I can’t count the number of times we’ve been asked this, and also how many times we’re considered it ourselves! 🙂 Friends, family, readers of our blog and us are well – are waiting to find out the answers!
Timing is everything isn’t it? And money too 🙂
So on the kiddy front – Coco#1 is 9, Coco#2 is 6 this year and we’ve a Coco#3 who just made an appearance! Travelling with 2 was already gutsy, some say, but with three? We’re officially out-numbered! Then again, what’s one more?
Cost Considerations: One of the first things to consider when thinking about traveling with children is the cost. Traveling with multiple children can be expensive, as there’s airfare or transportation, lodging, meals, and activities for everyone. Sometimes there might be a need to purchase additional equipment, such as car seats or strollers, to make the trip more comfortable for ’em kiddies. Of course, having the youngest <2 years old helps with the flight tickets to a certain extent. We’ve also realized booking whole apartments is the way to go, not hotel rooms. Although when you select the number of pax, the cost does go up. Undoubtedly, more expensive than before. That’s not even considering inflation!
Schooling Considerations: If your older children are school-aged like ours, you will need to consider their schooling when planning your trip. Depending on the length and timing of the trip, the children may need to miss school in order to travel. This can be disruptive to their education, and parents will need to work with the teachers and school administrators to ensure that they do not fall behind in their coursework. What are schooling options?
- Missing a term or two is an option, I think?
- There’s the standard planning of holidays during school breaks, but that’s not ideal with peak everything! Peak ticket prices, peak crowds.
- Homeschool maybe an option for some, although I don’t think this is us.
- Digital school – that’s a cool option. We were recommended a place that does it all online, so you have a structure and teachers and assignments etc, but all done through a computer. I suppose it’s the social interaction only that would lack, i.e. making friends etc.
- The other option was as we did in Mexico, where we put the kids in the school opposite where we stayed. It was a bi-lingual school, in Spanish and English, and was a fantabulous experience for all of us. But that would mean being in 1 place vs. actual travelling. Depends what you are after, I suppose!
Being “Outnumbered” Considerations: Three most certainly means we parents are outnumbered. This can be especially challenging when one of the children is a newborn who requires constant care and attention. There’s a need for careful consideration of the logistics of travel, managing expectations for the trip that we may not be able to do all that we want, and just general being extra flexible.
–>> In conclusion, still a very exciting thought! I think we might still have it in us to do this!
Would you consider taking some time off work to travel for an extended period with your troop? Our experience taught us that traveling with kids can be a wild ride, and if you don’t keep a sense of humor about it, you might end up tearing your hair out. Embrace the chaos – kids are unpredictable, and that’s part of what makes them so entertaining. Try to enjoy the wild moments, even if they’re a little bit stressful. After all, the best stories usually come from the moments when everything goes haywire.
