Category: A Simpler Childhood

‘Come on, Daddy’, Luke shouts as his wet feet climb the steps to the top deck at our local swimming quarry. Kevin is right behind him, ready and willing to jump with his son. Sunscreen on his body and a smile on his face, he hides the fact he is semi-exhausted from all the jumping and swimming and rope swinging. They jump in wide eyed and care free, their bodies hitting the water with a Daddy sized splash and a Luke sized splash. They swim to the ladder and do it all over again and again and again.

Dads Matter. With God’s good grace, my kids are blessed with a Dad who couldn’t love them more and shows them daily with his actions, his presence, and his willingness to jump off the high deck. Dads are bed time story readers, high deck jumpers, princes for their princesses, providers, yard work masters. They are the ones our kids look to for protection, for wisdom, for attention, for love. They are indispensable. So much so, that research has been coming out in bucketfuls lately to support the importance of a father figure in a child’s life.

Dads Matter

The ‘Father Effect’ refers to paternal presence. The effects of a Dad’s presence or father figure in a child’s life is much. Dads showing up and being engaged in their child’s life has numerous positive effects. An engaged father can result in: higher level success in a career, a better chance at having a strong marriage, and an improved ability at handling stress. Children who are close with their father are twice as likely as those who are not to enter college or find stable employment after high school. They are also 75% less likely to have a teen birth and 80% less likely to spend time in jail, and half as likely to experience multiple depression symptoms. Dads clearly matter.

Father’s Day is Sunday!

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 21. It doesn’t get as much hoopla as the big Moms’ Day in May, but it’s just as important. Not only am I blessed with a husband who is an incredible Daddy, I also grew up with an All In Dad who was by my side through all the sports things and dance things and pageant things. He has loved me well. And the past decade and a half I have known my father-in-law, who loves and plays hard with my kids. I have been blessed with strong, loving fathers in my life.

Let’s celebrate the men showing up day after day for us and our kids. I know sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in what they aren’t doing, but this weekend let’s focus on what they are doing. Let’s point out the things they do that go unnoticed: taking out the garbage, jumping off the high deck at the swimming hole, reading all the Star Wars names right at bedtime. Let’s notice the things they do everyday to make things run smoothly: going to work to provide for the family or staying home to take care of the family, mowing the lawn, teaching the boys the correct way to use the bathroom outside or dancing with the girls to just one more song. Let’s celebrate the little things and the big things and be grateful for their role in our families. Let’s show up for them and make them feel valued, respected, and loved.

One thing we do each year for our main man is use words to express our love and appreciation. I interview each kid and ask them a few questions about Daddy, which always results in some laughable answers. A question asked every year is: Why do you love Daddy? This question is my favorite because it reminds me how much my kids deeply love their Daddy. We write all this in his Memory Book and share with him on Father’s Day. It’s a simple tradition, but one, I believe, that will never grow old.

How will you celebrate the Dads in your life this year?

Homeschooling Year #2 is officially in the books. Curriculum is put away, the year has been celebrated, and summer break is upon us. I am here for it. This year ended much differently than anticipated, but it was still sweet and we still had much to celebrate. We ended the school year with our annual last day of school picture, a tea party, and celebrating the successes of the past ten months. It was a good year indeed.

Not surprisingly, I learn just as much as the kids do each year, although it’s always shocking how my thinking in September can change so much come May. I’m thankful there is so much grace and my kids are (mostly) oblivious to the tweaks I make throughout the year in how we do school, my attitude, and the way I interact with them. It’s such a gift to be able to grow and change right alongside my babes. It’s something I hope I never take for granted.

Last year, I shared the things I learned my first year of homeschooling. It’s a post I think I will continue each year, as it is both fun and purposeful to look back and reflect and use those thoughts to navigate the upcoming year. We can’t learn from the past if we don’t reflect and thoughtfully consider the past.

Here are my rambling thoughts from this past homeschool year:

Open and go Curriculum > Intense Curriculum

I’ve tried two language arts curriculums. My first year homeschooling the curriculum we used was very thorough, intense, and good. This year we went with a curriculum that was straightforward, open and go, and still good. Open and go is my go to. I like the simplicity of open and go curriculum and the freedom it allows not to be tethered to a weekly or monthly schedule. I want to dictate how the curriculum works for me, not the other way around.

Because of my teaching background, I pull in books, activities, and lessons alongside the set curriculum. My first year I was overwhelmed with the intensity of the curriculum because I was trying to do my own thing, too. This year, I chose The Good and the Beautiful and was extremely happy with it. I literally opened the book and Luke and I worked together through the lessons. The Good and the Beautiful language arts curriculum includes grammar and punctuation, phonics and reading, spelling, literature and art.

Lily will be starting kindergarten next year and Luke will be in second grade. We are going to stick with The Good and the Beautiful. The open and go style is what I need both for my personality and for this season of life.

The early bird gets the worm.

School goes much more smoothly if we knock it out right out of the gates. If Luke gets started with his independent work around 8:00, the day ticks by in an organized fashion. If he starts later than 9:00, it’s a different story. It’s not always perfect, but I have seen a noticeable difference in the flow of our day when we start early. Starting early will stick around as long as it works.

Flip a coin for the schoolroom.

Each morning Luke, Lily, Jude, and I meet in the school room for our devotion, calendar, and a joint lesson. Some days this is my favorite time of our school day, other days I want to go cry in the bathroom. This summer I want to think through the organization of this part of our day and see if there are any tweaks I can implement to make it smoother.

When there is something not going well in our school day, I use a lot of trial and error to attempt a solution. I will be brainstorming some different scenarios this summer.

Integration!

If we don’t get school started on time or something takes twice as long as planned (this happens often), there is a good chance science or social studies could be overlooked. Unless I am super intentional, we just don’t get it in.

In the fall and winter we did our science or social studies lesson in the early afternoon, right before naps. Because it was the last thing, it wasn’t accomplished as often as I would have liked. This spring I integrated our science into various lessons during our time together in the school room and it was completed almost always. Granted, we have had extra time on our hands the past few months, but I discovered I need to integrate science and social studies into a part of our day already happening.

Will work for Magic School Bus.

My kids will bust their britches to earn some screen time. Mrs. Frizzle and Dino Dana are quite enticing to my crew. I have used their motivation to my advantage this year.

The kids don’t get any screen time until right before quiet time, unless I’m showing a Youtube video for school or they are doing an Art Hub. Holding off on giving them screen time until the end of our school day is something I will continue next year because, well, it works.

This school year was both fun and frustrating. Luke discovered writing can be purposeful and fun and Lily found her spark for reading. This year was chock full of change as well as routines. It was one I will remember and hold tight to because all my babies were together and I was given the privilege to be their teacher. My kids sure learned a lot this year, but so did I.

Whether you homeschooled pre-covid or not, what is something you learned this school year?

Like many of you, we have been home for the past month. Although we did school at home pre-coronavirus, this last month has still been an adjustment. We aren’t doing our weekly homeschool classes. We aren’t going to church. We aren’t seeing friends and taking advantage of the zoo in the spring.

Despite all the things we aren’t doing, we are doing some pretty great things right where we are. We are eating dinner together every night. We are taking long walks. We The kids are outside for hours upon hours each day creating worlds and making up stories and exploring plants and birds and the ‘dinosaurs’ they are tracking. We are reading lots of books and learning how to be together all day every day.

Today I wanted to share what our Homeschool Day looks like during quarantine. It’s simple and pretty much stays the same day to day, except for Fancy Friday when we gather for tea time and a looser rhythm. Here is a peek inside our day to day…

7:15-7:30: Kids wake

Kevin wakes the kids each day around 7:30, while I finish up whatever I’m working on. He gathers breakfast for everyone: yogurt and Cheerios, frozen waffles, peanut butter puffs, eggs and bacon for him and I.

After breakfast is finished, the kids get dressed and do one chore from their chore chart. There have been plenty of days Lily has declared a pajama day, which I am completely fine with because #lesslaundry

8:00: Luke begins independent work

When Luke finishes his chore, he begins his independent work. I have the work he needs to do stacked on our dining room table. On the top of his books is a sticky note with a list of items for him to complete. He works through the list, checking things off as he goes.

While Luke is completing his independent work, I am usually feeding Jack breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. Lily and Jude are playing and finishing up their chores.

8:30: Seat Work

Around 8:30, when Luke finishes up his independent work, I will sit with him and do some teaching. We work on language arts, math, and sometimes art appreciation.

After I finish working with Luke, I will work with Lily for 10-15 minutes on letters, numbers, handwriting, and some simple math skills (shapes, addition, etc.) It is light and quick and we move on as soon as she’s done.

9:30: Schoolroom Circle Time

Around 9:30 I put Jack down for a nap. While I’m doing that, the kids will gather their show-and-tell for our schoolroom circle time.

Luke, Lily, and Jude meet me in the schoolroom. We recite the verse we are memorizing, share things we are grateful for, read the Jesus Calling devotional, and pray. We then talk about the calendar, the weather, and read a few poems.

At the end of circle time, I read a few books aloud. Sometimes I use them to teach a language arts skill like retelling. Other times I will use them for a science lesson like what plants need or a social studies lesson about our country. I try to get the most bang for my buck during our read aloud time by incorporating science or social studies when I can.

When we are done reading, the kids share their show and tell for the day. This is probably their favorite part of circle time.

10:00: Independent Reading Time

At 10:00 each kid gathers 3-5 books and reads for 10-20 minutes. I usually forget to set a timer, so it ends up being around 20 minutes. They spread out around the living room and read quietly to themselves. Jude is still working on this. Somedays he will do great and read the whole time and somedays he will end up in his room playing cars. At this point, I’m fine with both. After reading independently, they mark it off on their reading chart.

10:15-10:30: Sometimes Art then Outside

On days when I’m super motivated, we will create something together with paints, construction paper, glue, toilet paper rolls, whatever we have lying around. If I’m super motivated AND on top of it, we will create something related to our read aloud. Sometimes I will turn on an Art for Kids Hub. In reality, art happens once or twice a week.

However, almost everyday, the kids head outside. They will bundle up if need be and head to the backyard to explore, swing, do sidewalk chalk, or just run around and play. This gives me about 30 minutes of quiet time while Jack is sleeping and the three big kids are outside.

11:00: Lunch

I start prepping lunch around 11:00. Since we don’t do snacks, they are usually hungry at this point. If it’s nice, the kids eat outside and I am off the hook for one meal clean up. If it is chilly, they come in and eat.

11:30: Jack up, Finish lunch, Playtime

Jack gets up from his morning nap around 11:30. The kids finish lunch, and then play for about an hour either inside or outside.

12:30: Reading Lessons

At 12:30, I sit down with Luke and Lily individually and do their reading lessons with them. Luke reads a chapter in a chapter book and Lily goes through a lesson from the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Jude and Jack are playing. Many times I’m holding Jack or feeding him puffs in his high chair while we work through lessons.

1:00: Screen Time

Around 1:00, the kids sit down for their screen time. If Luke and Lily earned their reward for their schoolwork in the morning, they get 10 minutes of time on their tablets. After 10 minutes, they are able to watch a show together. They take turns choosing what to watch; usually it’s Dino Dana or The Magic School Bus.

1:30: Books

Each child chooses a book to read at 1:30 and we read together on the couch. More on The most important thing.

1:45: Jude to bed and Novel

Jude goes down for nap at 1:45 and then I read a novel to Luke and Lily. Currently we are reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

2:00: Quiet Time

Our school day ends here.

Luke and Lily head to their rooms for Quiet Time and I put Jack down for his afternoon nap.

During Quiet Time, I write, tidy our main living area, do chores around the house, catch up with friends if I can.

Our homeschool day has changed greatly since quarantine, but has also given us space to be together, learn together, and do life slowly together. I know someday I will look back on this time with a longing for us all home and together.

We were together. I forget the rest. -Walt Whitman

What does your quarantine day look like?

Schools are closed. You may or may not have toilet paper. (If you don’t, message me.) And it’s like Groundhog Day for the next, well, who knows how long. Life is weird right now, friends. Real weird.

If you’re a Mom trying to figure out how to get through the next several weeks, this post is for you.

Our day to day has changed a little in the past week because my husband is working from home and we can’t do our normal playdates, groups, and field trips. Otherwise, it’s semi-normal for us to be at home. I started homeschooling a few years back when my oldest was in preschool and we have been doing this school thing from home ever since.

From one homeschooling mom to another, you’ve got this. You may not have chosen this homeschool gig, but you know your child best and can turn these days at home into something sweet and something memorable (in a good way).

Now what?

First, breathe. This is your pep talk. You have known your child the longest. THE longest. You have read her bedtime stories, bathed, clothed, and fed her. You have been there since the beginning: loving and caring for her, putting her needs before your own. You have watched her eyes light up with wonder, endured tantrums and tears. You have felt her hand in your hand and her head on your shoulder. You are her Momma and you know her best. Believe that and use it these next few weeks.

Think rhythm instead of routine.

Seriously, you don’t need to write a schedule or routine with 15 minute increments on the chalkboard or notebook paper or anywhere, unless you want to. Routines have their place (like in a morning and evening routine), but I’ve found rhythms allow grace and flexibility when it comes to our homeschooling day. A rhythm can help you and your kiddos move through the day with some flow and expectations and a bit of structure. Children thrive within rhythms and many Moms do as well. Think through how you want your day to feel and flow and write it down. I want our day to feel unhurried, comforting, cozy, and full of beauty. Our rhythm doesn’t begin or end at a certain time, it’s just a list of tasks we work through.

Breakfast

Dressed and Chore

Seat work

School room together

Playtime

Lunch

History/Science

Novel and Reading Lessons

Rest Time

The mood of our home always trumps checking things off. If things get hairy, we take a step back. We may or may not get to everything, but it’s a baseline on how we go about our day. Our daily rhythm helps us move through the day with intentionality and our sanity intact.

Learning happens all the time.

Baking in the kitchen. Cleaning the bathroom sink. Reading together on the couch. Writing a letter to a friend. Organizing a bedroom. Hunting for treasures outside. Making a sandwich. Writing a grocery list. Learning happens all day long, even if it’s hard to see. Embrace this and realize you are doing enough, even if it doesn’t ‘look’ like traditional school. If you’re looking for some ‘Spring Break’ ideas, check here.

Recess matters.

From one Momma who is home all day with her kids to another…there is a MAJOR difference in our day when we get outside for ‘recess’. If the kids are outside for an hour before or after lunch, they actually rest during rest time. If we go on a walk in the sunshine, there is less whining and arguing. Sunshine is medicine and finding a way to get outside everyday might just save us all.

Take advantage of free resources.

Other Goose. Scholastic. ABCMouse. The Measured Mom. This Reading Mama. Teachers Pay Teachers. Audio books from the library. You don’t need to create curriculum for your kids, unless you want to. I will be posting some fun activities on Instagram and Facebook stories in the coming weeks. (I’m @asimplermotherhood) Work smart and use what other people have created for you.

Consider rest time.

Everyday my kids are in their rooms for a set amount of time. Some of them nap, some of them read or play. This is the core reason I am able to function and thrive homeschooling my kids. You might get some push back at first, but it will be worthwhile if you persevere. Rest time refuels me and makes me a better mom in the evenings. It also gives me something to look forward to if the morning isn’t going as planned. It doesn’t have to be for long, even 20-30 minutes can give your crew a break. Everyone going to their corners and regrouping before coming together again can help the days go smoother.

Embrace the slow pace.

I know it’s hard for us all to slow down. It’s hard to cancel all the things and look at the calendar knowing we will be doing the same thing day after day after day for the next few weeks. Let’s name that: It’s hard.

But, there is a lot to be grateful for, too. Slow mornings with pancakes. A leisurely walk outside. A novel and a hot cup of coffee. Laughter over a board game. Family dinners. Less laundry because pajamas all day. More laundry because mud puddles. Homemade cookies. A family dance party. Extra time in the Word. The noticing of the sunrise and the sunset. Noticing what we are grateful for is powerful.

This slowing down could really make us more alive.

Support one another.

Let’s rally around each other. Get on a Marco Polo chat with moms in your neighborhood or small group. Start a text thread with some of the parents in your kids’ classes. DM your online friends with questions and to support one another. Do church online. Send an encouraging letter to a friend. There is a lot of uncertainty, but knowing we are in this together can make this time less lonely and more encouraging.

No one knows what these next few weeks will bring, but we can do a few things to make them more intentional and meaningful. Tell me: How are you answering the question, Now what?

For many, we find ourselves at home for an extended Spring Break. Here in the midwest we are experiencing some magical weather, 60 degrees and sunny has been a small piece of heaven these past few weeks (although it looks like snow tonight). We have been loving the opportunity to get outside and do all the things. With schools closed and kids at home, I thought I would share some Spring ‘Break’ Play ideas. Originally, I wrote this post with a week in mind, but in light of all that is going on, it seems it could be longer. I know there is a lot of unknown in the world, but I’m convinced the right perspective can make this time meaningful at home.

Here are a few ways to make Spring Break playful and maybe even a bit magical this year…

Spring Break Play

Family Book Club

Spring ‘Break’ is a great time to read a book as a family and really dig into it. We will be reading Charlotte’s Web and as we read we are going to do some fun things like: make a word wall with a spider web, create some spider snacks, and maybe even watch the movie together once we finish it.

If you’re looking for book ideas for your kids, check out Sarah McKenzie over at Read Aloud Revival. She has fantastic book lists for all ages and all genres.

Kids as Chefs

Have the kids plan dinner one night. We are going to try this one and I know my kids will lose their minds, in a good way. They are going to plan the menu, shop for the items either online or in the pantry, and then help make it. There is so much built in learning here, but my biggest hope is it will create some great bonding time for all of us.

Get Outside

I have a feeling much of our Spring Break Play will be spent in our own backyard, playing pirates, reenacting Lion King, and going on adventures around the farm. The kids have loved being outside and I’m thrilled to send them there. It’s also the time of year when there is so. much. mud. Praise Jesus for rubber boots and washing machines.

Do THE THING

Do the thing your kids ask to do all the time, but there isn’t the time nor energy. Build the fort, make the cookies, read the book, play the game, make the craft. Take advantage of this time to DO THE THING. I know we will be playing lots of Chutes and Ladders, cribbage, and building lots of forts around here.

Art Hub

Have you used Art Hub? If you have kids that love to draw or want to learn to draw this is a great resource. A family has put together loads of videos for young kids and older kids alike. My kids love these and it’s a great way to pass some time in a good way.

This time at home can be well spent with a little intentionality and a positive perspective. If you’re looking for more, check out my Spring Tasks post. Let’s help one another: How will you make this time meaningful with your family?

The quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. -James Clear

Have your mornings ever looked like a baby on your hip at 6:45 a.m., spilled milk and a Cheerio littered floor at 7:00 a.m. and someone complaining about another someone at 7:01 a.m.? #allthehandsareraised Or maybe it’s just me?

Or how about your evenings? Has your evening ever looked like dirty dishes in the sink, two kids in the bathtub and bedtime was 10 minutes ago? Me too.

I don’t know about you, but mornings and evenings seem to be some of the toughest parts of the day. The transition from sleep to awake and from awake to sleep are complicated.

One way I have found to make the beginnings and endings to our days a bit smoother and a bit more enjoyable is to simplify them with a morning and evening routine; both for me and the kids. What is contained within these routines have changed more times than I can count due to our ever changing season of life. But one thing I have learned:

It doesn’t matter what is in the routine, it just matters it is there.

I’m (slowly) coming out of the newborn stage. My youngest son is (almost) 7 months old and I am inching my way towards a morning routine that includes things for me.

Why routine?

In the Harvard Business Review, Sarah Green Carmichael wrote an article on the importance of routine. She referenced the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work and cited the geniuses in the book all had routines that were essential to their work. If Jane Austen and Beethoven believe routines to be necessary, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt the rest of us.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation…We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle

Kids thrive in repetition and routine and we do, too. We free up brain space when routines become automatic and we don’t have to think about what to do next after we pour our first cup of coffee. Thinking through and automating a morning and evening routine allows us to get the things done we want to and frees up brain space in the process.

What do you want?

The first thing to figure out is what needs to get done every morning and every evening. List writers will enjoy this part. Begin with the morning and make a list of everything that needs to be done either for you or your kids and then do the same for the evening. You can combine these, but I suggest doing one for you and one for the kids. Below you can find my lists.

MORNING

For myself:

1. Workout
2. Shower and get ready for the day
3. Devotion and Prayer
4. Read
5. Write
6. Drink 2 big cups of water

In an ideal morning, I would like to complete all these things before my babes rise for the day.

For my kids:

1. Eat breakfast
2. Get dressed and brush teeth
3. Complete one chore
4. Begin schoolwork

EVENING

For myself:

1. Wash face and brush teeth
2. Kitchen and living room at ground zero (picked up and clean)
3. Laundry out of the washing machine

For my kids:

1. Baths and pajamas
2. Toys and books picked up
3. Read books
4. Devotion and good night

Work Backwards

Using the lists we made, we are going to work backwards to see when we need to begin. Next to each morning and evening routine, I am going to list about how many minutes each task takes. Mine are below.

My Morning Routine

1. Workout: 10-20 minutes
2. Shower and get ready for the day: 30 minutes
3. Devotion and Prayer: 10 minutes
4. Read: 15 minutes
5. Write: 15 minutes
6. Drink 2 big cups of water: Done while doing the above

My morning routine takes about 90 minutes to complete. If my kids wake at 6:45-7:00 and I want these to be done before they wake, I need to be up at 5:15-5:30 to begin my routine.

My Kids’ Morning Routine

1. Eat breakfast: 30 minutes
2. Get dressed and brush teeth: 5 minutes
3. Complete one chore: 10 minutes
4. Begin schoolwork: Ideally at 8:00

My kids’ morning routine adds up to 45 minutes. If I want my oldest to begin school at 8:00, he needs to be up by 7:15.

My Evening Routine

1. Wash face and brush teeth: 5 minutes
2. Kitchen and living room at ground zero (picked up and clean): 15 minutes **If you want to simplify your living space check out this post.
3. Laundry out of the washing machine: 5 minutes

My evening routine takes 25 minutes. I like to have these things done before we start the kids’ bedtime routine. As you will see below, ideally we would start the kids’ bedtime routine at 7:10. I would need to start my evening routine at 6:50 to be ready to help with the kids at 7:10.

My Kids’ Evening Routine

1. Baths and pajamas: 30 minutes
2. Toys and books picked up: 10 minutes
3. Read books: 15 minutes
4. Devotion and good night: 10 minutes

The total time for the kids’ evening routine is 65 minutes. Yikes. This is why we are always late getting to bed. If we want them in bed at 8:15, we need to start the routine at 7:10.

This task of working backwards helps me visually see when I need to begin our morning and evening routines and completely takes the guesswork out of it. This exercise clearly shows I need to begin the kids’ evening routine at 7:10 and currently we start whenever, sometimes at 7:00, sometimes at 7:30, sometimes right before 8:00, which is probably why we are always late getting the kids down. This will (hopefully) help us moving forward so we aren’t rushing around at the end of the day.

I believe this small tweak of simplifying the morning and evening can create amazing results if we prioritize them and discipline ourselves to be consistent. Tell me: What is in your morning and evening routines?

Some families like to travel and some don’t. I know and love both kinds of people. We are the traveling kind. If you’re in the same boat, this post could be for you.

Travel with kids is unlike travel without kids. (Am I stating the obvious?) There is much more to process, ready, and prepare. However, in my experience, it has always been worth it.

Why do we travel?

Our family chooses to travel for three reasons:

1. Travel allows for quality time together.
2. Travel allows us to experience God’s beauty in new ways.
3. Travel takes us out of our comfort zone and at the same time allows us to rest and relax.

Most of us would agree it is much easier to stay home than take the road trip or fly across the country with kids in tow. It’s common sense. And there are seasons and times when the longing and comfort of home is just what we need. However, since travel is something we value, we make it a priority and we do it.

How do we make travel work?

Travel is a priority for us, but it doesn’t just happen. We have to be intentional. We do two things:

1. Budget for travel, both with money and time.
2. Plan.

Because travel is a priority for us, we put aside money each month for it. Instead of new living room furniture, we took a beach trip with the kids this year. Instead of eating out often, we put money towards our travel fund. Twice each month, a set amount is transferred from our checking to our savings account specifically for travel, so we don’t even think about it.

We homeschool, which allows us to be flexible with our schedule. We are able to travel year round, which allows for some savings when it comes to flights, lodging, etc. If you aren’t a homeschooling family, I wholeheartedly believe travel is worth a missed week or so of school.

We plan in advance. Kevin and I have already had a few discussions about travel in 2021. If we want to take the trips, we have to make the plans. And many times that means far in advance so we are able to book the places we want.

Where do we stay?

We almost always stay at a VRBO or Airbnb. With kids, it just makes sense. My biggest reasons a VRBO trumps a hotel are:

1. There is a kitchen to make meals, keep things cold, and hold snacks.
2. The kids have their own room and space to move.
3. LAUNDRY

Laundry is probably my biggest reason for staying in a home or apartment rented from VRBO or Airbnb. We can pack half the stuff we would need and then throw in a load of laundry sometime during our stay. And, we can come home with clean clothes if we want to.

How do we pack?

Light, we pack light. There are some minimalists out there that would say our version of light packing isn’t light at all. But, as James Clear has said: ‘The goal is not to have the least amount of things, but the optimal amount of things.’ We pack as light as we can and each time we travel we learn a bit more about what is needed and what isn’t.

When we travel by plane or in a car longer than a weekend, each child has a backpack and a rolling carry-on. When we travel by car for a weekend away, we pack it all in one suitcase. On longer trips when each kid has their own designated place for their stuff, everything stays more organized.

Kevin and I pack one large suitcase together that we check and a small carry on. Our baby’s things are in with our suitcase as well. We pack a car seat bag that gets checked.

In my experience, I almost always pack too much. I’m (slowly) learning I can pack a lot less.

What happens when we get there?

When we arrive at our destination, one of the first things we do is pick up food at a local grocery store. Since we are usually staying in a house or apartment with a kitchen, we pick up snacks, eggs, bread, bacon (always bacon), peanut butter, jelly, lunch meat, fruit, and veggies.

Next, we check into our place and get unpacked and settled. We usually try to explore a little in the evening to get our bearings before the next full day in a new place. The rest of our time is spent exploring and enjoying one another. On most of our trips, the kids write in their journals about something they did each day. We use a Polaroid Portable Printer to print a picture each day and the kids write about it. As they have gotten older, this is a highlight each day and doubles as a souvenir.

Travel is something we value as a family and strategically do things to make happen. Tell me: Do you travel with kids? What are some tips are tricks you have learned along the way?