Manage Expectations (Yours, Not Theirs!)
Just remember that you are not on a military mission: Kids will be tired and off schedule when traveling through time zones. They likely won’t eat and sleep exactly when you’d like, but there will be plenty of fun to be had in the unexpected, unplanned moments. Just wandering small streets off the beaten path, eating new and different foods in foreign cafes, and experiencing the art that is everywhere vs. what is found in formal museums will all make for a wonderful holiday.
Don’t forget the souvenirs!
Lastly, almost every child loves a good souvenir. Allow them to pick their treasures early in your trip – before you spend two hours in a museum, before you tour a historic monument – and everyone will be happy. Additionally, let them share their travels with friends and family using Postino, a customizable postcard app that is perfect for young explorers on the go.
Bon voyage!
Great ideas, but think slow travel and extended travel if you want to save money and get deep language immersion. We’ve been traveling the world as a family non-stop for 6 years on just $23/day per person to 43 countries on 5 continents and it’s been an amazing education! http://www.soultravelers3.com/2011/07/how-to-and-why-raise-a-global-kid.html
As our world shrinks, we need to raise global kids. DO travel internationally with your kids..make it a priority!
I agree. Travel with them as much as possible. We are military stationed in Germany with a 4yo, 2yo and 4 month old. We travel all over. It’s great for the children. Ours will be so bored when we move back to the US this summer. Funny Barcelona was mentioned. That’s my 4yo’s favorite place of all!
We are a family who are at the tail end of a year-long backpacking trip covering 10 countries in SEA, including India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Our kids were aged 3.5yrs and 5yrs when we started. As @soultravelers3 pointed out, slow and extended travel is a good way to actually save money as you can negotiate better long-stay rates on accommodation and spend less on travel. We typically average about $50 USD per day for our entire family, which includes everything from food, accommodation, overland travel expenses and activities. And not only can you get to know a place better, but it’s easier for families as it takes the pressure off of having to do everything ‘now’. Kids need to be well paced and need lots of down time too–happy kids mean happy trip! we’re at http://www.with2kidsintow.blogspot.com in case you are curious. Travel is a terrific family experience!