Don’t Put Off Traveling with Your Kids – Living in the Now in the Midst of the Daily Grind
My oldest is less than one month away from her 8th grade commencement and a very short summer until starting high school. What? How is that even possible? I thought that we had so much time with her and am now realizing that we’re just three short months from our lives and opportunities to just go when we please, diminishing rapidly. I’m feeling all types of ways about this fact, but am most grateful - thankful for every single moment that we took as a family unit to just go. I often hear feedback from readers that while they love reading about our family travel, the prospect of traveling with children is overwhelming, scary and they find themselves frozen in inaction while waiting for the right time to get started. Take it from me, don’t wait! Time waits for no one. I was in disbelief this week, when we received the invitation to our daughter’s 8th grade commencement and soon after her boarding school roommate assignment questionnaire. What? She’s ready, but I’m not. I’ve taken a trip down memory lane of almost 14 years of travel, fieldtrips, road trips and adventures with our first born and am so glad that I took her along.
Our lives will be changing next year. Her schedule and commitments will increase and she will not be a part of our daily adventures during the academic year. I’m forever grateful for the pictures and memories that we’ve established with her. While many believe that traveling with children is too much work or a complete waste of resources, let me challenge you to rethink that philosophy. Our family values are centered around loving God and loving others. We aim to raise children who know how to live and love well. As I watch my first born get ready to transition to a much more independent stage of life, I’m inspired by the young lady that she’s becoming. She’s willing to take risks and live in the moment and a lot of that can be attributed to years of adventure. She will be traveling to South Korea this summer to train and compete with her Taekwondo team and will not have us with her. At the tender age of 14, she’s ready and you know what, so am I. I know that she’s culturally sensitive, aware and respectful of others. I’m confident in her street smarts and safety awareness when traveling and that she’ll come back to the United States more cultured and in the best shape of her life. While we will miss her, this is also the type of adventure that our family upbringing has been preparing her for.
Dear readers, if you’ve been lurking and dreaming but are hesitant to get started; don’t. Time waits for no one. Parenting honestly doesn’t get easier, it gets different. As I reflect back on the many years of trips with our kids, I must admit that the easiest and simplest years to travel are between birth and 1st or 2nd grade. Those were the days when we picked up and followed the deals whenever our hearts desired, because no one was dependent on nor expecting our children to be anywhere consistently. Don’t get me wrong, I know that traveling with babies and toddlers requires planning and patience, yet I still encourage you to just do it. I once thought that having four kids under the age of six was hard, but I had no idea how much more work it would be to have an almost high schooler, an almost middle schooler, a second grader and a kindergartner. My kid’s schedules and commitments have pretty much taken over my life. I must look at our color coordinated calendar before planning anything, even a day trip. Our kids have commitments that require us to be home a lot more than my wandering heart and mind enjoys, but it’s the reality of parenting older children and it makes me truly treasure every trip that we do take.
Recently I’ve seen the same blog posts over and over again, about “forget marriage and children, I’m collecting stamps” and others that paint marriage, family and commitment in an incredibly negative and stifling light. Folks, don’t believe that lie! I’m here to tell you that you can in fact have both. It doesn’t have to be a one or the other. We’re all gifted with a certain amount of time here on Earth and it’s up to us to make the most out of it. Life is all about choices. I would hate for you to be persuaded by the lies and distorted realities that folks present on social media and miss your season in life. Marriage and parenting are the hardest, yet most fulfilling jobs that I have. Yet it’s also the most rewarding. I’m naturally a restless person. I tend to move from one task to the other in almost robotic fashion at times. Traveling with my kids has helped me to see and experience places from the innocent and in an “in the moment perspective” that children are blessed with. There are so many sights, sounds, smells, and moments that I could have breezed through, but I didn’t because I was experiencing them through the lenses of my little people. Don’t believe the hype. Take chances, live large and I promise you that you’ll look back like I am and not regret a single moment. It will be wild, it will be an adventure, but it will be one that will sustain and define generations of your descendants for years to come. Traveling with children is hard work and requires sacrifices. As we move into planning summer, let me encourage you to not leave the kids at home with the grandparents, if you’re blessed enough not to have a grandparent deficit. There will come a time when your children will be young adults with lives of their own, and you’ll be back to adult only travel. Rather than fight the realities of travel with children, embrace the chaos and cherish the moments. They are fleeting indeed!
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A post shared by Ruth - Have Kiddos Will Travel (@havekiddoswilltravel) on Jul 24, 2019 at 12:49am PDT
