…and what to do instead

As a busy, working mom, I’m VERY guilty of trying to do it all. I have a hunch I’m not alone! And, I’m definitely guilty of this when we planning family travel, too. 

My natural instinct is to book the latest flight possible home to maximize vacation time, plan as many fun activities as we can while we’re away (because my 3-year old is finally old enough to enjoy them!), and return immediately to work the day after we get home, even if we don’t get home until midnight (because, you know, PTO). 

This method worked pretty well when my husband and I were childless and in our 20s. Even then, maybe it wasn’t the best idea. Now that we’re older, we have a child (and more responsibilities overall!) I have to talk myself out of overbooking our schedule and travel itinerary every single time. 

But you know what? I never regret getting home a little early. Or having a buffer day with no plans on a trip. Or building in intentional downtime so we can relax at the hotel for an hour or two between activities. I think I will, but I don’t. You know what I DO regret? Every time I overbook myself and don’t do those things. 

Here are my three best tips for balancing time appropriately when traveling with young children, whether on travel days or on the trip itself. 

Build in downtime when planning family travel

A couple ways I suggest you do this. First, when you’re planning your itinerary, fight the inclination to pack your agenda completely full. If you want activities every day, at least build in an hour or two of downtime. This will help if you encounter any scheduling issues. It will also ensure you don’t have to rush between activities (especially if you’re in an unfamiliar city!). 

Second, on when booking travel days, don’t be like me. Book an early flight home so you can unpack, get laundry done and do a grocery run. Having things in order before returning to your normal routine is the best way to end a trip.

Plan a buffer day or two

I know the urge to fill your agenda to the brim and get the most out of visiting a new city. But with little kids, that just doesn’t always work out. Having a buffer day or two is great for a few reasons. 

When you get to your destination, you’re inevitably going to hear about activities or places that you want to visit that you didn’t discover in your research. Having a buffer day allows you to set time aside to do those things. 

And if you’re anything like my family, vacations are always more exhausting than we think. We get so excited to go on them, we forget routine changes are hard, travel days are exhausting and little kids are still little kids, even on vacation. Having a buffer day or two lets you build in a relaxation day so you can recharge, reset and make the rest of your trip amazing. 

Possibly the best family travel planning tip: Set realistic expectations

This is the hardest one for me, and somewhat encompasses everything I talked about above. In my family, I’m the one who enjoys travel most. That means I get really excited about big trips or visiting destinations that have been on my bucket list. When things don’t go perfectly or my 3-year-old is having a tantrum, my first reaction is to feel disappointed and angry. However, when I remind myself going into the trip that it’s NOT going to be perfect (nothing is!), it ends up feeling a little more perfect in reality.