Traveling alone with three children is an experience to say the least. I am grateful that we traveled quite a bit when they were small as a family of five. That has definitely helped a lot as I have started traveling with them as a single momma.
Travel Prep…
Location selection for travel and activities when there are kid-driven. I always look at these trips as our time together as a family and not a trip for me. They always enjoy researching the location for new things to do. And more often than not they choose to go back to a location that we have been to before.
The boys aren’t much into packing at all. My daughter comes to the rescue for that. As a teenager she enjoys printing packing lists based on location. Packing cubes are her favorite packing resource. I tend to let her run with packing all of us. She checks and double checks. I truly believe that children thrive when made to feel as though they contribute to the good of the group.
Credit Cards/Loyalty Programs with Travel Perks…
Another trick I have learned when traveling as a family are the benefits of using a membership program or a credit card with travel benefits. Most hotel chains have membership program that provides benefits with frequent or repeated stays. I often save my free nights/stays for the night prior to an early flight. This allows us to not have to rise super early before a flight especially being the only driving adult in the group. During a recent trip we stayed at the Westin in the terminal at the Detroit airport and our room allowed us to watch the planes coming and going right at terminal level.
The hotel programs and cards will often provide beverages during staying and room upgrades which often are nice surprises when traveling with children. Getting bumped up to a larger room or a room with a better view is appreciated by all.
Airline Travel…
No matter if you are traveling as a “typical” family unit or as a single parent the snacks and diversions for kids are still essential. We splurge on snacks and drinks when in the terminal to take on the plane with us. It burns time waiting for our flight. And now with COVID precautions there aren’t always beverage/snack services on board.
The challenge begins with seating. With the recent changes in airline travel in regards to spacing, seating can be tricky. Fortunately, my children are able to sit independently and do pretty well. When they were younger, the airlines were very accommodating if our seats were separated. I also make a point to speak with the agent when checking in and/or at the gate to double check our proximity where changes can easily be made.
On only a couple of occasions were changes not able to be made by airline staff. Once on the plane the kindness of fellow travelers was helpful. I found most would rather swap a seat than help navigate an iPad when a movie needed changed or a snack needed opened.
Car Travel…
Thanks to auto AV systems travel has become so much easier. Cell phones and tablets also work as a back up if in a rental car or the family auto doesn’t have a system. Movies, games, and audio books work great to fill time on the road.
There are still times my crew enjoys searching for license plates from the fifty states. One of the map apps on our cell phones also allows us to watch our travel progress. They also love to look for favorite restaurants and shopping stops when on the road.
Enjoy hitting the road…
I truly could talk endlessly about traveling with some of my favorite people. Can it be frustrating traveling alone with kids, absolutely. My advice is to relax and let the trip happen. I enjoy each trip with them observing their growth and their ever increasing independence. Experiences and memories with them are truly priceless and something to be cherished for a lifetime.
