Can We Have a Low-Stress Vacation With Our Kids?

By Rod Anderson, CP Cartoonist Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Parents Question: Now that we have young children, it's much more difficult to travel as a family. My wife and I used to love to travel, but now it is a lot more stressful. How can we make family vacations more fun and less stress?

Mom Says: It is great that you are committed to travelling with your children. The world is a big place — and we parents do our children a disservice if we don't help them learn about it. That said, it is tough to travel with young children. Gregory and I sometimes would have to bring an entire suitcase just for the kids' stuff. And of course children don't always behave as you hope they would, especially in new environments.

So here are some tricks and tips we've learned over the years with our four (now grown) kids:

1. When they are young, keep the trips easy. Short car trips can be great. You are in control of your timing and can easily bring whatever you need. Long plane trips are to be avoided if possible. Keep it simple and fun. Shorter is usually better.