I am a father of three. Suffice it to say that I am very familiar with holiday departures where you feel like you are moving the whole house, journeys where the “when are we going to arrive?” echo every ten minutes, and evenings where the little ones refuse to sleep because they still want to enjoy the hotel pool.
For a long time, travelling with my children was more of a logistical challenge than a pleasure. But over the years, I've learned to transform these moments into real family adventures.
Here are my tips for staying calm, even when traveling with five people!
Anticipate, but not too much
At first, I made endless lists: diapers, bottles, toys, books, medicine… I was afraid of forgetting something.
As a result, the car was overflowing, and I always ended up buying on the spot what I had forgotten despite everything.
Today, I anticipate the essentials, but I've freed myself from the fear of scarcity. I have a small first-aid kit, a few favorite toys, and I know that most things can be found everywhere.
Traveling light also means traveling more calmly!
Finding the right rhythm
Children don't have the same stamina as we do, and I understood that after a summer in Spain where I had planned too busy a schedule.
The result: bouts of fatigue and shortened visits. Now, I alternate: an activity in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and a leisurely stroll at the end of the day.
Accepting to slow down means enjoying the journey in a different way. And ultimately, that suits me fine: I take the time to observe, to savor, instead of rushing around after every monument.
Make the journey fun
Whether by car, train, or plane, a journey can quickly become a nightmare if the children get bored. I've learned to turn that time into a game. We play guessing games, invent stories, count the red cars on the highway…
Sometimes we take out the cards or the travel chessboard (yes, even chess finds its place in our journeys!).
Screens also have their uses, but I try to keep them for critical moments, such as traffic jams or long waits.
To extend these moments of complicity, I also like to draw inspiration from simple manual activities: in my Pinterest board DIY ideas for children, I have gathered small creative and easy-to-carry games that transform a journey or a rainy evening into an impromptu workshop.
Feed their curiosity
A bored child will eventually complain, but a curious child becomes the best travel companion. Before we leave, I always tell them a little about the history of the place we're going to.
For example, for a trip to Greece, we read Greek myths together that had been adapted for children. Once there, they were amazed to see “the real temples of Zeus”.
In a market in Morocco, they were having fun identifying the spices that had been discussed the day before. Providing clues, even the simplest ones, changes everything.
Accepting the unexpected
There's always a moment when everything goes wrong: a lost suitcase, a sick child, unpredictable weather. It used to annoy me to no end. Now, I try to see these unexpected events as part of the journey.
Once, in Italy, a storm kept us stuck in the hotel for a whole day. We improvised a chess tournament, each against each other, and I think it remained one of their best holiday memories.
Creating moments just for them
Traveling as a family doesn't mean being together 24/7. I've noticed that my children like to have "their own time." So, sometimes I let the two older ones go off on their own to buy bread in the village, or choose a postcard each.
These small responsibilities make them proud and greatly improve the overall atmosphere.
Traveling to grow together
Looking back, I believe that travelling with children is not just about a change of scenery. It's primarily about getting to know each other in a different way, sharing experiences that will stay with us forever.
My children rarely remember the exact name of a museum, but they perfectly remember the impromptu picnic by the roadside, or the ice cream enjoyed in an Italian square while laughing heartily.
Traveling with childrenmeans accepting that everything won't be perfect, but it also guarantees vivid, noisy, sometimes tiring, but always sincere memories.
And ultimately, that's what I love: this joyful bustle that resembles our dinners at home.
Matteo Rossi for Simple & Bon