Travelling with kids

Deciding where to go with your kids in Canada can be a daunting decision. Mountains, prairies, beaches, ice fields and easy-going cities are strewn across six time zones. Yet between sure-bet wildlife sightings, meeting real-life cowboys, hands-on learning about pirate history, roaming the plains for dinosaur fossils and ice-skating on mountain lakes, it’s impossible to make a bad choice. Add the fact that Canada caters to kids better than nearly any other country in the world and you may find yourself as many people do – bringing the kids back year after year.

Until you’re a parent, you cannot possibly appreciate how much is involved in getting every member of the family ready to get out the door each morning, let alone for a family vacation which take a lot of planning and preparation. I know this from experience. I also know that it’s worth it, because family vacations can provide some of the best memories of your life. If you follow my blog, you know that we love to travel and I’m going to convince you to travel with your kids. That it’s worth it! That it’s special! You can do this. It’s not going to be the trip you had before you had kids. It’s going to demand a lot of you. You have to be ON all the time. You have to plan.

Don’t be one of those people that gets to the end of their life and wishes they had done this or done that, but you could not ”because of your kids”. Life does not stop with kids! Believe me, you have a choice. There is a lot in life you want to do. You dream about, and traveling with your kids is something you have to do now. You have to start now. Start planning. Start thinking. Start running your fingers over maps. Start from the place where you live. Show your kids country where he was born, let him know the place and discover it.

Get the kids on board by involving them in the planning, and you will enjoy the process. Their specific role will depend on their age and your patience, but it could be colouring a map of the route, reading books or watching movies about the destination, helping to find a hotel within a budget, and planning which attractions to visit. They can also participate in the packing. Even small children can choose a favourite toy and book.

Trust your kids and yourself, show them how to take care of animals, take a ride to a farm! While kids enjoy hands-on features and animal contact areas at the farm, they will learn that most of the food they eat every day, and that taking care of animals takes time, dedication, and knowledge. Farms are a magical place for little eyes and hands!

It is surprising how many children don’t have a full understanding of where our food comes from! By visiting a farm they can see firsthand where and how they get their favorite foods. Taking children to the farm exposes to them to the understanding that plants are grown and meat comes from animals. Based on their age, maturity and emotional sensitivity, you can introduce different concepts during your visit. For young toddlers, you may just identify animals and food.

 Everything is possible if you believe yourself and trust yourself.

To be continued…