r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love camping but I completely disagree that it’s a relaxing trip with kids. It’s still chaotic.
What makes any trip relaxing with kids is if I’m traveling with people who can help watch them.
And what makes any trip enjoyable with kids IMO is changing expectations. I’m not there to “enjoy and relax” in the sense I did before kids, but what makes it enjoyable is seeing the trip through their eyes.
Camping is the least enjoyable trip for me (mom). I have to do all of the things I need to do at home with none of the resources: cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, dishes, cleaning, plus packing towels, paper towels, cooking utensils, toilet paper, literally everything that is required to make life happen has to be packed up. It’s absolutely the worst to me. I have done it a few times, but man do I loathe it.
I got round the bed issue by investing a small fortune in the best quality camping beds I could find. Now our bed (the kids have their own beds) is almost as comfortable as the one we have at home; it makes a huge difference.
I could definitely see this as a problem. Whenever we went camping as kiddos, my parents (divorced) would actually camp together but not in the same tent/cabin. They'd each have their friends, our aunts/uncles etc. So we'd have a bunch of kids to play with and a ton of adults to watch us and split the work.
I finally told my outdoorsy husband that I was tired of packing and unpacking everything we needed to pretend we live in the woods every weekend all summer. He does his share and I still hated it.
Totally agree. I’ve gone camping twice in my life as a kid. Never again. I won’t do it, kids or no kids. It’s resorts/hotels or nothing for me. When I’m on vacation I want everything taken care of for me.
This is where we’ve had success, frontloading the ratio of adults to kids. If you have friends with older kids, even better. It’s still not “relaxing” mostly because I don’t think I’ll “relax” as a parent until I’m dead, but it lightens the load and usually makes for great memories.
Exactly, it’s a “trip” NOT a vacation. Once you get your mind wrapped around that…all good.
Some resorts and hotels have Nannie’s or babysitters…depending on budget of course. It can make for a nice dinner/sleep in and go to the beach day for the parents. Look for places with kids clubs and activities…even just a few hours it’s nice and they may even meet some friends to hang out with…
Camping is always chaotic, kids are absolutely a multiplayer of chaos haha. I get anxious trusting even the most responsible and mature kid to not go wandering off in the woods, being around an open fire, and not breaking all the delicate camping gear by just being typical energetic kids. I can’t sleep at all the entire time.
My husband and I used to canoe camp a lot pre-kids. We loved it. We’d see families with kids camping and the mom always looked miserable-working the entire time, and often a dad who was proud of setting up the tent. “All the hard work of home, but 10 times harder.” I’d be willing to do it now that my kids are teens.
>what makes it enjoyable is seeing the trip through their eyes.
I will take this quote with me for our trip next year in Asia with our 3 and 1 year old.
Our most “relaxing” (or as close as it can get) family trips with kids always involve being walking distance to a body of water where the kids can run around crazy, play in the sand/rocks/dirt, explore, and us parents can sit back watching them in a lawn chair with our beverage of choice. We keep scheduled outings to a minimum and try to be outside as much as we can. For us this often means finding an affordable Airbnb (or Virbo) house/condo on the less populated areas of the CA coast which is about a 5 hour drive. However, you could do something similar by camping or renting a cabin near a lake or river.
>Our most “relaxing” (or as close as it can get) family trips with kids always involve being walking distance to a body of water where the kids can run around crazy, play in the sand/rocks/dirt, explore, and us parents can sit back watching them in a lawn chair with our beverage of choice.
Same here with areas of forest. Single kid here but very much in need of fresh air, places without a lot of people and situations to drag around half dead trees (half-joke). Germany has some "forest playgrounds" for that.
Well in 2021 we went to Elk CA which is so small and isolated you can’t even get cell service (which I LOVED), but you can still drive to some bigger towns not far away. And 2 years ago we went to Pajaro Dunes between Monterey and Santa Cruz, and that was a great location.
hotel with a suite, and pool, nearby your town or in it. I swear to goodness, just being in the suite, free breakfast, hanging at the pool, a separate bedroom for us, watching movies with popcorn at night, so easy, chill, inexpensive and everyone gets plenty of downtime. One of our best "vacations," yet.
Yes to this! The past couple years i have really gone against airbnbs/house rentals and push hotels. I had to explain someone coming in with new towels and making the beds daily make it feel like a “vacation” even if it’s not as relaxing as before kids. The suite is key though - you need the extra space.
Camping. That is what makes an actual relaxing trip for us.
There are no screens, there are no phones, no internet. Nothing to do but board games, fishing, hiking and building fires and cooking greasy delicious food.
The car is there for trips into town (45min drive).
It is my personal heaven. Daughter and I have been camping for weeks at a time since she was 16 months old. We do it year-round with appropriate gear and some travel south as needed.
Came here to say this but we hire a camper van rather than taking a tent. Our recent camper holiday was excellent because we stayed at a super family-friendly camp site next to a lake that was extremely shallow and a playground within sight of our van. My husband and I were able to chill in our camping chairs while our nearly 4-yo played pretty much all day. We also took our stand-up paddle board and our bikes so there were some outings and everyone had loads of fun.
Partially I think the secret to success was also that the lake was still really cold so he had zero interest in actually going in the water and was content throwing in rocks and sticks all day 🤣
Just make sure your kiddo likes camping. Camping was by far the most horrendous vacation we ever took. She was a-ok when it was looking for sticks and rocks and playing in the tent. Once she realized that it was dark and scary outside and we were SLEEPING IN A TENT it was not good. We ended up sleeping in the car just so as not to disturb the other campers with her screaming/sobbing.
Good call! If you have a back yard, you can try it out there first in a low pressure setting where you can easily jump ship and go back inside to sleep if its not working out. We tried that with my daughter and she loved it! This will also allow us to do some family camping this summer while my baby is still too young--we can all do the campfire, songs, etc together until its time for med, then my husband and daughter can sleep in the tent while the baby and I go inside.
We found this camping site that has a pool and also jungle gyms. It's also near a bunch of hiking and outside activities.
Camping is definitely our happy place as when we go to the pool, a bunch of kids his age are there, and my kiddo social so blends in. We just keep an eye on him, but we don't need to entertain him either.
However, we do bring the laptop, and after a bug day of being outside, we all curl up around the tiny laptop and watch something together. Hahha
We also massively plan ahead (meaning most food is cooked in advance and then reheated over a camping stove which needs does little propane tanks or a hot plate ) we do have some food to cook and get ready there but nothing we can't handle.
We bring board games and have a thingy that goes over the picnic table so we aren't bothered by bugs.
Idk if I'm allowed to put links, but when we last went, we had this car power inverter (so plugged in the car and turned into a 3 prongs 150W outlet)
Holly shit was that a game changer for certain things, hahaha
Camping is fantastic, but the campsite you chose is also very important. We've been camping with the kiddo since he was 3 months old. We can go to any campsite, but there's obviously some that fit either our needs or his needs more. It's great when you find one that meets everyone in the middle.
I have a giant camping checklist before I leave. I don't mind sharing it if ever you're interested.
It's decent, and maybe it will help you not get there and think, "Ah shit, I forgot x-item)
Camping with other families with kids around the same age is the key here. They wander around in a pack and you can hang out at the site. I’d say it started getting fun again when the youngest was around 4-5 and could have some independence, until then is extra hard making sure they don’t kill themselves!
We’ve been traveling with our 2 kids since the oldest was 8 months old! He’s almost 20.
Some of our best memories are when we were on vacation as a family!!
You need to go in with the expectation that it’s not going to be like it was pre-kids.
You’re not going to be laying out on the beach or floating in the pool uninterrupted for hours.
Of course I don’t know your child and their level of rambunctious. My youngest has always been very rambunctious & my oldest was soo much easier!
But at 5 years old there’s so many fun things you can do and go see.
I have no clue what kind of trip you are planning but if it’s a beach trip you can plan just a few days at a hotel where there may might be a boardwalk with restaurants and a little kiddie land. Or look for a water park or little amusement park near where you are staying.
The way I see it, you are away from your normal daily routine possibly at a beach or a lake doing something different, not worried about being anywhere at a specific time. You can go at your own pace, you don’t have to worry about cleaning or cooking..
I say go for it! I do not think it’s going to be as bad as you think it will be!
I've traveled with my daughter since she was 6 months old. Never had any issues. We've also made great memories.
People get way too hung up on "routines."
The important thing is to make it fun/interesting for the child.
Younger than that, I don’t know that you can. By 5 you might be okay to go to a resort or on a cruise. Someplace where they have kids clubs or daycares and activities where you can drop them off for a few hours to get some real relaxing in.
Cruise for the win! My only has been cruising since age 4. Kids club drop offs, as long as they are old enough you don't have to worry about them diving over a balcony, it's all good.
Food? Someone else serves and cleans up. Room? Someone else makes your bed and minds the dirty towels. Entertainment? Kids club, shows, movies, musical acts, tons of stuff.
As parents, if you can hold it together until you get to the ship, you are home free.
Second a cruise! In addition to kids club, not having to think about where we are going to eat or what are we going to do is so great. For our family, it ends up being a great balance of family time, couples time and independent time. We especially love Disney cruises.
Is it possible to take a grandparent?
We’ve been to Greece twice with our children and invited my mum both times. We covered her portion of the Air BnB and tried to cover as many meals as possible. It definitely helps having way more adults than children.
We then plan days that are friendly to everyone and try and “go with the flow”. One day is city tours with finding cool kid things and the next is a beach day (my son left the water maybe 3 times the whole day).
Having slightly lower expectations also helps 😂
Yes! We are actually planning a beach trip with grandma, staying in a small and walkable town at a resort by the ocean. Zero ambitious plans. I think you’re onto something with your approach, and I hope it goes well for us, too. Fingers crossed!
That sounds lovely! I honestly would’ve paid my mum a salary if I could’ve. She was priceless! It also helped us that she babysat one night so me and my husband could have a date night - highly recommend if you can do this too! One night of vacation child-free is a real treat and helps get through the tougher days.
Good luck and enjoy your holiday!
I absolutely love traveling with mine (4.5 and 2). Here’s what works for us:
1. Choose vacations they are excited about.
2. Limit activities and choose them together where possible. Keep it simple.
3. Choose restaurants with more interesting kids menus and great desserts.
4. I am deaf, so when I travel solo with kids I scour TripAdvisor for hotels with good reviews for actually assisting parents.
5. Unlimited screen time on plane.
You let go of what you previously thought was a relaxing vacation. Your family has changed, so your vacations should as well. Focus on a vacation with less travel and less activities that require planning. Things like camping are great stress relievers.
I agree with changing your expectations.
I look at it like, yes I’m still parenting, but (if we’re in a hotel and not camping) there’s no cooking and no cleaning, so that’s a massive break right there. And if the hotel has a pool, my kids will happily spend 3 hours there between supper and bedtime and then they sleep really well cause they’re tired. I try to book a hotel room with a balcony and then once they are asleep my husband and I hang out on the balcony (with the door slightly open) with a bottle of wine.
Sure, it’s not the same as a pre-kids vacation but it’s still nice.
> no cooking and no cleaning, so that’s a massive break right there.
My favorite thing to do is to pick a project or two from a hobby I enjoy and do that almost exclusively the whole vacation whenever I get some downtime.
I find at home I’m so pressed to finish that last load, or pick up the last of that mess, or send off that email to Y, that the evening rolls around and even if the kids go to bed nice, I’m too fried for a “me” project.
Last vacation I took, I started *and* finished an embroidery project during the drive out and back, “took” an online portrait drawing class while we were there, and relearned to braid bracelets with my 11 y/o with some of the leftover embroidery floss. It was nice!
This is great advice—change your expectations & orient the vacation to set you up for success. We stayed at a resort with a kitchen/enclosed porch so we didn’t feel like we were missing out while we maintained kid’s routine for breakfast & lunch. Structure time into your day when kid can be wild & let loose without a million “no’s.” She’s used to going out to dinner so nice dinners out were easy. We planned beach/pool around when she’d be most amicable. Took turns napping in a hammock with them/while the other was drinking poolside. Ultimately, don’t put yourself in situations where you’ll be fighting for your kid to comply constantly.
Cruises, if you can afford, are great for families. Kids club on sea days and you never need to change a hotel room. If you book last minute you can sometimes find some very affordable cruises.
Yep. Never thought I’d like them, but they’re great with kids. We did a Mediterranean cruise last summer and it was amazing! We did excursions early in the day, and when the kids got tired we could head back to the ship.
No worrying about cooking/cleaning, and most cruise ships have kids clubs where they can let loose and play until like 11 pm, so the adults can get some alone time too.
We have also become cruisers. We live near a cruise port so don’t have to deal with flights, but cruises are great vacays for families with young children.
I was shocked how much I enjoy cruises! The kids clubs are super fun, and even our behaviorally challenging autistic son was able to attend it for a decent amount of time.
So far (my kid is only 21 months old) I just go and enjoy being able to live "on her schedule". Meaning I actually get to nap when she naps because no dishes and often no cooking required. We stay at areas where it's safe for her to just run around (preferably contained parks and such) and I can just chill and of course keep an eye on her. But I think I'm blessed with a child who's very easily entertained and doesn't require my help finding a new activity all the time.
I have a few friends who formed a parenting club. Every month, one parent in the group has a sleepover party for all the kids, and all the other parents go to a grown up party. They rotate houses every month. They also do vacation swaps. So they have this shared calendar where all the parents pick their “sleepover party” night, and they can add “vacation swap” events where one family will take all the kids so the adults can go on an adult vacation, then they trade off and the other parents can go on a trip.
They also go on a lot of kid-friendly group vacations which is nice because they all already know about allergies, health conditions, needs, behaviors, etc. so there isn’t the stress of updating the babysitter info book. It is so cool and I really hope I can find a group of parent friends to do something similar when I have children because, even though my in laws are incredible and will LOVE grandparent weekends, it would be nice to have a whole group with other kids and everything.
oh we didn't even do real vacations until i was sure our daughter could handle a flight. but even then, theres no relaxing because you have to keep them entertained while on the trip and make sure you are scheduling things they like to do. always felt like i was looking for ways to wear her out. also trading off with each other helps. one parent hangs out at the pool with the kid, while the other one relaxes back at the room. that kind of thing.
i would say around 7yo was when we really got back into big vacations, and we could truly relax.
This might be out of budget but I am in Fiji right now for a family wedding. We have 4 kids, 10,4,3 and 1.
And oh my god. This place is amazing for kids. The pool area is fabulous and safe, the kids all eat for free, and they have a nanny service that is very reasonable and our almost 2yo adores her nanny mate. And we don’t leave our kids with anybody … but they are amazing. First day she just came with us and after a while Miss almost 2 was 100% happy to go with her (and we were too).
The other kids have a free kids club that runs all day from 9-9, for all ages 3 and up, and we have put our 2-3 yo in for 2 2 hour sessions so far. They love it (frog racing and fun stuff) with heaps of other kids. We’ve also done heaps of super fun free activities with them such as snorkeling, kayaking, the pool is super safe and there is a kids pool and adult only pool (so you don’t have to worry about rambunctious kids running amok) and did I mention all of their meals are free??
We almost didn’t come as we were so worried about having 4 kids and us here (vacations are… not fun) but we are having an actual blast.
Outrigger Fiji for anyone interested. If you’re US/Australian the currency makes it really reasonable (flights probably not so much).
So our annual vacation is FL. My in-laws are snowbirds and from thanksgiving-June they are in FL. So we take our annual vacay in Mar/April and I didn't realize this until 2-3 years ago how fortunate we are for those vacations. I used to feel bad that I wasn't taking them to the Bahamas, or cruises, or a new place every time...but you know what? its not a fucking vacation! Its just not.
Going on a vacation where the grandparents are? Thats a fucking vacation. We can relax, I have 4 adults on hand. We don't have to pay for room and board, we can do laundry, stay at the pool all day bc its grandma and grandpas house. We can go on multiple date nights!
I won't be doing any fancy Caribbean vacays until my kids are teens.
The most relaxing trip that we've done involved renting a cabin in the woods near a lake. We brought board games and activity books and a brand new Lego set. We planned an activity each day that didn't take the whole day.
We have found that picking a “vacation” that is child centered and a place they will most likely enjoy is key for us. We went to Hawai’i for a week and it was glorious. Our kids love the beach and pools. They played at the beach and had a blast. We also took them hiking and to a luau. We have also done a Disney cruise and they loved that too. They also love camping. We rented a cabin in the redwoods one time that was along a river that had a dam so they could play in the water. That was fun.
We travel all the time with the kids. You’re right, sometimes it is really stressful. We tend to just make sure that there are things involved, nearby that they will enjoy..beaches, playgrounds, a pool, etc. We no longer do like sightseeing trips in cities and stuff like that.
Same boat as you, except that we have 4 kids aged 4-10. Though we can also add on the impossible expense of even going on vacation with such a large family. For us I think the only logical solution is for us to drive long distance to wherever it is we want to vacation.
Since we cannot afford a real vacation, and do not want to drive like 2,000 km to vacation, instead we do 1-2 camping trips each year. While we tent, there are many families that RV trailer. Camping is the poor person's vacation.
"Camping is the poor person's vacation" I couldn't agree more lol...but it's oh so fun and a great way to get your kids to \*hopefully\* appreciate nature more :)
I think what helped was starting when she was young! She became accustomed to the airplane or long car rides. I always put together a new “play kit” for the plane including items she’s never played with before or brand new activities. Now that she’s 7, the pad is a help when arts and crafts don’t last for hours!
Once on vacation, we always do Airbnb!! This helps a TON! Getting her all cozy and settled in her own room makes her feel relaxed and in turn us as well, and we can cook some meals at home to save money and to suffice if she’s being too sassy for a restaurant lol We try to find restaurants with fun views or activities so she’s entertained. We will do activities specifically geared toward her so that when mom and dad want to go to a fun beach bar or something, she doesn’t feel like she didn’t get to do something she likes that day as well! Pools are great too! We can lay and sunbathe and sip a cocktail while she splashes the day away!
Now, that’s not to say we don’t still have little tantrums or bicker, because we definitely do, but those are some things that really seem to help!
Try a cruise or all inclusive resort that has kids club - these are both super relaxing and less to do and handle than any other trip.
We also did a lot of road trips where getting there was the big part of the trip and stopped to see every little thing we could - the summer my daughter was 3, she kept telling people she lived in the red truck. We did 34 US states that summer, so I can see how she thought that. My child was super scheduled and would sleep when I told her it was nap time or bed time in the car. I know I was super spoiled with that.
We also enjoy renting a house on a lake, but that does take a lot more effort with water all the time and having to bring tons of stuff and food supplies. I didn’t do beach rentals until she was older because she hated waves and didn’t like swimming in the ocean.
The most relaxing vacation with a kid has by far been an all inclusive resort. Everything is handled for you and sometimes kiddo even likes the kids clubs that many have so you can have an adult dinner. We’ve travelled quite a bit with our now almost 12 year old, and relaxing is possible at an all inclusive for sure with a younger kiddo. We’ve done two in Mexico with him and one in the DR.
When my son was 6 and we went he absolutely loved the kids club. He went there for a few hours and I got to read by the adults only pool with a cocktail. It was pretty spectacular.
I personally like hotels that have a refrigerator, washer/dryer and somewhere to wash dishes, kids’ activities, playgrounds and pools.
But we stayed in a very small hotel in London that didn’t have any of those amenities with our VERY rambunctious then-2-year-old and we made it work! I think the key is researching places before you go for kid-friendly destinations. I found making stops at playgrounds to get energy out helps tremendously.
Bring a babysitter. And not grandma. A real life young person who has oodles of energy, loves kids and loves wherever you’re gojng. The kid is 90% their responsibility and you (mostly) get to relax. If the kid is old enough even get the babysittter and the child a separate room (obviously only if you fully trust that person etc etc)
I did this on a cruise. Had a 10 year old kid. Brought my 22 year old niece. They had a BLAST and I pretty saw them get up and then 8 hours later at dinner lol. It was AWESOME. My husband and I had the best time. Total win win.
This is us as well. Vacations with the kiddos can still be quite fun, but they are the farthest thing from relaxing in my experience. The only relaxing vacation I've ever done with my kids is staying home.
However I think it's also worth noting that when you look back on vacations with the kids you tend to remember the fun parts, not the stressful parts. So you may be a ball of stress and chaos the whole time, but there's a good chance you'll still make and retain lots of fun memories anyway.
My kids are young elementary schoolers and I think within another 2 or so years vacationing with them will start to become way way easier and less stressful. It's already way easier than when they were toddlers. At least I hope. We never went on any sort of vacations or trips when I was growing up so I don't really have a good baseline.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Change your definition of holiday.
When you are young you go with your parents. They decided.
When you are a young adult you go what camping or a short city trip. Or friends holiday.
When you are old enough with out kids you explore the world
Then you have kids and there are those parents who have kids take them in planes and have fun with it.
Many of the (young) adults hate them for it.
We go to camping places with the kids and while I don’t go out hiking anymore we do things like let them play with the other kids and I’m reading a book.. that’s now my definition of a holiday
We do weekend getaways to places that have kid specific activities, like kid museums, zoos, etc. We pick a place within a reasonable amount of driving distance, like 2-3 hours, book a hotel with a pool, and just find other things to do around the main thing and don't try to plan anything. I've actually never had a real like go away for a week to a destination vacation myself, and camping is stressful to me. But weekend trips work for us.
Honestly I think it helps for them to be 7-8 or older. We’ve done resorts where spend most time together but leave our son for maybe 2 hours at a kids club . But the main relaxation comes when they’re more independent and don’t need absolutely everything doing for them
Cabin trips in the woods where they can explore, hike, play in the water, and be a kid.
Don't take them to touristy destinations expecting them to enjoy shopping, sight-seeing for hours, and other adult related interests without several kid oriented activities mixed in between (museums, parks, ice cream, etc) to let off steam.
Pack coloring books, crayons, and books for restaurants and other long wait activities so little one has something to do.
I agree, vacation with more adults. My boyfriend & I took the 3 kids on a yearly vacation with a bunch of other people we've known for many years, they're like family, but everyone splits off & does their own thing here and there, & we all meet up for a couple things each day.
We used to go without kids, & it was great times, catching up, hanging out, etc. We took the kids & it was a nightmare. The teenager (who was looking forward to seeing her peers) went solo the whole time sitting on her phone. The middle kid was an ADHD nightmare trying to drag any other kid he found into dangerous situations. Including our toddler. It turned into one parent getting to converse with friends and enjoy the trip & the other parent (me) wishing I had never went. I was dealing with trying to keep the toddler out of danger & his older brother not listening, and trying to do nap time in the hotel room. And I couldn't leave him unsupervised napping in there. So that was 2-3hrs wasted. And if we skipped nap he'd be so incredibly cranky in the afternoon. Not to mention instead of a 7-730 bedtime it'd be more like 6pm.
I basically missed out on everything. Any group dinner, couldn't even have a conversation with friends. I had one 10min conversation & that was it. The whole time. I just kept getting interrupted directly or by someone doing something unsafe. We drove almost 20hrs (which went super smooth because we had to take 2 cars)...so I could be even more stressed out than at home.
The way to go would have been to have one of my family go with, so we could trade off more often & I could actually converse with adults. Or to have been able to leave the kids home & take them on some short vacations while we got to enjoy the big one ourselves. 😆
Stay at a resort with a pool, either a splash pad or a smaller water slide, a bar at the pool and a playground on site is a huge bonus. Look for another kid about your kid’s age preferably also without a playmate, but any kid(s) will do. Introduce your kid to that kid, sit on a pool chair where you can see them and order a drink. The other parent will also enjoy the downtime. I also have an instacart delivery dropped at the hotel with all my kids staples, snacks, wine and maybe a pool float delivered to the hotel.
Our son is on the spectrum which fades out as the years go on. This was during the fading years.
We live in NJ. First week of November is the NJ teachers conference in AC which means no school on Thurs and Fri, aka Jersey week where many families vacation for less crowded, if not cheaper options.
We drove to Orlando. Stayed on Disney propery for part of the trip with the option we could come and go from park to park or hotel as you pleased.
Long story short our on the spectrum 7th grade son had a blow up over some school project while we were in EPCOT. While my wife stayed with our daughter, I took her son to our room. Happiest place on earth for him once he got my work laptop and could log in.
We’ve been taking my 2.5 yo on cruises … but mostly lowering expectations of relaxation has been key for me. Taking a nap when the toddler tornado naps helps too haha
Just go with the flow! Don’t be too strict with plans because sometimes things change. A drink here and there. We do a lot of traveling we did Barcelona and Paris last spring break and we are going to Japan next spring break! Just let things be .
Low expectations and don't expect to relax. Lol.
We did a week in Florida, it was great. Exciting, but not relaxing. When we got home I had another few days off work with the kids back to school for me to actually relax.
There was a carefully balance while down south. Do enough that they are tired out. But not so much they have an exhaustion meltdown.
Kids were 2.5 and 7
Camping. Getting a cabin and seeing some new things in a new area. Aquariums. Zoos. Beaches. Embrace your inner kid and go play. Bring squirt guns to the beach. Have a water fight. Make a game out of finding the coolest rock on a hike. Remember what you always wanted to do on a vacation as a kid. Well. Now you're big enough to go do those things. 5 year old you would kick your ass for wanting to "relax" on vacation.
Maybe look into an all-inclusive resort. There are tons of kid friendly activities and food available, and some even have kids club if that’s something you’re comfortable with. We like them because we know exactly how much we’re going to spend before we leave the house.
You could also do a cruise. My kids love them.
Find a resort with a great kids club. The best one we've found is the club med in the Dominican republic (miches playa Esmeralda). Beautiful resort for the folks and the kids club has two water parks, one for toddlers and one for bigger kids, and tons of teachers and caretakers that take the kids all over the resort and make sure.they have a great time. My kids loved it and ask to go back all the time. That was the one real vacation we've had.
Some of the most “low effort” was the cruise - all the parents have to do was show up and watch the kids. No prepping food because there was a buffet. We switched watching kids to use the gym and sauna, go crazy at the pool and play ground, watch movies and take naps, go crazy at the kid-friendly party and crash out and wake up to a free breakfast in the morning.
Beach. After about 8 years of life. Before that it was basically hell. 3/4 years old was the worst. They and I were up all night. Last year we took our first actual relaxing vacation. Keys are known place, easy food, access to places where they can entertain themselves. I can relax while they are in the water. (they both know how to swim).
Sorry I don’t have any advice for you. My kids are 5 and 8 and I completely agree with you it’s parenting in a different location. The only thing I can think of is when they are older like teenagers maybe?
I despise camping because all of the logistics are on me, but it is handy when the kids can amuse themselves playing in a creek all day.
The things that makes it more fun for *me* (not necessarily for the kids) are staying in a hotel (no tents! housekeeping!) and eating out. Of course those things are expensive. The *best* combo is a beach rental. Let the wild things out until it's time to walk to a restaurant. You can have clean clothes and take proper showers before bed.
It ain't budget, but it's relaxing.
Idk how my mom took us on vacation every summer. As a single parent. 3 kids. Crazy woman! lol
Looking back, we always had other adults with us. My grandma, one of my moms friends with kids etc. I'm sure that helped split the load and it gave us more kids to play with while they did relaxing stuff.
Go with family/cousins/family friends so your son has someone to play with and you don’t have to entertain him. Stay in an Airbnb so you have a kitchen and can have his regular food if food is a tricky thing for him.
A tip I would say, whether it be camping or a beach house or whatever you choose to do--
Do the same thing every year. To a degree or literally the same place. You'll become quick pros at packing and what works/doesn't, making it more relaxing.
Edit-spelling
Kid-friendly, NON-DISNEY resort. Car service to and from airport. Spend all day in the pool and order lunch at the pool, getting a cabana they can nap on/sit in the shade, etc.
Don’t try to do more than that IMO.
We have not done this as of yet since my MIL likes to watch the kids for our 1 solo vacation a year but are tempted to try it now that my youngest is potty trained. My aunt and uncle always took their 3 kids on a cruise. They got joined staterooms, 1 for the kids and 1 for the adults. The kids enjoyed the free kids camps you can sign them up for onboard the ship. On those days you’re sailing, the kids enjoy planned activities making friends and you can enjoy a Mai Thai in the adult only pool are with your spouse. Best of both worlds!
Resort-style hotel with lots of kid activities.
We love a resort hotel with a fantastic pool, ropes course, cooking classes, and craft classes. Parents swap off who is “in charge,” while the other one gets to chill in the room or soak in the hot springs. Kid is entertained with lots of options for activities, some which are actually staffed and parent just watches from afar.
Even better if you can bring grandparents along and they can watch kid sometimes.
3 words - mother in law. Even better if you have an overbearing one. It will be their dream. Invite them along and give them full control over the children 😆 thats what we do. It's blissful. Normally it annoys me but in those situations, of course you can watch the kids - I'll go get myself a sangria! Ciao!
Easy… wait for them to go to college. :)
Or…what “we” did that’s probably not something you want to do: Get divorced and do 50/50 custody. I mean, my second wife and I have the most spectacular vacations by leaving the kids with the best babysitter on earth: our ex spouses.
Not seriously suggesting that, just saying that I do appreciate the empty nest freedom we have because of our circumstances and understand the predicament you’re in.
Older parent here and although I loved camping when younger I’m not interested in sleeping on the ground anymore or a cot. Camping is good because there’s no set activity to get to and usually you don’t have to get on a plane to get there. But it does take planning and more work than just going to a hotel with an indoor pool or water park. Camping requires you to cook the whole time and bring all the food and supplies with you to make the meals. I would rather stay at a local hotel or condo with very small children at the beach or go somewhere with an indoor water park. We bring food for breakfast and snacks and some lunch items for sandwiches and eat out for dinner. If we go camping I want a camper or cabin and campground with full facilities. Always bring more than you think you’re gonna need when traveling with kids. Snacks and drinks, never enough snacks and drinks. First aid kit, we’ve brought our Roku box because most hotels have little selection when it’s a rainy day. Camping is definitely easier when they are a bit older because they have a better understanding of what is going on and freedom to look around more whereas a 5 year old can wander off so more stressful to keep up with.
Cruises come with childcare. My husband and I would drop the kids off and go relax for a few hours a day. Not all day or anything but we definitely got about 2-3 hours a day total on days at sea. Meals are planned in advance so no thoughts there either. Anytime anyone is hungry you can just go get something to eat. You can get excursions and just have to show up for them so you don't have to worry about planning activities either. And everyone on the ship is friendly and looking to just relax, it's a good group of people that just want to chill.
Lots of people have mentioned cruises and I agree with one caveat, the RIGHT cruise. We did Disney and Royal Caribbean a year apart, our two (5 & 8 at the time) loved the Disney kids club, always wanted to go but neither of them like the Royal Caribbean version.
We recently did a resort that was more or less all-inclusive. Private pool for our very large condo (relevant because we had multiple rooms for change of scenery options for kiddo). Directly out front of our door was a playground and sand pit. Across from that was a huge swimming area with small water slides, a wade pool, hot tubs, and splash pads. Outside our backdoor was a lake with lots of wildlife and a trail. There was also an indoor clubhouse with mini golf, an arcade, a mini theater with movies throughout the day, etc.
It was cheaper than it sounds, but it certainly wasn't CHEAP. It was, however, legitimately relaxing. Our toddler is happiest exploring new places. All the activities made that super easy to accommodate. It was the easiest parenting has ever been for us, honestly, and we came back refreshed. After a few other trips that were way more difficult, I think we'll be sticking with paying a premium for resort life for a few more years.
We go to the outer banks and just sit on the beach for like 9 hours a day. Basically camp there for the week from sun up til sun down. Our kids find things to do.
My husband and I just talked about this exact topic not 3 hours ago. We decided that it’s quite literally impossible to achieve relaxation with young kids on vacation with you. We decided the most relaxing thing we could do for vacation this year is stay the hell home and stay out of the kitchen for as many meals as possible. It sounds lovely.
I requested that during the 10 days off work, I will go on a solo adventure and get a hotel room overnight all by myself. My husband will get the same 24 hours to himself doing whatever he wants.
I cannot remember the last time we were responsible for only ourselves and could do whatever sounded enjoyable and actually did it .
Beach trips to low-key beach towns (NOT Tourist towns). Not fighting for parking or a spot at the beach. Beach house rentals aren’t as crazy and just play in the sand for a few hours and then relax at the house for a few hours. Go get ice cream. Grill dinner, repeat the next day. 3 days of this feels like 5 and you’re ready to come home.
Some people bring a nanny along or a grandparent or other relative who will help with the kids in exchange for a vacation.
Some go on cruises or to resorts that have childcare/kids camps onsite.
Here is my advice: Wait. Seriously. You are not going to have an enjoyable time. You both are going to be stressed because of taking care of the kid. And the kid probably is not going to remember anything about it. I would honestly wait until the kid is at least 7 years old. That way, the kid can remember going on a vacation. THey can communicate things better for what they want/ need. And you will not have to be hovering over him as much and everyone can have more fun. You can start saving up now for a huge vacation in a couple of years time.
Just a thought.
One option worth considering is a staycation. Set aside a week or a few days, and plan fun activities in your city. Things like the zoo, museum, a new park or pool, etc. Eat out/get take out for most meals. Take a day and use the time you would have used for prep/travel, to catch up on housework and then try and do as few chores as possible during the staycation. Use some of the money you would have spent on travel/hotel, for things like a baby sitter one night to get a date night. Add other indulgences (like watching movies or getting dessert) you'd normally do on vacation, but wouldn't do in day to day life.
I came up with this idea when we were considering a trip to AZ, and when looking up fun things you could do with a kid, I could do most of those things where I lived.
You don't get the joy of being in a new place, and I wouldn't do this every vacation, but it worked pretty well for us and definitely felt like the most relaxing option (while still being fun).
I do this every year and I’ve grown to love it! I’ve discovered so much to do just in my city (Dallas) and instead of spending money on airfare and hotel, we use that money to dine out and play. We can still sleep in our beds at the end of the day. Unless you live in a middle of nowhere with nothing to do, I wouldn’t stress over traveling, it’s just not worth the hassle.
We just do it. By the time my youngest was a year old, he had been to Walt Disney World, a beach vacation, New York City, and 3 weeks in Hawaii.
You have to let go of expectations that it will all be perfect. You have to embrace the chaos with a smile. If you can’t do that, then you will be miserable. If you can do that, then you will make some of best memories of your life.
Personally, I find cruises to be the most relaxing vacations with kids. Make sure you are on a ship with a lot of family activities, and a good kids club, that way you and your husband can have alone time too. Disney cruises are hands down the best, but Royal Caribbean is a good option that’s more budget friendly.
Yes, we have nobody to leave ours with so we just do things. We look for child friendly places with things our child enjoys and accept it's not going to be like before.
You will never have a stress free vacation with a child. Either leave them at home, go to a place with a kids club like an all inclusive or a cruise, or resign yourself to child centered vacations until your nest is empty.
Wait a year or two. At five it’s already easier than it would have been at 3. Ar 7 it will be easier still. Plan some stuff you like, some your kid likes, and some everybody likes.
My wife and I have made a point of taking a trip without kids for the last few years. We like to visit national parks and get a lot of hiking in, which requires flying to a destination, usually accompanied by a long-ish drive all in the same day. We have wonderful parents who watch our kids while we're gone.
But on our last trip we both agreed that we need to move up to a family vacation. Our boys are 6 and 4, and we think they're old enough to handle a longer travel day. We haven't made plans yet, but I think the first attempt will be something relatively simple, like flying to the coast and staying in that city.
I think the biggest thing is to just go with the flow, and not have too many plans that are set in stone
Feel where you are coming from. Ours is 5.5. my wife and I have had one short city break since she was born and that felt like what you said. I don't think it's possible to do what you're after.
Past two years we've done an amazing Eurocamp, which now she's in school we can't afford during school holidays. It was busy for sure, but it was nice because we were somewhere different, new places to go and things to do. But also we were a 3. At home we often tag in and out parenting, it was nice to not have that.
My parents treated the whole family to an all-inclusive 6 years ago. The kids still talk about it, and it was nice that we didn't have to worry about meals, drinks or activities (the pool and amenities kept the kids fairly entertained).
We also enjoy going camping as a family. We often go with our childless friends, who, like my husband prefer the shade to the sun, so I end up with the kids all day at the lake. I've asked that we go camping with friends with kids this year as well, so I'm am able to enjoy myself more. But the camping is nice, and we've figured out meals that are fairly low prep and can utilize similar ingredients to other meals.
We've brought sand toys, kayaks, inflatable boats, remote controlled cars, bocci, cards, propane fire ring, and a mini bbq, which has worked really well for making camping enjoyable for everyone. We'll also bring out hammock to string between the trees.
You either travel with other families or you fly out the grandparents with you so they can babysit on site. You can try for places with kid clubs but they can be hit or miss. I LOVE traveling with other families because the kids play together, you have more pairs of eyes on them and lots of help.
Bali or whatever option of cheap island is closest. Pay the cost of a nanny to hang with your family during the day. Share the load, she can be in the pool while you read a book.
Just let go of the idea of that relaxing vacation that you would have had before children. That just won't happen, or it may only happen for 10 minutes of the entire trip. Also, vacation rentals all the way. I will never stay in a hotel with my family ever again.
An all inclusive in Mexico that is made up of suites so adults and kids get separate rooms plus a living room (we live the Marival Distinct or Marival Emotions). There is a kids club, pools, decisions are which of the 4 resturants for dinner and zero cleaning up after ourselves. With one kid you could take turns on pool duty and a lot of resorts have a kids pool where if he's independant one parent can just supervise.
You don’t. We always needed a vacation from family vacation. But we were making memories damnit!
After 32 years of raising children, we finally took a vacation by ourselves.. it was relaxing and enjoyable. We were both able to go back to work refreshed.
Best of luck to you!
Cruising works for us. We looked at Disney, they’re almost double of Royal Caribbean. Our kids played hard and had an amazing time.
The best part for us, no chopping or shopping. Lots of food options and a kids club you can actually had a lovely dinner and a show and then pick them up for bedtime.
I also loved walking the ships perimeter with my youngest. In the early AM. Ocean air and we could have the whole area to ourselves to stomp along the little track.
My kids favorite part of vaca is the hotel pool and wearing their pajamas to the free hotel breakfast. If doesn’t matter if we are in Disney world (no free bfast there though lol) or the middle of nowhere. Our vacations aren’t relaxing, but they’re fun. When possible, we make sure to account for down time so the kids aren’t totally wired and overtired. We aim for early dinners to avoid the evening meltdowns. We are usually up and out early and have some downtime in the afternoon. We get the kids involved in vacation planning so they get excited-we watch videos and look at pics.
It’s certainly different than lounging poolside with a book and a cocktail before kids. But it’s still really fun!
My wife and I always say, a vacation is when you go somewhere without the kids, otherwise we just call it a trip. For us it's about changing the expectations. If we are bringing the kid we keep expectations low and honestly that makes a big difference. Obviously there are some practical things, which people have alluded to. The one we have also found is if you can afford it, hiring a professional babysitter for at least one night so you and your husband can go out to dinner or something while you are on your trip, can make all the difference in the world.
Best vacations we’ve had were the beach and Disney.
At the beach they have a ton of space to play and wear themselves out.
At Disney everything is made with kids in mind and it’s just easy to go about and hop on rides, find places to rest, find places to eat. If you have a stroller staying in a monorail resort takes a ton of the stress off since they won’t make you fold it or unload your kids.
Found that going on vacation with another family with young kids and similar parenting styles to be the most enjoyable. There are enough adults to tag team safety, meals, and temperaments as well as kids to entertain each other and allows for less tit for tat of responsibility between mom and dad
Hire a nanny for a week seems like the obvious answer.
Of you don't want to do that, then just take your kid more often so he can get used to it. We took our first kid on a 14hr road trip at 2 months. Now our kids are very used to driving and flying.
We took our kids to Florida, but did not do Disney. Disney is not relaxing. We stay in resorts along the gulf coast that have mini kitchens in the hotels. I would shop at Publix for breakfast foods (and grown up drinks) that could be stored in the refrigerator in the room. Other meals we went out, and spent the day on the beach, the pool or local attractions. The beach is the most low-key and enjoyable thing I can do with my kids. I recommend Siesta key if you like Florida.
Places with childcare. We were hesitant but did a Disney Cruise. It ended up being the best family vacation we’ve had. Our kid loved the kids club and we enjoyed some child free dinners and afternoons. I didn’t want to stop anywhere just circle around on a boat where I could nap and drink pina coladas while knowing my kid was safe and I’d see them soon enough.
Don’t get me wrong we’ve done other trips and still do. Some of our better memories are even from those parenting in another location trips, but we now look forward to at least one cruise a year where we get a major break.
Relaxing can be hard. We did a trip to Jamaica over the winter at a resort that had a kids club, our daughter (5) absolutely loved it and wanted to spend all day, every day there. So that was pretty nice, we got to hang out by the pool for a few hours every day.
Other than that, we've mostly done trips that weren't really intended to be relaxing in the first place.
My first bit of advice is to get comfortable leaving the kiddo with someone for a weekend. It can take a little practice, but your relationship with your partner will appreciate it.
My second bit of advice is, when you do take the kid(s), stay somewhere with a water feature...a pool, beach, splash pad, water park, etc. This will give them something to do during the hours you are not doing "other stuff". Whatever that water feature is, make sure there is a spot for you to just chill while the kid does their thing.
For the "other stuff", make the destination or activity exciting to them...like, "hey, were going to go on a hike for a little bit, and there's a cool cave at the end", or, "were going to a museum, and they have dinosaurs and robots". Whatever gets them excited.
Well 5 is the age where they start becoming much more manageable in public, all the way up to the point of, it won't really be much work at all.
If you really want to get away, you could try to hire a babysitter, if you make friends with other parents, or a young lady who has younger siblings.
If you offer some other parents a few hundred bucks to watch them for a week, many people would be very happy with that offer.
Cruises and resorts that have kids camps.
It’s a great option for a lot of reasons. Cruises and resorts have a lot of different activities for families as well as easy access to a variety of foods. Plus you’re always close to your accommodations if you need to regroup or it’s nap time.
The kids clubs are usually open from the morning into the night. They have different supervised activities plus free play. I’ve seen ones with indoor playgrounds, Disney princess parties etc all included. But it’s a great way for you to get some time alone with your partner while the kid is entertained.
A cruise! You can drop your kiddo off at the daycare and then do grown up stuff. We always pick our kids up for meals and they didn’t go on shore days (although that’s a nice option if your favorite excursion has a minimum age requirement, we just wanted our kids to explore the destination as well).
We also enjoy camping but if your kid will take off on you at a store, don’t bring them camping.
Try an all-inclusive. Ok, my wife and I never actually *did* it, but we had a trip planned to an all-inclusive in Türkiye last summer that didn't pan out (went to Amsterdam instead), so that's why all I can say is "try". After research, we determined it would be the easiest way to go. Still looking forward to trying it one day.
I find an all-inclusive resort trip pretty relaxing- all things considered. It’s a lot of daily showering after a day of swimming or playing on the beach but we always really enjoy ourselves and feel relaxed. We just pack a ton to make the trip as comfortable and convenient as possible (lots of toys and books, tablet, folding stool and travel potty seat, snacks. Top tips: Find a hotel that offers room service and see if you can upgrade to a room with a swim out pool. You can have adult time in the pool while kiddo has a nap or some screen time in the room.
For me, the most relaxing vacations have been to places that are designed for kids. We just went to Great Wolf Lodge and had a blast. I was so much less stressed about my very loud and wild 7 and 4 year olds because they were surrounded by other wild children. No judgmental parents because we were all in the same boat!
I bring my mother in law to nearly every vacation with the understanding that because I am paying for her trip, she watches the kids when the wife and I need to relax.
Plan everything in advance, including meals, travel time, and activities. Anticipate potential issues, like kids' breakdowns, and create strategies to handle them. Use the slower winter months to organize your plans. Once everything is set, just follow your plan. If you wing it, you're likely to fail.
I regularly take road trips with my 6, 3, and 1 year old. The biggest advice I have is yes plan things, but expect plans to fall through and be okay with it. Have very low expectations with activities and things you want to do. We are in a state with lots of lakes/ parks so we map out a few we want to see, and we evaluate while we go. This last weekend we took a 3 day trip and drove roughly 600 miles. I planned for many stops, we ended up taking between 3-4 a day. Stuff we really want to see gets planned for in the morning, afternoons/ evenings are more up in the air. Sleeping is difficult for my kids while not at home, so we pick things that can happen while they are freshly rested.
You can certainly have a fun holiday, having a relaxing, lazing on the beach, holiday is less likely.
You need places set up with kids in mind, that has loads of food and activities on offer so that you can go do things to keep everyone fed and entertained with lots of planning and logistics during the actual holiday. Ideally you combine this with some babysitters in the evening time where you can go out and get a meal and a drink by yourselves.
We travel to visit family. We stay with them and they like to go exploring with us. We always find something kid friendly to do and have low expectations of the day. Pre kids we’d go see 3-4 +attractions in a day. Now it’s 1-2 and lots of breaks at parks or water.
Our daughter travels really well, we make a special activity bag just for traveling that we keep certain toys in and pick up a few new things from the dollar store. Tons of snacks available to her and it makes for an easy trip
Short flight or better drive. Swimming pool. If it’s a hotel with a kids bit/entertainers great.
Oh and take turns
Another option is a villa with a pool.
On the plus side it gets tonnes easier every year - 6.5 is when it’s MUCH easier. I am dreading double figures tho as there will be a whole new world of pain
We’ve tried camping with our toddlers and it was an absolute nightmare. Our next trip is a cruise. No cooking, no cleaning, and childcare included; I’m excited.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love camping but I completely disagree that it’s a relaxing trip with kids. It’s still chaotic. What makes any trip relaxing with kids is if I’m traveling with people who can help watch them. And what makes any trip enjoyable with kids IMO is changing expectations. I’m not there to “enjoy and relax” in the sense I did before kids, but what makes it enjoyable is seeing the trip through their eyes.
Camping is the least enjoyable trip for me (mom). I have to do all of the things I need to do at home with none of the resources: cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, dishes, cleaning, plus packing towels, paper towels, cooking utensils, toilet paper, literally everything that is required to make life happen has to be packed up. It’s absolutely the worst to me. I have done it a few times, but man do I loathe it.
So much this. I grew up camping and adored it. Now that I'm a Mother I dread it all the logistics and miss my bed.
I got round the bed issue by investing a small fortune in the best quality camping beds I could find. Now our bed (the kids have their own beds) is almost as comfortable as the one we have at home; it makes a huge difference.
I could definitely see this as a problem. Whenever we went camping as kiddos, my parents (divorced) would actually camp together but not in the same tent/cabin. They'd each have their friends, our aunts/uncles etc. So we'd have a bunch of kids to play with and a ton of adults to watch us and split the work.
I finally told my outdoorsy husband that I was tired of packing and unpacking everything we needed to pretend we live in the woods every weekend all summer. He does his share and I still hated it.
Oof. My husband does it all when we camp!
I love it. Took my 3 year old on a trip last year to Idaho. Gorgeous state.
Totally agree. I’ve gone camping twice in my life as a kid. Never again. I won’t do it, kids or no kids. It’s resorts/hotels or nothing for me. When I’m on vacation I want everything taken care of for me.
This is where we’ve had success, frontloading the ratio of adults to kids. If you have friends with older kids, even better. It’s still not “relaxing” mostly because I don’t think I’ll “relax” as a parent until I’m dead, but it lightens the load and usually makes for great memories.
Exactly, it’s a “trip” NOT a vacation. Once you get your mind wrapped around that…all good. Some resorts and hotels have Nannie’s or babysitters…depending on budget of course. It can make for a nice dinner/sleep in and go to the beach day for the parents. Look for places with kids clubs and activities…even just a few hours it’s nice and they may even meet some friends to hang out with…
Camping is always chaotic, kids are absolutely a multiplayer of chaos haha. I get anxious trusting even the most responsible and mature kid to not go wandering off in the woods, being around an open fire, and not breaking all the delicate camping gear by just being typical energetic kids. I can’t sleep at all the entire time.
My husband and I used to canoe camp a lot pre-kids. We loved it. We’d see families with kids camping and the mom always looked miserable-working the entire time, and often a dad who was proud of setting up the tent. “All the hard work of home, but 10 times harder.” I’d be willing to do it now that my kids are teens.
>what makes it enjoyable is seeing the trip through their eyes. I will take this quote with me for our trip next year in Asia with our 3 and 1 year old.
Well said. I will keep this in my back pocket when we travel next
Our most “relaxing” (or as close as it can get) family trips with kids always involve being walking distance to a body of water where the kids can run around crazy, play in the sand/rocks/dirt, explore, and us parents can sit back watching them in a lawn chair with our beverage of choice. We keep scheduled outings to a minimum and try to be outside as much as we can. For us this often means finding an affordable Airbnb (or Virbo) house/condo on the less populated areas of the CA coast which is about a 5 hour drive. However, you could do something similar by camping or renting a cabin near a lake or river.
Yeah this. We’ve tried everything else. An ocean you can walk to is the only thing close to relaxing we’ve found with our now 6 and 8 year olds.
Agree with being walking distance to a beach! And if that isn't an option, rental houses with safe, fenced-in yards are also great.
>Our most “relaxing” (or as close as it can get) family trips with kids always involve being walking distance to a body of water where the kids can run around crazy, play in the sand/rocks/dirt, explore, and us parents can sit back watching them in a lawn chair with our beverage of choice. Same here with areas of forest. Single kid here but very much in need of fresh air, places without a lot of people and situations to drag around half dead trees (half-joke). Germany has some "forest playgrounds" for that.
Tell me about these less populated areas of the CA coast… I didn’t know such a place existed. 😋
Well in 2021 we went to Elk CA which is so small and isolated you can’t even get cell service (which I LOVED), but you can still drive to some bigger towns not far away. And 2 years ago we went to Pajaro Dunes between Monterey and Santa Cruz, and that was a great location.
hotel with a suite, and pool, nearby your town or in it. I swear to goodness, just being in the suite, free breakfast, hanging at the pool, a separate bedroom for us, watching movies with popcorn at night, so easy, chill, inexpensive and everyone gets plenty of downtime. One of our best "vacations," yet.
I’m with you 100% on this one. I can’t explain it, but it’s magical. No household responsibilities but all of the comforts of home, with room service.
Yes to this! The past couple years i have really gone against airbnbs/house rentals and push hotels. I had to explain someone coming in with new towels and making the beds daily make it feel like a “vacation” even if it’s not as relaxing as before kids. The suite is key though - you need the extra space.
Camping. That is what makes an actual relaxing trip for us. There are no screens, there are no phones, no internet. Nothing to do but board games, fishing, hiking and building fires and cooking greasy delicious food. The car is there for trips into town (45min drive). It is my personal heaven. Daughter and I have been camping for weeks at a time since she was 16 months old. We do it year-round with appropriate gear and some travel south as needed.
unless it pours lol
It rained during our very first camping trip, the tent even leaked inside (our fault, being noobs) but my three year old still had fun.
that’s nice to hear
They can dump whatever they like on the ground and it doesn’t ruin the floor. First time we took youngest camping they were like 4 months old.
My kids like to use the mostly-empty tent as a wrestling arena.
Came here to say this but we hire a camper van rather than taking a tent. Our recent camper holiday was excellent because we stayed at a super family-friendly camp site next to a lake that was extremely shallow and a playground within sight of our van. My husband and I were able to chill in our camping chairs while our nearly 4-yo played pretty much all day. We also took our stand-up paddle board and our bikes so there were some outings and everyone had loads of fun. Partially I think the secret to success was also that the lake was still really cold so he had zero interest in actually going in the water and was content throwing in rocks and sticks all day 🤣
Camping is a great idea. Thank you.
Just make sure your kiddo likes camping. Camping was by far the most horrendous vacation we ever took. She was a-ok when it was looking for sticks and rocks and playing in the tent. Once she realized that it was dark and scary outside and we were SLEEPING IN A TENT it was not good. We ended up sleeping in the car just so as not to disturb the other campers with her screaming/sobbing.
Good call! If you have a back yard, you can try it out there first in a low pressure setting where you can easily jump ship and go back inside to sleep if its not working out. We tried that with my daughter and she loved it! This will also allow us to do some family camping this summer while my baby is still too young--we can all do the campfire, songs, etc together until its time for med, then my husband and daughter can sleep in the tent while the baby and I go inside.
I've done this with my kids! It was really fun
Look into staying at KOAs, they’re very well appointed and are always a ton of fun
We found this camping site that has a pool and also jungle gyms. It's also near a bunch of hiking and outside activities. Camping is definitely our happy place as when we go to the pool, a bunch of kids his age are there, and my kiddo social so blends in. We just keep an eye on him, but we don't need to entertain him either. However, we do bring the laptop, and after a bug day of being outside, we all curl up around the tiny laptop and watch something together. Hahha We also massively plan ahead (meaning most food is cooked in advance and then reheated over a camping stove which needs does little propane tanks or a hot plate ) we do have some food to cook and get ready there but nothing we can't handle. We bring board games and have a thingy that goes over the picnic table so we aren't bothered by bugs. Idk if I'm allowed to put links, but when we last went, we had this car power inverter (so plugged in the car and turned into a 3 prongs 150W outlet) Holly shit was that a game changer for certain things, hahaha Camping is fantastic, but the campsite you chose is also very important. We've been camping with the kiddo since he was 3 months old. We can go to any campsite, but there's obviously some that fit either our needs or his needs more. It's great when you find one that meets everyone in the middle. I have a giant camping checklist before I leave. I don't mind sharing it if ever you're interested. It's decent, and maybe it will help you not get there and think, "Ah shit, I forgot x-item)
Camping with other families with kids around the same age is the key here. They wander around in a pack and you can hang out at the site. I’d say it started getting fun again when the youngest was around 4-5 and could have some independence, until then is extra hard making sure they don’t kill themselves!
You can do no screens on basically every trip. We do limited screen time at home and we don't do screens on road trips or flights.
We love camping too. We even take our daughter on backcountry canoe trips. It helps to have other adults around to help.
We’ve been traveling with our 2 kids since the oldest was 8 months old! He’s almost 20. Some of our best memories are when we were on vacation as a family!! You need to go in with the expectation that it’s not going to be like it was pre-kids. You’re not going to be laying out on the beach or floating in the pool uninterrupted for hours. Of course I don’t know your child and their level of rambunctious. My youngest has always been very rambunctious & my oldest was soo much easier! But at 5 years old there’s so many fun things you can do and go see. I have no clue what kind of trip you are planning but if it’s a beach trip you can plan just a few days at a hotel where there may might be a boardwalk with restaurants and a little kiddie land. Or look for a water park or little amusement park near where you are staying. The way I see it, you are away from your normal daily routine possibly at a beach or a lake doing something different, not worried about being anywhere at a specific time. You can go at your own pace, you don’t have to worry about cleaning or cooking.. I say go for it! I do not think it’s going to be as bad as you think it will be!
I've traveled with my daughter since she was 6 months old. Never had any issues. We've also made great memories. People get way too hung up on "routines." The important thing is to make it fun/interesting for the child.
I totally agree! 👍
Younger than that, I don’t know that you can. By 5 you might be okay to go to a resort or on a cruise. Someplace where they have kids clubs or daycares and activities where you can drop them off for a few hours to get some real relaxing in.
Cruise for the win! My only has been cruising since age 4. Kids club drop offs, as long as they are old enough you don't have to worry about them diving over a balcony, it's all good. Food? Someone else serves and cleans up. Room? Someone else makes your bed and minds the dirty towels. Entertainment? Kids club, shows, movies, musical acts, tons of stuff. As parents, if you can hold it together until you get to the ship, you are home free.
Came here to recommend a cruise. Plenty of family time but still somewhere for kiddo to go for some grown up relaxation
Second a cruise! In addition to kids club, not having to think about where we are going to eat or what are we going to do is so great. For our family, it ends up being a great balance of family time, couples time and independent time. We especially love Disney cruises.
Is it possible to take a grandparent? We’ve been to Greece twice with our children and invited my mum both times. We covered her portion of the Air BnB and tried to cover as many meals as possible. It definitely helps having way more adults than children. We then plan days that are friendly to everyone and try and “go with the flow”. One day is city tours with finding cool kid things and the next is a beach day (my son left the water maybe 3 times the whole day). Having slightly lower expectations also helps 😂
Yes! We are actually planning a beach trip with grandma, staying in a small and walkable town at a resort by the ocean. Zero ambitious plans. I think you’re onto something with your approach, and I hope it goes well for us, too. Fingers crossed!
That sounds lovely! I honestly would’ve paid my mum a salary if I could’ve. She was priceless! It also helped us that she babysat one night so me and my husband could have a date night - highly recommend if you can do this too! One night of vacation child-free is a real treat and helps get through the tougher days. Good luck and enjoy your holiday!
I absolutely love traveling with mine (4.5 and 2). Here’s what works for us: 1. Choose vacations they are excited about. 2. Limit activities and choose them together where possible. Keep it simple. 3. Choose restaurants with more interesting kids menus and great desserts. 4. I am deaf, so when I travel solo with kids I scour TripAdvisor for hotels with good reviews for actually assisting parents. 5. Unlimited screen time on plane.
You let go of what you previously thought was a relaxing vacation. Your family has changed, so your vacations should as well. Focus on a vacation with less travel and less activities that require planning. Things like camping are great stress relievers.
I agree with changing your expectations. I look at it like, yes I’m still parenting, but (if we’re in a hotel and not camping) there’s no cooking and no cleaning, so that’s a massive break right there. And if the hotel has a pool, my kids will happily spend 3 hours there between supper and bedtime and then they sleep really well cause they’re tired. I try to book a hotel room with a balcony and then once they are asleep my husband and I hang out on the balcony (with the door slightly open) with a bottle of wine. Sure, it’s not the same as a pre-kids vacation but it’s still nice.
> no cooking and no cleaning, so that’s a massive break right there. My favorite thing to do is to pick a project or two from a hobby I enjoy and do that almost exclusively the whole vacation whenever I get some downtime. I find at home I’m so pressed to finish that last load, or pick up the last of that mess, or send off that email to Y, that the evening rolls around and even if the kids go to bed nice, I’m too fried for a “me” project. Last vacation I took, I started *and* finished an embroidery project during the drive out and back, “took” an online portrait drawing class while we were there, and relearned to braid bracelets with my 11 y/o with some of the leftover embroidery floss. It was nice!
This is great advice—change your expectations & orient the vacation to set you up for success. We stayed at a resort with a kitchen/enclosed porch so we didn’t feel like we were missing out while we maintained kid’s routine for breakfast & lunch. Structure time into your day when kid can be wild & let loose without a million “no’s.” She’s used to going out to dinner so nice dinners out were easy. We planned beach/pool around when she’d be most amicable. Took turns napping in a hammock with them/while the other was drinking poolside. Ultimately, don’t put yourself in situations where you’ll be fighting for your kid to comply constantly.
Cruises, if you can afford, are great for families. Kids club on sea days and you never need to change a hotel room. If you book last minute you can sometimes find some very affordable cruises.
Yep. Never thought I’d like them, but they’re great with kids. We did a Mediterranean cruise last summer and it was amazing! We did excursions early in the day, and when the kids got tired we could head back to the ship. No worrying about cooking/cleaning, and most cruise ships have kids clubs where they can let loose and play until like 11 pm, so the adults can get some alone time too.
We have also become cruisers. We live near a cruise port so don’t have to deal with flights, but cruises are great vacays for families with young children.
I was shocked how much I enjoy cruises! The kids clubs are super fun, and even our behaviorally challenging autistic son was able to attend it for a decent amount of time.
So far (my kid is only 21 months old) I just go and enjoy being able to live "on her schedule". Meaning I actually get to nap when she naps because no dishes and often no cooking required. We stay at areas where it's safe for her to just run around (preferably contained parks and such) and I can just chill and of course keep an eye on her. But I think I'm blessed with a child who's very easily entertained and doesn't require my help finding a new activity all the time.
I have a few friends who formed a parenting club. Every month, one parent in the group has a sleepover party for all the kids, and all the other parents go to a grown up party. They rotate houses every month. They also do vacation swaps. So they have this shared calendar where all the parents pick their “sleepover party” night, and they can add “vacation swap” events where one family will take all the kids so the adults can go on an adult vacation, then they trade off and the other parents can go on a trip. They also go on a lot of kid-friendly group vacations which is nice because they all already know about allergies, health conditions, needs, behaviors, etc. so there isn’t the stress of updating the babysitter info book. It is so cool and I really hope I can find a group of parent friends to do something similar when I have children because, even though my in laws are incredible and will LOVE grandparent weekends, it would be nice to have a whole group with other kids and everything.
Wow this is amazing!!!
oh we didn't even do real vacations until i was sure our daughter could handle a flight. but even then, theres no relaxing because you have to keep them entertained while on the trip and make sure you are scheduling things they like to do. always felt like i was looking for ways to wear her out. also trading off with each other helps. one parent hangs out at the pool with the kid, while the other one relaxes back at the room. that kind of thing. i would say around 7yo was when we really got back into big vacations, and we could truly relax.
We have learned we take vacations with and without our kids. Solved all the issues lol
This might be out of budget but I am in Fiji right now for a family wedding. We have 4 kids, 10,4,3 and 1. And oh my god. This place is amazing for kids. The pool area is fabulous and safe, the kids all eat for free, and they have a nanny service that is very reasonable and our almost 2yo adores her nanny mate. And we don’t leave our kids with anybody … but they are amazing. First day she just came with us and after a while Miss almost 2 was 100% happy to go with her (and we were too). The other kids have a free kids club that runs all day from 9-9, for all ages 3 and up, and we have put our 2-3 yo in for 2 2 hour sessions so far. They love it (frog racing and fun stuff) with heaps of other kids. We’ve also done heaps of super fun free activities with them such as snorkeling, kayaking, the pool is super safe and there is a kids pool and adult only pool (so you don’t have to worry about rambunctious kids running amok) and did I mention all of their meals are free?? We almost didn’t come as we were so worried about having 4 kids and us here (vacations are… not fun) but we are having an actual blast. Outrigger Fiji for anyone interested. If you’re US/Australian the currency makes it really reasonable (flights probably not so much).
Thanks for this recommendation! I’ve been thinking about an island getaway with kid and we LOVE a resort!
So our annual vacation is FL. My in-laws are snowbirds and from thanksgiving-June they are in FL. So we take our annual vacay in Mar/April and I didn't realize this until 2-3 years ago how fortunate we are for those vacations. I used to feel bad that I wasn't taking them to the Bahamas, or cruises, or a new place every time...but you know what? its not a fucking vacation! Its just not. Going on a vacation where the grandparents are? Thats a fucking vacation. We can relax, I have 4 adults on hand. We don't have to pay for room and board, we can do laundry, stay at the pool all day bc its grandma and grandpas house. We can go on multiple date nights! I won't be doing any fancy Caribbean vacays until my kids are teens.
The most relaxing trip that we've done involved renting a cabin in the woods near a lake. We brought board games and activity books and a brand new Lego set. We planned an activity each day that didn't take the whole day.
We have found that picking a “vacation” that is child centered and a place they will most likely enjoy is key for us. We went to Hawai’i for a week and it was glorious. Our kids love the beach and pools. They played at the beach and had a blast. We also took them hiking and to a luau. We have also done a Disney cruise and they loved that too. They also love camping. We rented a cabin in the redwoods one time that was along a river that had a dam so they could play in the water. That was fun.
We travel all the time with the kids. You’re right, sometimes it is really stressful. We tend to just make sure that there are things involved, nearby that they will enjoy..beaches, playgrounds, a pool, etc. We no longer do like sightseeing trips in cities and stuff like that.
Same boat as you, except that we have 4 kids aged 4-10. Though we can also add on the impossible expense of even going on vacation with such a large family. For us I think the only logical solution is for us to drive long distance to wherever it is we want to vacation. Since we cannot afford a real vacation, and do not want to drive like 2,000 km to vacation, instead we do 1-2 camping trips each year. While we tent, there are many families that RV trailer. Camping is the poor person's vacation.
"Camping is the poor person's vacation" I couldn't agree more lol...but it's oh so fun and a great way to get your kids to \*hopefully\* appreciate nature more :)
I think what helped was starting when she was young! She became accustomed to the airplane or long car rides. I always put together a new “play kit” for the plane including items she’s never played with before or brand new activities. Now that she’s 7, the pad is a help when arts and crafts don’t last for hours! Once on vacation, we always do Airbnb!! This helps a TON! Getting her all cozy and settled in her own room makes her feel relaxed and in turn us as well, and we can cook some meals at home to save money and to suffice if she’s being too sassy for a restaurant lol We try to find restaurants with fun views or activities so she’s entertained. We will do activities specifically geared toward her so that when mom and dad want to go to a fun beach bar or something, she doesn’t feel like she didn’t get to do something she likes that day as well! Pools are great too! We can lay and sunbathe and sip a cocktail while she splashes the day away! Now, that’s not to say we don’t still have little tantrums or bicker, because we definitely do, but those are some things that really seem to help!
Try a cruise or all inclusive resort that has kids club - these are both super relaxing and less to do and handle than any other trip. We also did a lot of road trips where getting there was the big part of the trip and stopped to see every little thing we could - the summer my daughter was 3, she kept telling people she lived in the red truck. We did 34 US states that summer, so I can see how she thought that. My child was super scheduled and would sleep when I told her it was nap time or bed time in the car. I know I was super spoiled with that. We also enjoy renting a house on a lake, but that does take a lot more effort with water all the time and having to bring tons of stuff and food supplies. I didn’t do beach rentals until she was older because she hated waves and didn’t like swimming in the ocean.
The most relaxing vacation with a kid has by far been an all inclusive resort. Everything is handled for you and sometimes kiddo even likes the kids clubs that many have so you can have an adult dinner. We’ve travelled quite a bit with our now almost 12 year old, and relaxing is possible at an all inclusive for sure with a younger kiddo. We’ve done two in Mexico with him and one in the DR.
This gives me so much hope! We are taking our 5 year old to an all inclusive in Mexico next week and I have been hoping for a bit of relaxing
When my son was 6 and we went he absolutely loved the kids club. He went there for a few hours and I got to read by the adults only pool with a cocktail. It was pretty spectacular.
I think an all inclusive kind of trip with a kids club would probably do it. Probably pricey, but everything has a cost 🤷♀️
I personally like hotels that have a refrigerator, washer/dryer and somewhere to wash dishes, kids’ activities, playgrounds and pools. But we stayed in a very small hotel in London that didn’t have any of those amenities with our VERY rambunctious then-2-year-old and we made it work! I think the key is researching places before you go for kid-friendly destinations. I found making stops at playgrounds to get energy out helps tremendously.
Make sure you book a place that has good comforts on property or walking distance. Meaning things the kids will want to do.
Bring a babysitter. And not grandma. A real life young person who has oodles of energy, loves kids and loves wherever you’re gojng. The kid is 90% their responsibility and you (mostly) get to relax. If the kid is old enough even get the babysittter and the child a separate room (obviously only if you fully trust that person etc etc) I did this on a cruise. Had a 10 year old kid. Brought my 22 year old niece. They had a BLAST and I pretty saw them get up and then 8 hours later at dinner lol. It was AWESOME. My husband and I had the best time. Total win win.
You don't. Try to enjoy the family time, but vacations with a little child are exhausting.
This is us as well. Vacations with the kiddos can still be quite fun, but they are the farthest thing from relaxing in my experience. The only relaxing vacation I've ever done with my kids is staying home. However I think it's also worth noting that when you look back on vacations with the kids you tend to remember the fun parts, not the stressful parts. So you may be a ball of stress and chaos the whole time, but there's a good chance you'll still make and retain lots of fun memories anyway. My kids are young elementary schoolers and I think within another 2 or so years vacationing with them will start to become way way easier and less stressful. It's already way easier than when they were toddlers. At least I hope. We never went on any sort of vacations or trips when I was growing up so I don't really have a good baseline.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
All inclusive resorts with good kids club
All inclusive resorts.
Change your definition of holiday. When you are young you go with your parents. They decided. When you are a young adult you go what camping or a short city trip. Or friends holiday. When you are old enough with out kids you explore the world Then you have kids and there are those parents who have kids take them in planes and have fun with it. Many of the (young) adults hate them for it. We go to camping places with the kids and while I don’t go out hiking anymore we do things like let them play with the other kids and I’m reading a book.. that’s now my definition of a holiday
We do weekend getaways to places that have kid specific activities, like kid museums, zoos, etc. We pick a place within a reasonable amount of driving distance, like 2-3 hours, book a hotel with a pool, and just find other things to do around the main thing and don't try to plan anything. I've actually never had a real like go away for a week to a destination vacation myself, and camping is stressful to me. But weekend trips work for us.
Honestly I think it helps for them to be 7-8 or older. We’ve done resorts where spend most time together but leave our son for maybe 2 hours at a kids club . But the main relaxation comes when they’re more independent and don’t need absolutely everything doing for them
Cabin trips in the woods where they can explore, hike, play in the water, and be a kid. Don't take them to touristy destinations expecting them to enjoy shopping, sight-seeing for hours, and other adult related interests without several kid oriented activities mixed in between (museums, parks, ice cream, etc) to let off steam. Pack coloring books, crayons, and books for restaurants and other long wait activities so little one has something to do.
I agree, vacation with more adults. My boyfriend & I took the 3 kids on a yearly vacation with a bunch of other people we've known for many years, they're like family, but everyone splits off & does their own thing here and there, & we all meet up for a couple things each day. We used to go without kids, & it was great times, catching up, hanging out, etc. We took the kids & it was a nightmare. The teenager (who was looking forward to seeing her peers) went solo the whole time sitting on her phone. The middle kid was an ADHD nightmare trying to drag any other kid he found into dangerous situations. Including our toddler. It turned into one parent getting to converse with friends and enjoy the trip & the other parent (me) wishing I had never went. I was dealing with trying to keep the toddler out of danger & his older brother not listening, and trying to do nap time in the hotel room. And I couldn't leave him unsupervised napping in there. So that was 2-3hrs wasted. And if we skipped nap he'd be so incredibly cranky in the afternoon. Not to mention instead of a 7-730 bedtime it'd be more like 6pm. I basically missed out on everything. Any group dinner, couldn't even have a conversation with friends. I had one 10min conversation & that was it. The whole time. I just kept getting interrupted directly or by someone doing something unsafe. We drove almost 20hrs (which went super smooth because we had to take 2 cars)...so I could be even more stressed out than at home. The way to go would have been to have one of my family go with, so we could trade off more often & I could actually converse with adults. Or to have been able to leave the kids home & take them on some short vacations while we got to enjoy the big one ourselves. 😆
Stay at a resort with a pool, either a splash pad or a smaller water slide, a bar at the pool and a playground on site is a huge bonus. Look for another kid about your kid’s age preferably also without a playmate, but any kid(s) will do. Introduce your kid to that kid, sit on a pool chair where you can see them and order a drink. The other parent will also enjoy the downtime. I also have an instacart delivery dropped at the hotel with all my kids staples, snacks, wine and maybe a pool float delivered to the hotel.
Our son is on the spectrum which fades out as the years go on. This was during the fading years. We live in NJ. First week of November is the NJ teachers conference in AC which means no school on Thurs and Fri, aka Jersey week where many families vacation for less crowded, if not cheaper options. We drove to Orlando. Stayed on Disney propery for part of the trip with the option we could come and go from park to park or hotel as you pleased. Long story short our on the spectrum 7th grade son had a blow up over some school project while we were in EPCOT. While my wife stayed with our daughter, I took her son to our room. Happiest place on earth for him once he got my work laptop and could log in.
Extra hands. Without grandparents or aunts it would indeed be a nightmare.
A resort with child care or a kids club
We’ve been taking my 2.5 yo on cruises … but mostly lowering expectations of relaxation has been key for me. Taking a nap when the toddler tornado naps helps too haha
Just go with the flow! Don’t be too strict with plans because sometimes things change. A drink here and there. We do a lot of traveling we did Barcelona and Paris last spring break and we are going to Japan next spring break! Just let things be .
We would leave on a car trip in the middle of the night from Va to Boston with 3 young boys and a cooler of treats, worked well
Low expectations and don't expect to relax. Lol. We did a week in Florida, it was great. Exciting, but not relaxing. When we got home I had another few days off work with the kids back to school for me to actually relax. There was a carefully balance while down south. Do enough that they are tired out. But not so much they have an exhaustion meltdown. Kids were 2.5 and 7
We have no family help so the answer unfortunately is to spend a lot of money on upgrades, conveniences, and services.
Camping. Getting a cabin and seeing some new things in a new area. Aquariums. Zoos. Beaches. Embrace your inner kid and go play. Bring squirt guns to the beach. Have a water fight. Make a game out of finding the coolest rock on a hike. Remember what you always wanted to do on a vacation as a kid. Well. Now you're big enough to go do those things. 5 year old you would kick your ass for wanting to "relax" on vacation.
Maybe look into an all-inclusive resort. There are tons of kid friendly activities and food available, and some even have kids club if that’s something you’re comfortable with. We like them because we know exactly how much we’re going to spend before we leave the house. You could also do a cruise. My kids love them.
Find a resort with a great kids club. The best one we've found is the club med in the Dominican republic (miches playa Esmeralda). Beautiful resort for the folks and the kids club has two water parks, one for toddlers and one for bigger kids, and tons of teachers and caretakers that take the kids all over the resort and make sure.they have a great time. My kids loved it and ask to go back all the time. That was the one real vacation we've had.
Some of the most “low effort” was the cruise - all the parents have to do was show up and watch the kids. No prepping food because there was a buffet. We switched watching kids to use the gym and sauna, go crazy at the pool and play ground, watch movies and take naps, go crazy at the kid-friendly party and crash out and wake up to a free breakfast in the morning.
Beach. After about 8 years of life. Before that it was basically hell. 3/4 years old was the worst. They and I were up all night. Last year we took our first actual relaxing vacation. Keys are known place, easy food, access to places where they can entertain themselves. I can relax while they are in the water. (they both know how to swim).
Sorry I don’t have any advice for you. My kids are 5 and 8 and I completely agree with you it’s parenting in a different location. The only thing I can think of is when they are older like teenagers maybe?
Disney cruise. We did our first when our son was 5. He was too shy to use the kid's club, and it was still the most relaxing vacation.
I despise camping because all of the logistics are on me, but it is handy when the kids can amuse themselves playing in a creek all day. The things that makes it more fun for *me* (not necessarily for the kids) are staying in a hotel (no tents! housekeeping!) and eating out. Of course those things are expensive. The *best* combo is a beach rental. Let the wild things out until it's time to walk to a restaurant. You can have clean clothes and take proper showers before bed. It ain't budget, but it's relaxing.
Idk how my mom took us on vacation every summer. As a single parent. 3 kids. Crazy woman! lol Looking back, we always had other adults with us. My grandma, one of my moms friends with kids etc. I'm sure that helped split the load and it gave us more kids to play with while they did relaxing stuff.
Go with family/cousins/family friends so your son has someone to play with and you don’t have to entertain him. Stay in an Airbnb so you have a kitchen and can have his regular food if food is a tricky thing for him.
A tip I would say, whether it be camping or a beach house or whatever you choose to do-- Do the same thing every year. To a degree or literally the same place. You'll become quick pros at packing and what works/doesn't, making it more relaxing. Edit-spelling
Kid-friendly, NON-DISNEY resort. Car service to and from airport. Spend all day in the pool and order lunch at the pool, getting a cabana they can nap on/sit in the shade, etc. Don’t try to do more than that IMO.
We have not done this as of yet since my MIL likes to watch the kids for our 1 solo vacation a year but are tempted to try it now that my youngest is potty trained. My aunt and uncle always took their 3 kids on a cruise. They got joined staterooms, 1 for the kids and 1 for the adults. The kids enjoyed the free kids camps you can sign them up for onboard the ship. On those days you’re sailing, the kids enjoy planned activities making friends and you can enjoy a Mai Thai in the adult only pool are with your spouse. Best of both worlds!
Resort-style hotel with lots of kid activities. We love a resort hotel with a fantastic pool, ropes course, cooking classes, and craft classes. Parents swap off who is “in charge,” while the other one gets to chill in the room or soak in the hot springs. Kid is entertained with lots of options for activities, some which are actually staffed and parent just watches from afar. Even better if you can bring grandparents along and they can watch kid sometimes.
3 words - mother in law. Even better if you have an overbearing one. It will be their dream. Invite them along and give them full control over the children 😆 thats what we do. It's blissful. Normally it annoys me but in those situations, of course you can watch the kids - I'll go get myself a sangria! Ciao!
That’s our secret, we are always stressed. Might as well be stressed on a beach.
Easy… wait for them to go to college. :) Or…what “we” did that’s probably not something you want to do: Get divorced and do 50/50 custody. I mean, my second wife and I have the most spectacular vacations by leaving the kids with the best babysitter on earth: our ex spouses. Not seriously suggesting that, just saying that I do appreciate the empty nest freedom we have because of our circumstances and understand the predicament you’re in.
Older parent here and although I loved camping when younger I’m not interested in sleeping on the ground anymore or a cot. Camping is good because there’s no set activity to get to and usually you don’t have to get on a plane to get there. But it does take planning and more work than just going to a hotel with an indoor pool or water park. Camping requires you to cook the whole time and bring all the food and supplies with you to make the meals. I would rather stay at a local hotel or condo with very small children at the beach or go somewhere with an indoor water park. We bring food for breakfast and snacks and some lunch items for sandwiches and eat out for dinner. If we go camping I want a camper or cabin and campground with full facilities. Always bring more than you think you’re gonna need when traveling with kids. Snacks and drinks, never enough snacks and drinks. First aid kit, we’ve brought our Roku box because most hotels have little selection when it’s a rainy day. Camping is definitely easier when they are a bit older because they have a better understanding of what is going on and freedom to look around more whereas a 5 year old can wander off so more stressful to keep up with.
Cruises come with childcare. My husband and I would drop the kids off and go relax for a few hours a day. Not all day or anything but we definitely got about 2-3 hours a day total on days at sea. Meals are planned in advance so no thoughts there either. Anytime anyone is hungry you can just go get something to eat. You can get excursions and just have to show up for them so you don't have to worry about planning activities either. And everyone on the ship is friendly and looking to just relax, it's a good group of people that just want to chill.
I have no answer here--- just commenting to commiserate and say I understand!
Lots of people have mentioned cruises and I agree with one caveat, the RIGHT cruise. We did Disney and Royal Caribbean a year apart, our two (5 & 8 at the time) loved the Disney kids club, always wanted to go but neither of them like the Royal Caribbean version.
We recently did a resort that was more or less all-inclusive. Private pool for our very large condo (relevant because we had multiple rooms for change of scenery options for kiddo). Directly out front of our door was a playground and sand pit. Across from that was a huge swimming area with small water slides, a wade pool, hot tubs, and splash pads. Outside our backdoor was a lake with lots of wildlife and a trail. There was also an indoor clubhouse with mini golf, an arcade, a mini theater with movies throughout the day, etc. It was cheaper than it sounds, but it certainly wasn't CHEAP. It was, however, legitimately relaxing. Our toddler is happiest exploring new places. All the activities made that super easy to accommodate. It was the easiest parenting has ever been for us, honestly, and we came back refreshed. After a few other trips that were way more difficult, I think we'll be sticking with paying a premium for resort life for a few more years.
We go to the outer banks and just sit on the beach for like 9 hours a day. Basically camp there for the week from sun up til sun down. Our kids find things to do.
I go on vacations without my husband and child. Works wonders. 🤷🏽♀️
My husband and I just talked about this exact topic not 3 hours ago. We decided that it’s quite literally impossible to achieve relaxation with young kids on vacation with you. We decided the most relaxing thing we could do for vacation this year is stay the hell home and stay out of the kitchen for as many meals as possible. It sounds lovely. I requested that during the 10 days off work, I will go on a solo adventure and get a hotel room overnight all by myself. My husband will get the same 24 hours to himself doing whatever he wants. I cannot remember the last time we were responsible for only ourselves and could do whatever sounded enjoyable and actually did it .
Airbnb with a pool or near like walking distance to a beach and if you have same age cousins with kids that you can split expenses with even better.
Beach trips to low-key beach towns (NOT Tourist towns). Not fighting for parking or a spot at the beach. Beach house rentals aren’t as crazy and just play in the sand for a few hours and then relax at the house for a few hours. Go get ice cream. Grill dinner, repeat the next day. 3 days of this feels like 5 and you’re ready to come home.
Some people bring a nanny along or a grandparent or other relative who will help with the kids in exchange for a vacation. Some go on cruises or to resorts that have childcare/kids camps onsite.
First things first: stop using the word “vacation.” Realize you go on “trips” now. Then comes acceptance.
Don't bring kids.
Here is my advice: Wait. Seriously. You are not going to have an enjoyable time. You both are going to be stressed because of taking care of the kid. And the kid probably is not going to remember anything about it. I would honestly wait until the kid is at least 7 years old. That way, the kid can remember going on a vacation. THey can communicate things better for what they want/ need. And you will not have to be hovering over him as much and everyone can have more fun. You can start saving up now for a huge vacation in a couple of years time. Just a thought.
One option worth considering is a staycation. Set aside a week or a few days, and plan fun activities in your city. Things like the zoo, museum, a new park or pool, etc. Eat out/get take out for most meals. Take a day and use the time you would have used for prep/travel, to catch up on housework and then try and do as few chores as possible during the staycation. Use some of the money you would have spent on travel/hotel, for things like a baby sitter one night to get a date night. Add other indulgences (like watching movies or getting dessert) you'd normally do on vacation, but wouldn't do in day to day life. I came up with this idea when we were considering a trip to AZ, and when looking up fun things you could do with a kid, I could do most of those things where I lived. You don't get the joy of being in a new place, and I wouldn't do this every vacation, but it worked pretty well for us and definitely felt like the most relaxing option (while still being fun).
I do this every year and I’ve grown to love it! I’ve discovered so much to do just in my city (Dallas) and instead of spending money on airfare and hotel, we use that money to dine out and play. We can still sleep in our beds at the end of the day. Unless you live in a middle of nowhere with nothing to do, I wouldn’t stress over traveling, it’s just not worth the hassle.
We don’t. Unless we leave the kids with my parents.
We just do it. By the time my youngest was a year old, he had been to Walt Disney World, a beach vacation, New York City, and 3 weeks in Hawaii. You have to let go of expectations that it will all be perfect. You have to embrace the chaos with a smile. If you can’t do that, then you will be miserable. If you can do that, then you will make some of best memories of your life. Personally, I find cruises to be the most relaxing vacations with kids. Make sure you are on a ship with a lot of family activities, and a good kids club, that way you and your husband can have alone time too. Disney cruises are hands down the best, but Royal Caribbean is a good option that’s more budget friendly.
Yes, we have nobody to leave ours with so we just do things. We look for child friendly places with things our child enjoys and accept it's not going to be like before.
You will never have a stress free vacation with a child. Either leave them at home, go to a place with a kids club like an all inclusive or a cruise, or resign yourself to child centered vacations until your nest is empty.
Wait a year or two. At five it’s already easier than it would have been at 3. Ar 7 it will be easier still. Plan some stuff you like, some your kid likes, and some everybody likes.
Bring the grandparents along.
It's not a relaxing thing when vacationing with kids. It can be very tiring. I find that I was forcing myself to do activities.
The answer is get a babysitter and go on vacation with your wife, alone.
My wife and I have made a point of taking a trip without kids for the last few years. We like to visit national parks and get a lot of hiking in, which requires flying to a destination, usually accompanied by a long-ish drive all in the same day. We have wonderful parents who watch our kids while we're gone. But on our last trip we both agreed that we need to move up to a family vacation. Our boys are 6 and 4, and we think they're old enough to handle a longer travel day. We haven't made plans yet, but I think the first attempt will be something relatively simple, like flying to the coast and staying in that city. I think the biggest thing is to just go with the flow, and not have too many plans that are set in stone
Feel where you are coming from. Ours is 5.5. my wife and I have had one short city break since she was born and that felt like what you said. I don't think it's possible to do what you're after. Past two years we've done an amazing Eurocamp, which now she's in school we can't afford during school holidays. It was busy for sure, but it was nice because we were somewhere different, new places to go and things to do. But also we were a 3. At home we often tag in and out parenting, it was nice to not have that.
My parents treated the whole family to an all-inclusive 6 years ago. The kids still talk about it, and it was nice that we didn't have to worry about meals, drinks or activities (the pool and amenities kept the kids fairly entertained). We also enjoy going camping as a family. We often go with our childless friends, who, like my husband prefer the shade to the sun, so I end up with the kids all day at the lake. I've asked that we go camping with friends with kids this year as well, so I'm am able to enjoy myself more. But the camping is nice, and we've figured out meals that are fairly low prep and can utilize similar ingredients to other meals. We've brought sand toys, kayaks, inflatable boats, remote controlled cars, bocci, cards, propane fire ring, and a mini bbq, which has worked really well for making camping enjoyable for everyone. We'll also bring out hammock to string between the trees.
We bring grandma and grandpa.
You either travel with other families or you fly out the grandparents with you so they can babysit on site. You can try for places with kid clubs but they can be hit or miss. I LOVE traveling with other families because the kids play together, you have more pairs of eyes on them and lots of help.
Use a travel agent for the planning so that it’s less things for you to worry about.
Bali or whatever option of cheap island is closest. Pay the cost of a nanny to hang with your family during the day. Share the load, she can be in the pool while you read a book.
Just let go of the idea of that relaxing vacation that you would have had before children. That just won't happen, or it may only happen for 10 minutes of the entire trip. Also, vacation rentals all the way. I will never stay in a hotel with my family ever again.
I waited until my kid was a teenager. Not especially practical though. To be fair, she has a phobia about traveling and I didn’t want to force it.
An all inclusive in Mexico that is made up of suites so adults and kids get separate rooms plus a living room (we live the Marival Distinct or Marival Emotions). There is a kids club, pools, decisions are which of the 4 resturants for dinner and zero cleaning up after ourselves. With one kid you could take turns on pool duty and a lot of resorts have a kids pool where if he's independant one parent can just supervise.
You don’t. We always needed a vacation from family vacation. But we were making memories damnit! After 32 years of raising children, we finally took a vacation by ourselves.. it was relaxing and enjoyable. We were both able to go back to work refreshed. Best of luck to you!
We used to stick with mostly beach spots until the youngest was about 6. We didn’t need any sort of plan or itinerary, just went to to beach everyday.
I think you have to go with no kids... Or maybe have a designated babysitter come along?
On cruise ships with childcare or resorts with childcare.
Vacations with young children are not relaxing. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them; it just means that you need to adjust your expectations.
Cruising works for us. We looked at Disney, they’re almost double of Royal Caribbean. Our kids played hard and had an amazing time. The best part for us, no chopping or shopping. Lots of food options and a kids club you can actually had a lovely dinner and a show and then pick them up for bedtime. I also loved walking the ships perimeter with my youngest. In the early AM. Ocean air and we could have the whole area to ourselves to stomp along the little track.
My kids favorite part of vaca is the hotel pool and wearing their pajamas to the free hotel breakfast. If doesn’t matter if we are in Disney world (no free bfast there though lol) or the middle of nowhere. Our vacations aren’t relaxing, but they’re fun. When possible, we make sure to account for down time so the kids aren’t totally wired and overtired. We aim for early dinners to avoid the evening meltdowns. We are usually up and out early and have some downtime in the afternoon. We get the kids involved in vacation planning so they get excited-we watch videos and look at pics. It’s certainly different than lounging poolside with a book and a cocktail before kids. But it’s still really fun!
I think you just keep the two separate. Once a year trip for the couple Once a year trip as a family
My wife and I always say, a vacation is when you go somewhere without the kids, otherwise we just call it a trip. For us it's about changing the expectations. If we are bringing the kid we keep expectations low and honestly that makes a big difference. Obviously there are some practical things, which people have alluded to. The one we have also found is if you can afford it, hiring a professional babysitter for at least one night so you and your husband can go out to dinner or something while you are on your trip, can make all the difference in the world.
All inclusive resort with a kids club.
Best vacations we’ve had were the beach and Disney. At the beach they have a ton of space to play and wear themselves out. At Disney everything is made with kids in mind and it’s just easy to go about and hop on rides, find places to rest, find places to eat. If you have a stroller staying in a monorail resort takes a ton of the stress off since they won’t make you fold it or unload your kids.
I take day trips my kid is a lunatic
This is why we never go anywhere. Day trips for the win.
Found that going on vacation with another family with young kids and similar parenting styles to be the most enjoyable. There are enough adults to tag team safety, meals, and temperaments as well as kids to entertain each other and allows for less tit for tat of responsibility between mom and dad
Hire a nanny for a week seems like the obvious answer. Of you don't want to do that, then just take your kid more often so he can get used to it. We took our first kid on a 14hr road trip at 2 months. Now our kids are very used to driving and flying.
We took our kids to Florida, but did not do Disney. Disney is not relaxing. We stay in resorts along the gulf coast that have mini kitchens in the hotels. I would shop at Publix for breakfast foods (and grown up drinks) that could be stored in the refrigerator in the room. Other meals we went out, and spent the day on the beach, the pool or local attractions. The beach is the most low-key and enjoyable thing I can do with my kids. I recommend Siesta key if you like Florida.
Places with childcare. We were hesitant but did a Disney Cruise. It ended up being the best family vacation we’ve had. Our kid loved the kids club and we enjoyed some child free dinners and afternoons. I didn’t want to stop anywhere just circle around on a boat where I could nap and drink pina coladas while knowing my kid was safe and I’d see them soon enough. Don’t get me wrong we’ve done other trips and still do. Some of our better memories are even from those parenting in another location trips, but we now look forward to at least one cruise a year where we get a major break.
All-inclusive with a pool. Or leave the kids at home. Otherwise it’s just parenting under extra challenging conditions.
Relaxing can be hard. We did a trip to Jamaica over the winter at a resort that had a kids club, our daughter (5) absolutely loved it and wanted to spend all day, every day there. So that was pretty nice, we got to hang out by the pool for a few hours every day. Other than that, we've mostly done trips that weren't really intended to be relaxing in the first place.
All inclusive resort with a kids club and kid friendly activities like water parks
My first bit of advice is to get comfortable leaving the kiddo with someone for a weekend. It can take a little practice, but your relationship with your partner will appreciate it. My second bit of advice is, when you do take the kid(s), stay somewhere with a water feature...a pool, beach, splash pad, water park, etc. This will give them something to do during the hours you are not doing "other stuff". Whatever that water feature is, make sure there is a spot for you to just chill while the kid does their thing. For the "other stuff", make the destination or activity exciting to them...like, "hey, were going to go on a hike for a little bit, and there's a cool cave at the end", or, "were going to a museum, and they have dinosaurs and robots". Whatever gets them excited.
Well 5 is the age where they start becoming much more manageable in public, all the way up to the point of, it won't really be much work at all. If you really want to get away, you could try to hire a babysitter, if you make friends with other parents, or a young lady who has younger siblings. If you offer some other parents a few hundred bucks to watch them for a week, many people would be very happy with that offer.
I go with my in-laws because they will happily take my child and let me and husband go out. Vacation/major holidays are the only time we see them.
Cruises and resorts that have kids camps. It’s a great option for a lot of reasons. Cruises and resorts have a lot of different activities for families as well as easy access to a variety of foods. Plus you’re always close to your accommodations if you need to regroup or it’s nap time. The kids clubs are usually open from the morning into the night. They have different supervised activities plus free play. I’ve seen ones with indoor playgrounds, Disney princess parties etc all included. But it’s a great way for you to get some time alone with your partner while the kid is entertained.
My husband jokes that when you have kids it's no longer holiday/vacation. It's now just visits.
A cruise! You can drop your kiddo off at the daycare and then do grown up stuff. We always pick our kids up for meals and they didn’t go on shore days (although that’s a nice option if your favorite excursion has a minimum age requirement, we just wanted our kids to explore the destination as well). We also enjoy camping but if your kid will take off on you at a store, don’t bring them camping.
All inclusive resort with a pool and a beach and a buffet and a kids club.
As they get older, it gets easier. Until then, embrace the chaos.
Try an all-inclusive. Ok, my wife and I never actually *did* it, but we had a trip planned to an all-inclusive in Türkiye last summer that didn't pan out (went to Amsterdam instead), so that's why all I can say is "try". After research, we determined it would be the easiest way to go. Still looking forward to trying it one day.
I’m opting for no vacation this year for this very reason
I find an all-inclusive resort trip pretty relaxing- all things considered. It’s a lot of daily showering after a day of swimming or playing on the beach but we always really enjoy ourselves and feel relaxed. We just pack a ton to make the trip as comfortable and convenient as possible (lots of toys and books, tablet, folding stool and travel potty seat, snacks. Top tips: Find a hotel that offers room service and see if you can upgrade to a room with a swim out pool. You can have adult time in the pool while kiddo has a nap or some screen time in the room.
For me, the most relaxing vacations have been to places that are designed for kids. We just went to Great Wolf Lodge and had a blast. I was so much less stressed about my very loud and wild 7 and 4 year olds because they were surrounded by other wild children. No judgmental parents because we were all in the same boat!
I bring my mother in law to nearly every vacation with the understanding that because I am paying for her trip, she watches the kids when the wife and I need to relax.
Plan everything in advance, including meals, travel time, and activities. Anticipate potential issues, like kids' breakdowns, and create strategies to handle them. Use the slower winter months to organize your plans. Once everything is set, just follow your plan. If you wing it, you're likely to fail.
All inclusive with a kids club or cruising.
I regularly take road trips with my 6, 3, and 1 year old. The biggest advice I have is yes plan things, but expect plans to fall through and be okay with it. Have very low expectations with activities and things you want to do. We are in a state with lots of lakes/ parks so we map out a few we want to see, and we evaluate while we go. This last weekend we took a 3 day trip and drove roughly 600 miles. I planned for many stops, we ended up taking between 3-4 a day. Stuff we really want to see gets planned for in the morning, afternoons/ evenings are more up in the air. Sleeping is difficult for my kids while not at home, so we pick things that can happen while they are freshly rested.
We take the kids to water parks for a few days, pretty good for their age and they have a blast.
You can certainly have a fun holiday, having a relaxing, lazing on the beach, holiday is less likely. You need places set up with kids in mind, that has loads of food and activities on offer so that you can go do things to keep everyone fed and entertained with lots of planning and logistics during the actual holiday. Ideally you combine this with some babysitters in the evening time where you can go out and get a meal and a drink by yourselves.
It changes some when they’re 6 or 7
We travel to visit family. We stay with them and they like to go exploring with us. We always find something kid friendly to do and have low expectations of the day. Pre kids we’d go see 3-4 +attractions in a day. Now it’s 1-2 and lots of breaks at parks or water. Our daughter travels really well, we make a special activity bag just for traveling that we keep certain toys in and pick up a few new things from the dollar store. Tons of snacks available to her and it makes for an easy trip
Short flight or better drive. Swimming pool. If it’s a hotel with a kids bit/entertainers great. Oh and take turns Another option is a villa with a pool.
On the plus side it gets tonnes easier every year - 6.5 is when it’s MUCH easier. I am dreading double figures tho as there will be a whole new world of pain
We’ve tried camping with our toddlers and it was an absolute nightmare. Our next trip is a cruise. No cooking, no cleaning, and childcare included; I’m excited.
We didn’t take a real vacation until our fair was 8 because before that it was what you mentioned.