Traveling with Children

Traveling with children is different than traveling without children. It is probably as complicated as traveling with two other adults .. if the two other adults had mood disorders. One of Ryan's friends who is a physician called childhood "psychosis with an excellent prognosis." So you are dealing with fragile people in some ways.

For example, we bought ice cream bars for the kids to eat after dinner. Sonia, who has become even pickier about food since we started traveling, did not eat much dinner so Ryan said she could not have her ice cream bar. She appealed to me but I agreed with Ryan. Then she started shrieking. At home, this just frightens the neighbors. While at a campsite, it frightens a few more people. Since we are traveling in a shoulder season, we are surrounded mostly by young couples and retirees. They are more easily frightened by feral screaming.

All children like structure. Jack needs structure. He needs to know what is going to happen in his day. He struggles when things change although he is getting much better at this. I knew this trip would be hard for him. He always wants to know what's next. He's tried writing our plan down at the beginning of the day but often we don't know exactly what we are going to do. He asks me what we are doing many times a day. He seems frustrated by it as well.

They both tell me at least once a day that this is the "worst vacation they have ever had." This morning, when we told Jack the plan: breakfast, homework, van time, arrival at destination then exploring some caves and/or going to the beach. His response was "lame."

They fight. We mostly ignore that but it is unpleasant. They seem to be fighting less as the trip goes on but maybe that's because we let them listen to audiobooks when they get unruly.

However, they also are delighted, impressed and surprised by many things they've encountered here. They love playing in the ocean with their dad. The like the camper van and being outside. I don't believe them when they complain because they complain at home too. It makes me think their lives are just too easy at home. We wondered if they need to spend more time in a coal mine or brick factory or something like that.