The Traveling Family

Every one's seen it before:  Mom and Dad are trying to calm down and please their distraught child.  Temper-tantrums and unhappy kids occur in a variety of locations:  grocery stores, clothing stores, restaurants, airports, train stations, hotel lobbies, airports, etc.  But this kind of behavior seems to be most prevalent (even in normally good-natured kids) while traveling.  Tension is high; surroundings are unfamiliar; and a child starts screaming.  Now, let's amplify the stress factor by adding a few more children.

Whoa!  That made my blood pressure rise just thinking about all of the whining, crying, screaming (and not just by underage people), and frustration that goes with the "joy" of family vacations.  Well, if you're anything like my family, you find yourself surrounded by a lot more kids than adults (we're almost 3:1).  But no worries.  We can get through this and still have a great family vacation.

"How is that possible?" you say.  "How do you  handle travel stress with more kids than adults?  What do you do?  How can this be a positive thing?"

I see you don't believe me.  Well, let's work on this together.  Travel has always been something I've loved and my kids have picked up on it.  Let me share a bit of our experience (practical advice) artfully blended with what agencies, field "experts" (how many of these travel with more than two children?), and other travel businesses say.

I want all types of families to feel comfortable with the idea that they can benefit from enjoyable family time.  But I am going to emphasize traveling with more than the "ideal" family size.  Our family hasn't fit into the "family four pack" status for several years and we've come across a few snags while trying to travel.  Hopefully, we can share a bit with you and keep posting about our adventures as they happen.