vehicle safety.