As you you may have seen, we’ve been BIG on summer traveling this past month at Uncle Funky’s Daughter. Aside from having awesome products to offer to keep your vacation hairstyles up 100%, we’ve been dishing tips and tricks for you all month long. As a working, traveling mother of four, keeping everything and everyone together is a challenge I gladly accept. I think as parents, my husband and I decided when our first born was really young that we would keep traveling and work out our work schedules, no matter how difficult it can get. Often times, we work to alternate the weeks we have to travel for work, or split up The Morris Band to ensure everyone is travel-ready and accounted for between the two of us.
It’s a hard job, but I think as a mom you know you’ve become a pro when:
- You are able to pack at an expedited rate! You somehow manage to combine all your kids’ things sometimes faster than you collect your own!
- You have downloaded all the right apps. From travel apps, to weather apps, airline apps, game apps on the kids’ iPads… You’ve got the whole nine. Technology is a mom’s best friend, and YouTube is apparently a life saver.
- You have mastered choosing all the destinations and activities to fit your kids’ desires while still keeping the adults mildly entertained. (Earlier this year, we went on a Disney Cruise, and they do a great job with that!)
There are blogs everywhere with tips on how to stay cool, calm and collected when traveling with your kids, aside from the basics. I have a few myself, even some I wished I had when we were first starting out. Firstly, if you fly often and can afford it, I recommend TSA Pre-Check. Taking four kids through TSA check points can be exhausting and time consuming, especially when you’re already running a tad behind. I also suggest packing good snack options. It’s easy for us to reach for something convenient, but convenience often equals not “as” healthy or full of sugar (a no-no in itself). If you plan ahead, buying travel sizes of the snacks your kids already enjoy can save money and the jitters during your flight or road trip.
With all of this, I find things go more smoothly when I start planning far enough ahead that I can take my time where it matters, especially during the double-checking process. I know that sometimes, doubling back to ensure we’ve packed everything can be more stressful than actually packing! I suggest making enough time to be able to step away and come back at a later time to make that last round and you (or your husband) didn’t forget anything. Life moves fast, and vacationing is a good way to slow everything down and enjoy life in a new way each time you visit another destination. I hope these tips will help you out for an upcoming trip, Mama Bear!
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