Traveling with kids is hard. It really is not easy. I will not sugarcoat that. BUT, I do think it is totally worth it. Some of my favorite life experiences have been seeing my girls step into the ocean for the first time, or seeing their amazement viewing tiny houses from an airplane window. I realize kids also find joy in going to the grocery store (Another favorite memory: After Covid lockdown and lots of Instacart deliveries, my three-year-old had forgotten what the grocery store was like, and when we walked in she screamed “MOM! Look at how many different kinds of apples they have here!!”) So maybe those joyful moments of traveling were more for me, but isn’t that ok/great too? I am admittedly the kind of mom who has trouble leaving my kids, so isn’t it the best of both worlds to turn them into seasoned little travelers so that we can enjoy life together? The first few times were rough, but I honestly think if you are prepared, and most importantly CALM, everything will go great! Ok, maybe not great, but you will survive. And once you get there, you will also survive, and hopefully, have a little fun!

Step 1 is packing for your trip to ensure that you will not add any stress to your vacation by unpacking and realizing you forgot your child’s nightlight that they cannot sleep without (been there… thank God for Target). I literally go through my entire night and day in my head from the moment we will arrive until we will leave and think about every scenario that could happen to make sure we have what we need. My husband finds that insane (and endearing, surely), so if this does not sound like an activity you’d like to participate in… here is my master packing list so that you don’t have to go through my agony!

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For the kids: *This list is for toddler girls

For Mom: *My husband handles packing his own suitcase- but he could browse this list to make sure he doesn’t forget anything ;)