Beyond Travel Anxiety: How Family Trips Build Your Story (Even With Toddlers)

It was the end of a long summer break. I had spent most of it toting my three kids to and from the beach, solo. We'd spent some time as a family in Maine, and the kids had done a few weeks of day camp, but by mid-August, I was more than ready for school to start. The magic of summer had worn off, the kids were ready for some structure, and I was more than ready for a break.

That's when my husband's parents invited us to attend a family reunion in Lake George, NY. I remember physically flinching when the invite happened. But the earnest look on my father-in-law's face when he invited us was too sweet to refuse. He couldn’t wait to show off his grandkids to his cousins. He wanted to take them to the arcade and to see the lake.

I had spent almost the entire summer solo parenting the kids, my husband was working in NJ, and just the thought of packing everyone up for a long weekend, fighting traffic through a 5-hour drive on my own with a 9, 7, and 4-year-old was enough to make me weep.

The morning we were leaving, my youngest woke up with a scratchy throat. The sky was thick with an impending summer storm, and it was a Friday... which meant we could expect lots and lots of traffic. We packed up the car with snacks, cozy blankets, our clothes and swim suits, and the kids' scooters. I put on a kid-friendly podcast (no screens to avoid carsickness) and off we went.

We were about an hour past Boston when my little one started crying because she couldn't find her owl. She already wasn't feeling great, and “Owl” was her security blankie (with an owl head). She needed it to fall asleep and she couldn't get comfortable. I had a split second of panic. Could I have forgotten to pack her owl? No way. I would never do that. I moved right on from that thought and passed back a book for her to look at and thankfully she fell asleep.

Traffic started moving, and the rest of the ride was fine. We arrived in Lake George around the same time my husband arrived from NJ and the kids had all fallen asleep in the car, so they were ready for the late dinner reservation with the extended family that evening. Everyone was happy…until bedtime.

My husband was in the hotel bathroom helping the kids get washed and ready for bed, I was laying out jammies and plugging in the sound machine, and that's when I started looking for Owl. My seven-year-old came in and started helping me search through our bags. "Mommy, I think I know where Owl is," she said in a slow and slightly panicked voice, "Sloane had her in the playroom right before we left. She was building a house and I bet she left her in there..."

I almost cried. I was exhausted from driving, I didn't want to come on this trip anyway, and now we'd be up all night wishing for Owl. Traveling with the kids was getting to be too much...

My little one came out of the bathroom, climbed into bed, asked for Owl, and I broke the news. She cried, and then suddenly, my sweet nine-year-old had an idea. He took some rubber bands, a washcloth, and a marker and made her "Owl's Cousin." By some grace of the universe, it worked. She happily clutched "Owl's Cousin" and fell fast asleep. For the remainder of the weekend, she proudly held Owl’s Cousin in one hand and her Papa's hand in the other. We went from the arcade to the candy store to the pool and back again. The kids had a blast, and more importantly, their grandparents were so happy we made the trip. We all look back fondly on that weekend and, eight years later, we still talk about Owl's Cousin, the really fun playground at the hotel, and scootering through the puddles in the rain.

I've spent the years since then redefining what successful family travel looks like. It's not about checking off the must-see attractions or maintaining the same rules and routines you have at home. It's about creating a different kind of rhythm—one that becomes a shared adventure that changes all of you in unexpected ways. My in-laws have since passed, and that was one of the last trips we took with them. I am so glad we said yes.

And that's the thing about traveling with children—behind the logistics, exhaustion, forgotten comfort items, and occasional tears lies the possibility for connection that shapes your family story. These moments become the memories your children carry into adulthood, the stories they'll tell their own children someday.

Travel exposes children to different cultures, environments, languages, and ways of living that simply can't be replicated through books or screens. Is it a privilege to travel with kids? Yes. Can it be challenging? At times, yes. But I wholeheartedly believe that successful travel with kids is one part preparation, two parts mindset, and a thousand percent worth it.

Over the years, our family has developed traditions and approaches that have transformed our travels from endurance events into genuine adventures. I'd love to share some of these with you—both the small rituals that have become treasured traditions and the strategies that have saved us from countless meltdowns (both kid and parent kinds).

Here are a few of our favorite travel traditions that we’ve returned to time and time again:

Night swimming in the pool with glow sticks and goggles

There’s something so special to little kids about going down to the pool after the sun goes down, it’s such a memory maker.

Dinner at the pool or beach

Skip the hurried showers, and overtired kids and instead stay late at the pool or the beach. Order food to your loungers. Let the kids graze and keep playing while you and your partner sit and eat. My husband loves to try the local food wherever we go, so this was always a great way to enjoy it without carting overtired kids around.

Passing on the Fun

This one is kinda weird, but for some reason my kids loved doing it. At the end of our trip, the kids would gather any pool toys, inner tubes, sand toys that we picked up along the way and pick another family with kids who just arrived and pass it on to them. They felt so big and important offering up their toys, and were always met with such happy, gracious smiles from others.

Get Ready to Transform Your Own Family Travel Experience:

After years of trial and error, I’ve put all my hard-earned knowledge into “Family Travel Decoded: Your Realistic Guide to Traveling With Kids” - and I'd love to share it with you.

Here’s What's Inside:

• Pre-trip planning strategies that set you up for success before you even leave home

• Essential packing tips (including what to bring in your carry-on to avoid meltdowns)

• Screen-time strategies that won't leave you feeling guilty

• Practical approaches to managing big feelings during travel days

• Creating comfort zones in unfamiliar places

• How to make sure parents get a break too (because it should be a vacation for everyone!)

I hope you enjoyed this blog! If you want to keep up with more Workspace for Children content, follow along on Instagram by clicking HERE.

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WATER PLAY.. SIMPLE HOW-TO AND THE WHY BEHIND THE PLAY

Animal Washing Station… We used our favorite animals, but you should use anything your children are interested in.  Truck washing, baby-doll washing, dish washing, it all works the same.  

We used soap, sponges, an old toothbrush and dishwashing tool, some little cups and pitchers, and of course… WATER! We also set this activity up in our IKEA sensory table, but any old bins and buckets on the floor work just as well.  

Why is water play a great activity for YOU?

1. You can use things you already have

2. It is basically free

3. Your child will likely play for a long time even though the activity takes less than five minutes to set up.

4. There very little mess to clean up. It is probably the cleanest mess your child will ever make.

5. Your child will probably get soap and water all over themselves so you can count it as a bath

Why is water play great for your child?

1. Your child will be exploring washing, which is a something they’ve been experiencing their whole lives. Having the opportunity to master their own life experiences by repeating them on a smaller scale helps them process and make sense of their world. 

2. They are playing with concepts like empty and full, cause and reaction, wet and dry.  They are using their developing muscles to work up a lather and fine motor skills to fill and pour. 

3. They will inevitably spill and be given the opportunity to wipe up after themselves in a no-pressure situation.  Sometimes a big spill during dinner-time can feel overwhelming and upsetting. Letting them clean up these smaller spills allows for the opportunity to practice and master the skill of mopping up on their own terms.  

4. Private Speech:  When you child is engaged in this washing station, you will likely hear them chatting away with themselves.  Why does this matter? Private speech is an indicator of cognitive development.  It is so important for language development, self-regulation and problem solving.  (Plus, it is so darn sweet to listen to.)

How to support your child in playing successfully with water: 

Give them space. Don’t ask a million questions, do not direct the play or micro manage spillage.  It’s just water after all.  Do not worry about regulating the amount of soap or water.  That is not the point here.  The goal is to allow them to engage in self-directed play.  Give yourself permission to let your child use as much as they want.   A little trick? Save old soap bottles and just fill them with about an inch of soap and the rest water.  That way they can still make lots of soapy bubbles and you do not need to worry about wasting.  

Do stay nearby, but be engaged in your own work.  When they try to draw you in and ask you to play, simply say, “I am dong my work while you do yours.”  Be nice, but boring. When they ask you questions and try to chat with you, act very interested in whatever you are doing. 

I am providing a materials list for this project, but PLEASE do not feel that you need to buy anything.  Be creative and use what you have around the house. Bins, buckets or the bathtub work! 

 If there is one thing you should buy if you don’t already have one, it is this water dispenser. 

Why? It helps children be independent, and you don’t need to continually get up and retrieve more water.  Using a self-serve jug encourages self-regulation.  Children learn more and faster about how much soap and water they need when they can do it themselves.  

Materials List 

Water Jug

IKEA Sensory Table

Animals

Scrub Brush

Baby Soap

Metal Cups

If this post was interesting to you, you also might like THIS post.

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you want to hear more from me, please be sure to subscribe to my blog and join the conversation over on Instagram.  

-Lizzie 

QUIET TIME AND INDEPENDENT PLAY EBOOK

This downloadable ebook is your personal guide to Quiet Time and Independent Play.  This ebook will teach you the basic steps to implementing a Quiet Time and Independent Play strategy that works. The guide teaches you my proven 5 step method for implementing a daily break without using screens. (Guide includes 5 bonus invitations to play.)

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THE PLAY PLAN

The Play Plan is an ebook containing play invitations that are easy to set up, inexpensive, and apply children of all ages. The 25 play prompts are divided into five categories and use  items that you most likely already have at home. These play prompts consider children of all ages, all developmental stages, and all learning capabilities. Each prompt can be tailored to fit your unique child’s needs. Play is meant to be simple.

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