travel milestones with kids

[lynnerself]

The vacation threads have had me thinking back.
I remember certain times that travel suddenly got easier with my kids.

1. The first time we got in the car to go somewhere without spending time to pack a diaper bag.
2. The first time we went sledding and the kids got their snow stuff on by themselves and were out of the car before me.
3. The first time on a plane where they read books for the entire trip and I didn't have to entertain anyone.
4. The time when they were in middle school and I got a horrible (throwing up) migraine flying and they took care of me for a change.

Now it's funny when we travel. They carry my luggage and I see them doing things I always did (like counting everyone's carry on bags as we leave the plane.)

Do you have specific times you noticed your kids were getting to be better travelers?

[Abby Normal]

We were on a flight once that had severe turbulence.  Rather than DS scream in terror (like he had done before) he was going  "whooa,  whooooaaaaa, whooooooaaaaa (giggle giggle)  whoooooaaaaa".   

It had everyone around us cracking up and took the terror out of it for all of us.

[sheilaincali]

We flew a few times with the Boy when he was little (first flight was a 4 months old)- diaper bags, strollers, etc. It was a nightmare.

A couple of months after he turned 3 we flew to Germany for a month. It was so awesome! He was potty trained so no diaper bag. He has always been one of those self entertained kids (only child thing?) so he played with his legos and chatted with the people around us during the entire 8 hour from across the ocean. Once we got there The inlaws (lived in Germany) had a booster seat and we were good to go.  He ate wherever was offered in the restaurants and happily trudged along through castles, zoos, parks, train rides, etc. It was super successful trip

[yogiii]

May 28, 2014 13:13:55 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

A couple of months after he turned 3 we flew to Germany for a month. It was so awesome! He was potty trained so no diaper bag. He has always been one of those self entertained kids (only child thing?) so he played with his legos and chatted with the people around us during the entire 8 hour from across the ocean. Once we got there The inlaws (lived in Germany) had a booster seat and we were good to go.  He ate wherever was offered in the restaurants and happily trudged along through castles, zoos, parks, train rides, etc. It was super successful trip

YES!  This is what my vacation will be like, except with a 3 and 6 year old. 

[sheilaincali]

DS was an excellent traveler (still is).  At age 3 we started traveling to see the inlaws a couple of times a year. 12 hours in the car one way. We'd time it so we'd stop after 8 so he could swim at the hotel and relax and we'd finish up in the morning and be to the inlaws by lunch time.

When he was 5 they started picking him up in the motor home and he'd spend 8 weeks of the summer traveling all over the country with them in their motor home. He loved the adventure.

He is totally looking forward to leaving me on the 9th to spend a month in Germany going to school and traveling around with his tour group. He has a touch of wanderlust in him and loves going on adventures, trips, vacations, weekends away, etc.

[sheilaincali]

yogiii- I don't know if it's all kids or if DS just had that sparkle but the people in Germany LOVED him. In the shops they'd all give him little treats and free things. In the restaurants/bars they'd make him special desserts and meals.  He'd be happy ordering whatever but the chef would come out and talk to him and make him something just for him. They treated him like a little prince. It was so different from what we are used to here.

[alabamagal]

My kids have always been excellent travelers.  Most trips were a 9 hour drive to visit my parents or a 3 hour drive to visit DH parents.  Our best trick was to leave mid afternoon, and the kids would nap for a bit, then get a quick dinner and finish the trip.  We would miss the Orlando traffic in the early evening and arrive in Miami at 11pm - midnight so not much traffic either.

The only bad trip was when my DS was 5 months old and he through up on the way down and threw up in the same place on the way back.  Not sure what he disliked about Winter Park?

[giramomma]

May 28, 2014 12:58:07 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

The vacation threads have had me thinking back.
I remember certain times that travel suddenly got easier with my kids.

1. The first time we got in the car to go somewhere without spending time to pack a diaper bag.

We have a 4.5 year age gap between kid #2 and #3. #3 is two. It took me about two months to start remembering to pack a diaper bag when ever we went somewhere after she was born.. If we go on short trips (ie, less than an hour), I don't bother packing a bag, out of laziness. That, and I need to move quick before the two year old changes her mind and decides she doesn't want to go somewhere...
 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I just keep the diaper bag packed all the time.  When we got home, anything I used I replaced in relatively short order. 

[muttleynfelix]

May 28, 2014 14:21:56 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I just keep the diaper bag packed all the time.  When we got home, anything I used I replaced in relatively short order. 

That is what we do.  We have a backpack that is packed with a change of clothes for DD, diapers, wipes, snacks for both kids, clean underwear for DS.  On Sundays, we throw in some bottles and a thermos of milk for DD during church and a few toys. But it is mainly grab the bag and go.  Usually we leave it in the car while shopping or whatever we are doing. But we always have it with us. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I kept a can of that premixed formula stuff in there too, along with a bottle of water. 

[justme]

May 28, 2014 13:50:58 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

My kids have always been excellent travelers.  Most trips were a 9 hour drive to visit my parents or a 3 hour drive to visit DH parents.  Our best trick was to leave mid afternoon, and the kids would nap for a bit, then get a quick dinner and finish the trip.  We would miss the Orlando traffic in the early evening and arrive in Miami at 11pm - midnight so not much traffic either.

The only bad trip was when my DS was 5 months old and he through up on the way down and threw up in the same place on the way back.  Not sure what he disliked about Winter Park?

Even then he knew about the snooty rich people that live there. 

[whoisjohngalt]

I learned not to travel with kids shorty after they got potty trained bc we were stopping to pee every.five.freaking.minutes!  Now they can hold it like camels!

Not bringing a stroller was awesome on one hand and sucky on another - I used stroller to carry my diaper bag.  Now I have to.

My kids are pretty used to car trips and they entertain each other.   We haven't tried planes yet.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Travelling became a breeze when the kids finally packed for themselves.

It took some practice, and I invested in a 4 full sets of luggage, but I no longer worry about getting their stuff together.  I keep a list of basic items to pack on the computer, print it out a week or so before we leave, add anything specific to a trip, and hand it to them.  Now that they own the task for themselves, we've only had one real hiccup (aside from forgetting toiletry items).  YDS once brought only the flip flops he had on his feet for the car ride for footwear (a lengthy trip that included an event that required nicer clothing).  YM be damned, LOL, I didn't let it stress us out.  I just shepherded him into a mens' clothing store near where we were staying and $200 later he had new sneakers and new dress shoes. 

Another milestone was when we realized that high-end steak houses are our friend when we are traveling in an unfamiliar area.  I always bring a ton of food with me on trips because of the kids' life-threatening food allergies (don't want to try a new restaurant chain and then get on a limited access highway with miles between exits and hospitals).  So, now, we tough it out on the road and when we get to our destination, we find a really good steak house to eat at as soon as we arrive.  We have always had good luck getting a simple steak and potato baked in foil -- pricey, yes, but the attention to the order while on the road is priceless as they say.