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They say a vacation with kids is just a trip. And after nearly three weeks away with a six and two year old, I can confirm that there was little relaxing happening.
Traveling with kids is an adventure, to say the least. There is a lot of shushing and “don’t touch that,” but also valuable quality time away from work, camp schedules and sports practices. And so many core memories, inside jokes, and sibling bonding that I’m forever grateful for.
There’s something really special about 8pm dinners with your kids, bunking in the same room, exploring new places, and getting ice cream twice a day. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t come with equal amounts of whining and meltdowns—for both the kids and the adults—but to me, it’s worth it.
At home, we’ve got our routine down to a science, but everything goes out the window when we’re out of town. That said, even with our schedules totally upside down, I have a few anchor practices that make a real difference with time zone shifts, hot summer days, and doing our best to go with the flow.
Food
I’m all in on the fun treats as long as they’ve had something first. Having more than a croissant and orange juice at breakfast is key. Try an egg, yogurt or even some bacon at breakfast, plus a croissant and juice if they really want that. Getting that protein in will give them energy and help their mood. I find that bringing some familiar snacks helps in desperate moments, especially if you’re traveling somewhere with food that’s very different from home.
Water
Kids dehydrate faster than adults do. They have more surface area relative to their body size, they’re less efficient at regulating their own temperature, and they are famously bad at noticing they’re thirsty until they’re already miserable about it.
Travel makes all of this harder. Dry plane air, hot afternoons, way more walking than a normal day, and none of the usual moments at home where a cup of water just appears in front of them.
I bring Hiya’s Kids Daily Hydration for this. There are many reasons why this is helpful—the electrolytes, vitamin boost, and prebiotic fiber—but the main reason it works for my family is that it makes water taste like something they want to drink. So they actually drink it, which is most of the battle.
One unglamorous tip: if you’re packing their water bottle, pack something to clean it with. It will get moldy.
Toys
There’s a lot of sitting at restaurants, which understandably is hard for young kids. I have travel Magna-Tiles and large Plus-Plus blocks in my bag most of the time. Activity and coloring books are also excellent ways to keep them occupied and avoid excessive screen time.
Sleep
Shuffling between time zones, changing bedtime routines, and sleeping in different beds can be really dysregulating for young kids. And my children tend to rev up the more tired they get, making it even more difficult to get them to sleep.
The single most useful thing I do is get everyone outside in the morning light on the first full day. Light exposure early in the day is the strongest signal your body clock has for figuring out what time zone it’s in, and it works faster on kids than on us. If we’re crossing more than a couple of hours and I’m feeling organized, I’ll also shift bedtime by 30 minutes a day in the week before we leave so the change isn’t so abrupt.
Alongside that, Hiya’s Bedtime Essentials is my secret weapon that I do not travel without. It’s a calming, melatonin-free formula that helps them ease into sleep, and it gives us a little reminder of the bedtime routine we do at home, even when nothing else about the night looks familiar.
And Then, Let It Go
Once you’ve covered the basics, you have to just accept the fact that traveling with kids is wild and there are elements that are out of your control. Say a prayer to the sleep gods, do your best to get them to eat balanced meals, and then just go with the flow. They feed off your energy, so the calmer you are, the calmer they will be.
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