Travelling with a 3yr old and a 6yr old is like being on a rollercoaster – and I don’t meant the gentle “it’s a small world”-type rides you find at Disney World. It’s the one that has you laughing one minute, clinging on for dear life the next, and wondering halfway through why you ever got on in the first place… before getting off and deciding you’re going to do it all again tomorrow.
One moment we’ll be sipping coffee in a sunny square, smugly thinking, We’ve cracked this family travel thing. The boys are playing nicely, nobody’s hands are sticky (yet), and we’re feeling like the picture-perfect postcard family. Ten minutes later, someone’s dropped their ice cream, the 3yr old has staged a sit-down protest in the middle of a busy walkway, and my coffee is now lukewarm and abandoned (not ideal, especially when you’re a coffee addict like me…).
The highs? Amazing! Seeing your child’s face light up at the sight of the ocean for the first time, hearing them say “wow” at a castle, or watching your 6yr old make friends with other kids despite not speaking the same language – those moments make every early start and every meltdown worth it.
But the lows?! The overtired tears (sometimes yours), the endless “Are we there yet?” (think Donkey from Shrek), the frustration of trying to enjoy a view while making sure nobody climbs on or picks up something they shouldn’t. Travel with our boys is never going to be the same as travelling before we had kids – think early bedtimes instead of spontaneous nights out, and hunting for the nearest playground instead of a relaxing walk through your favourite city.
The trick, we’ve found, is to accept that travelling with our boys will always be both chaotic and magical. There will be moments that test our patience and moments that take our breath away – often within the same hour. But you learn to laugh at the chaos, celebrate the small wins (everyone ate their breakfast without complaining!), and keep your eyes open for those little memories that you’ll treasure long after the trip is over.
Because in the end, it’s not the perfectly posed photos you will remember most – it’s the funny, messy, unplanned moments that make family travel what it really is: an emotional, unforgettable adventure. And despite everything you find yourself getting your laptop out once your home and looking at where you can go next… I know I do… every… single… time! Even though I know fine well that the next trip will be as exhausting as the last, but you can’t beat that feeling of knowing you are making a lifetime of memories you will cherish forever.
The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories
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