Traveling with Toddlers

Family vacations can be so much fun, and a great adventure. I love creating memories, as well as exploring new places. We've been to snowy, cold places with the kids, as well as tropical places with them. Our vacations with kids are definitely A LOT different than our vacations without the kids(and less relaxing!), but I love the memories that we are creating with them.
Here are a few tips for traveling with toddlers:

1.) Double check the weather conditions right before you leave. It may seem like common sense, but there have been so many times when the weather was a lot chillier than we expected. Sometimes if we aren't sure, I'll throw a light jacket into their backpacks, so we can pull it out easily if we need to.

2.) Bring their own backpack with new activities & snacks.  Before every trip, whether it be a plane or car ride, we pack each toddler their own backpack (for our older two anyways). Each backpack has a sippy cup, crackers, new activity books/sticker books, and their favorite stuffed animal or toy. We also will download new apps onto the iPad for them to play as well.

3.) Don't stress about the schedule. I've always been very structured with naps, and the daily routine, but while on vacation it's so hard to stay on schedule. And let's be honest, should there even be a schedule while on vacation? Thankfully, my kids have been pretty easy to travel with, and they will nap really well in the car or in their stroller.

4. Always plan for extra time. Six months ago we took our three toddlers on a Caribbean cruise. It may sound crazy, but it was one of our favorite vacations EVER. When we stopped at different ports, we had to plan out our time accordingly, and make sure that we had enough time to get back on the ship. Between potty breaks, applying sunscreen, and the slower walking pace, it always took a lot longer to get from point A to point B.

5. Travel with extended family or friends. When we went on our cruise, we had my side of the family join us as well. They were able to help out with the kids, so the hubby and I could have some time to ourselves. It definitely helped to make the trip more relaxing. Also, some resorts and cruise ships have awesome childcare options. We went on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, and the childcare was absolutely amazing (and free). We would use this option when we all wanted to go to dinner or a show kid free. 

Overall, traveling with kids can be a lot more work, but I wouldn't trade having the adventures and memories with the whole family!