There are so many new places that I want to explore - and favorite trips I want to re-visit simply to experience them with my children. But how young is too young? Is it even worth it to take two kids under the age of five (or in my case, three) to another country or is the hassle of those long flights enough to make me go insane before we even cross the ocean?
Forget international, let's talk domestic. Right now we're having this discussion in my household - Disney, in my opinion - too hard with the wee ones (2½ and 5 months). I know that there are millions of Disney fanatics who think that it's a great idea to take little kids to that magical land (please explain - what's with the newborns there?) but I'm going to stick my neck out there and say not only do I disagree, I'm not bringing my kids until the oldest is ten. Yes, you heard me right - we're waiting for double digits.
I am more of a low-key kind of gal when it comes to vacations so to even think about the high energy, frenetic pace of any amusement park trip makes me break out in a sweat. Let me tell you now - if I'm sweating on a vacation, it better be because the hot sun is beating down on me while I'm playing with the kids on the beach or I'm out on a boat in the ocean somewhere. Not because I'm frantically trying to keep an eye on my kids in an over-crowded play-land where a bottle of water is going to run me $4.00 on top of the high price that I paid for admission. The hurry-up-and-wait is NOT my idea of a vacation.
So - to do that with kids who are not old enough to a) appreciate my sacrifice and b) know that when I say "no" or I say "hold up a minute" that they actually have to listen to me THAT SECOND is simply not going to happen in my world.
Now, my DH and I have been to the Promised Land together a few times since the in-laws spend the winters in Vero Beach and I'll tell you that I love Disney's Vero Beach Resort and would totally take the kids there. But, if we're talking the Magic Kingdom, I'm not doing it. My idea of a good time there is doing an around the world at Epcot, stopping to eat and drink in every "country" with my husband or friends. Again, I'm all for Disney but I'm voting "Leave the Kids at Home".
I will tell you that once that kid of mine turns 10, we're not only heading to Disney but we're staying at the Animal Kingdom Villas because really, if we're doing it with the kids, Mama needs some incentive and for me, this works!
If you have tips on how to make an amusement park with little ones more fun than frustrating, please share! I need some tried and true strategies under my hat if I end up bending to the family on this one!
November 12, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply
You are quite wise, I think, to wait until the kids are old enough to look forward to the trip, and then enjoy the adventure. Definitely wise to leave international travel to the years beyond diapers and bottles. Their memories of these fun events will last a lifetime when they're old enough to appreciate and enjoy the travel.