Vacationing with a Big Family

Does the idea of packing for vacation with a vanful of kids in tow make you break out into hives? Are you wondering if the Grand Canyon or Disney World are totally out of the question until you have teens? Me too, friend. The fear of the unknown and a lack of funds have kept me from researching bigger trips at times. We are, however, heading out to Disney World in two weeks with our four children, ages 10 to two. I’m a little nervous, but I solicited a lot of tips from my fellow mom-of-many friends. 

Just Say No to Hotels

A hotel room might work for a family who goes to sleep at the same time and doesn’t hang out there much. But if you have kids of varying ages and stages, a hotel room is going to be difficult. Renting a condo or house will offer you breathing room, space to spread out, and the ability to put toddlers down for a nap while the rest of you play a game or cook dinner. (Bring a noise machine with you!) In the age of Airbnb and VRBO, you can usually find a place for a reasonable price, too.

Pack Less and Pack Smart

While you’re renting that house, look for one with a washer and dryer. That will allow you to pack fewer items of clothing per person instead of clothes for the whole family for a week. No one will mind wearing the same clothes three times as long as they’re clean! My friend Blair suggests packing a day of clothes for each person in gallon-sized zipper bags and label them with the person’s name and the day the clothes are for. (For her toddlers — she has triplets! — Blair packs two outfits per day.) Elizabeth, mom of four boys, raves about packing in clear plastic storage bins. It’s easier to find what you want and quicker to pack than a suitcase, as long as you’re driving.

Be Prepared in the Car

If you’re traveling with little ones who are still in diapers, have a small caddy packed with diapers, wipes, burp cloths, bibs, and hand wipes for quick stops. That way you’re not digging around in a giant diaper bag or having to lug it into the rest area.

Maggie, who has kids ages four to 13, recommends snacks. LOTS of snacks. “Junk food makes car rides and flights more pleasant,” she told me. “A bag of gummy bears certainly won’t impair their health for life.” I concur. Pack way more snacks than you think they need, and put them in little bags that can be thrown to the back of the van.

Lower Expectations

It’s not exaggerating to say that with four kids this has become my Life Motto. While I would love to ride everything at Disney and be at the park from open to close, I don’t feel like it’s likely to happen with a toddler in tow.

When we traveled from Chattanooga last summer to North Carolina, Virginia, DC, and Maryland, we wanted to see everybody and everything. We thought we’d get to hit up the Inner Harbor and Aquarium in Baltimore. But after several days of travel and a smaller budget, we ended up at a little nature center near my sister and brother-in-law’s home an hour from Baltimore. The kids adored it, we could afford to eat lunch out because the nature center was free, and they still talk about watching the turtles eat their lettuce lunch. 

It’s when we expect more than our kids can physically and emotionally handle that I think we all end up upset and fighting. So if we do get to stay at the Magic Kingdom until dark, awesome! If not, no big deal. They will still have a lot of good memories. 

I hope this makes your vacation a little simpler this year if, like me, you have a whole minivan full of carseats and small people. Happy travels!