There always seems to come that moment when you travel with kids that you wonder – Is it really worth it?
Are those challenges of travel with kids worth the effort?
Is it worth paying the airfares, choosing suitable family accommodation, find things to do that all the family will enjoy and selecting the right food venues?
To me this question and the challenges of travel with kids really came to the fore when we took a family holiday to Singapore back in 2011. Our son Lewis was not quite 3-years-old.
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When I felt the challenges of travel with kids
I know I was probably just expecting too much of a toddler but truly he nearly had me pulling my hair out every meal time.
You see Lewis just could not sit still. He was just one of those energetic boys and still is today – though now that he is 8 he is able to do as he is told (most of the time 😉 )
But back then it was a different story.
Entering a restaurant we would be seated, provided with a baby seat, open the menu, and then it would start. Gently at first with just sugar sachets being pulled from their dispenser and spread about the table. Then menus would be snatched and the need to sit on Daddy’s lap became urgent.
Choosing a more family friendly restaurant that offered colouring made little difference. Coloured pencils would be dropped to the floor in order to get out of the chair. Up, down, up, down, up, down. And god forbid if we were seated in a booth – those couches received a good bouncing workout.
I dreaded meal time for the first few days.
After 2 days I got smarter (I think) – a time out was introduced. So now not only did I have to cope with the antics but I also I had to spend every meal out the front of the restaurant – usually just as my food had arrived, as Lewis sat in time out.
However there is a reason most parents use time out as discipline tool – it works. So within a few meals we were starting to see the benefits.
Now you would think that this would be enough for me to just wish the family holiday to Singapore away and never arrange another. But you see there are so many more wonderful things that happen as you spend your days with your child. Yes the meals were awful, but in between it was lovely.
We frolicked in our resort – The Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa‘s pool and splash park daily,
Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Splash Park
Loved catching the free transport around Sentosa Island and exploring all the fun and free things to do on Sentosa Island,
Images of Singapore
Visited the Underwater World and Dolphin Park (which closed recently in 2016),
Dolphin Park
Explored the city of Singapore,
Singapore city
And just enjoyed the simple things.
In Vivo City Singapore
So whilst we had challenges in travel with kids on this family holiday (well let’s face it there are challenges in every family holiday) there were so many more wonderful moments that became lovely memories, that we still laugh about today. This is why we continue to travel with a child – we have a bank full of wonderful family moments.
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Have you experienced any challenges in travel with kids?
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Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I never travelled beyond a trip to Busselton, or similar with my son was little so never had the additional stress of a little one travelling. I am glad you found a solution and pursued your travels, I’m sure some would just give up until the children are older.
Well done on the road tripping Lyn, we could never get passed Joondalup in the car without tantrums – he was much happier in an aeroplane.
I don’t have kids, but my friends who have young kids still make it a point to travel, and they seem to be coping well! Personally, I’m not sure the trouble would be worth it for me – unless they’re old enough to remember the trip – but on the other hand, I can’t imagine not travelling at all for at least 7 years!
That’s one of the reasons I travelled with a toddler, I did not want to sit at home. Another way to look at travel with kids (for when you get there Michelle) is that your whole life alters when you have children so so to will your travel style.
Yes, there are certainly always challenges in a family holiday – but the good moments make it all worthwhile. We find that dealing with tantrums and the occasional bad behaviour is often easier when we’re travelling because we’re more relaxed ourselves than when we’re at home doing all the normal chores and work – so the whole family is more relaxed. #TheWeeklyPostcard
That’s a good way of looking at it Clare, we are definitely more chilled on holiday and will tolerate a lot more than we do at home.
I don’t have kids myself but I can just imagine how challenging it can be to make a trip work for everyone. Good for you for persevering and making memories that you cherish today. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Thank you Jennifer, basically it is all about creating family memories.
Yup – kids are a pain sometimes, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Although, have you noticed that when you ask them what their best bits were its often the simplest of pleasures, something that wasn’t planned, something that just happened organically. Hence, we try not to overthink kiddie travel and just enjoy the moments with them. I’m hoping all these well travelled kids thanks us travellers when they’re all older 😉 #TheWeeklyPostcard
So true about the simplest things Alex, the thing my son remembers from that trip to Singapore was taking rides on the free buses around Sentosa Island. Kind off an expensive way to hang out on public transport 🙂
PS. I am sure they will thank us it is because of my Mum’s love of travel that I now travel.
Like you said, there are challenges every time you travel. My husband and I are pretty good travel partners but we still have our own preferences. So, we have to adjust trips to suit both preferences. Things do not go too smooth when you want to do different things or one person wants go back to the hotel but the other want to stay out or when one gets sick and the other do not seems to understand what is happening. But, adjustments are possible and at the end, the experiences are too good to let them pass.
So true Ruth, I think travelling with someone who has different tastes than you can broaden your experience as you try things that you would never have done on your own.
I think you are doing a great job Sally by traveling with kids. We always took our son with us when he was little and although it was hard at times, we still enjoyed it. The result is that he is a world traveler today and can find his way around in every country.
Thank you for boost of confidence Anda, I do find that perhaps as a result of our travels my son is very tolerant of people from all cultures and no matter if they can speak English or not.