Traveling with young children: the joys, necessities, and the hassles.

"There are no seven wonders in the eyes of a child.    There are seven million." 

~ Walt Streightiff

This is my 3 year old niece enjoying her first sunset in Camp Bay, Africa

Just the thought of traveling with babies and toddlers can be scary and could be enough to stop you from booking your trip.  But who deserves a get away more than you?  With a little knowledge and preparation, your much needed vacation could go over without a hitch! 

 Also, do you think its fair to leave the little ones at home?  They may not have a 9-5 but in their world a break from the norm could work wonders on them too.  As an expecting mommy, all I want in the entire world is to give my little boy the opportunities to see what is around him, past him, expand his horizons and to know the feelings you get from traveling.  Yes, I am terrified of being mid flight at 1am and waking everyone up with a mental break down.  I can see the looks of people now, but is that enough for me to take away all the life lessons and adventures from my child.....heck no!  I would sincerely apologize to the people around me and handle the situation....people will get over it.

I have learned a lot from my older sister, she has taken her daughter Poppy all over the world from the very beginning. 

Poppy in Costa Rica

Now that Poppy is a toddler it seems that the most important aspect of preparation is talking about the trip before leaving.  If you let the anxiety before the trip take over it could end up being worse than the actual traveling itself!  But if you talk about these aspects you can ease the preparation part:  

* Describing where you are going

* For how long

 * How far away it is

 * What you will doing

* How you will get there
*Start a count down
*Buy a world map

* Get them excited

I mean who could resist seeing their child this excited :)

So obviously we know what the hassles are of traveling with kids:

* They are unpredictable... 
Yes, they have a mind of their own but that is why we love them...right??

* More luggage...for the parents to carry...
I highly suggest not checking any luggage, not matter how far you are going and for how long.  It just makes check-in harder and creates more time spent at the airport.  Only bring things that will fit on the plane.

* Another plane ticket to buy
Well, kids fly free until they are two years old so take advantage.

* Finding kid friendly things to do

* Staying on a budget

the list could go on and on....

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And the advantages of traveling with kids...the things that make it all worth it!

* Make memories that last a lifetime!

* You providing your child with experiences they cannot receive at home or in a classroom.

* You get to add the dimensions of your families relationship.

* Learn things abroad that you can bring home and incorporate into your daily life.

* Sculpt well rounded and independent children that will one day do the same for their kids.

Check out this travel blog I follow called YTravelBlog to check out 25 tips on traveling with kids.  They sum it up perfectly!  
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"Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings."
~ Rodding Carter

This is me 20 weeks pregnant in Ecuador - already laying the foundation!

My sweet little niece in the Keys...you will never be able to hold this girl back!

To end this post I would like for you to know also that you are not alone in planning these family vacations.  United Military Travel's travel consultants know all the in's and out's of traveling with kids. Take advantage of their knowledge and do not be shy about asking questions.  That is what they are there for - to insure your vacation is everything you could imagine.