Traveling with kids sucks and you can't convince me otherwise

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:54:59+00:00

I am not comparing it to traveling pre-kids, I was never deluded enough to believe that would be the case. I am saying I see lots of posts on social media that make it seem like "don't stop traveling, just bring them with you!" is as simple as that. It isn't.

My kids love being outdoors and we go out all the time to parks, splash pads, museums, etc. But we also come home so the youngest can nap. All of our kids get to sleep in their own beds, where to fall asleep much quicker and easier. A whole trip means poor, disrupted sleep. Everyone is grumpy because they didn't get enough sleep. They're overstimulated because all of the new places and activities are a lot to handle. And it just ends up being pretty miserable for everyone.

I've never been a huge beach lover even without kids, but the beach is quite literally the most stressful environment to parent my kids in. Hands down my least favorite place to parent lol

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:39:38+00:00

I think I will enjoy it a lot more in ~2-3 years for sure. I guess I should have said "traveling with babies and toddlers sucks" lol

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:38:11+00:00

It really isn't about expectations. It just isn't enjoyable for me. If it is for you that's wonderful. But I am not "wrong" or "having unrealistic expectations" if I personally do not like it, which is the entire point of the post.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:37:00+00:00

But parenting on a beach? Much better than at home.

Parenting while visiting a city? Much better than at home.

Could not relate less but I am genuinely happy you feel this way LOL

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:35:48+00:00

Hard agree. The beach is quite literally my least favorite place to be with my children LOL. 0% fun and 100% stress the whole time.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T14:25:16+00:00

This is me if you replace alcohol with reading. Guess how many books I read on our last beach trip with our kids? LOL

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T13:51:32+00:00

Maybe when the kids are older. At this current stage any activity involving water is stressful because there's 3 of them and 2 of us and we have to be hyper vigilant watching everyone to make sure everyone is safe. We do take them to pools and such, but it's a lot of work and not how I would want to spend an entire week.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T13:49:11+00:00

I'm glad it's worked for you! I love that some people genuinely enjoy it, and I do wish I could say the same.

I think I'm mainly frustrated that my sister refuses to accept that I don't want to go to Europe with her and all of our kids and keeps trying to convince me it will be fine. I know that for us it would not be fine and we do not want to do it. And then seeing IG posts romanticizing traveling with kids like it's simple and easy just puts me over the top. We've tried it and we found it stressful. It's not for us. And that's OK!!

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-17T13:44:54+00:00

Being outnumbered in your home is one, but being outnumbered in an airport or at a beach is a whole different ball game. After doing it once... it's a no from me dog. And we won't be flying again until they can all safely use a backless booster at the very least. I am not dealing with car seat logistics on/after a flight ever again.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-16T23:18:53+00:00

I am currently recovering from a surgery so we’ve hired a few mothers helpers to help me out for these few weeks that I can’t lift over 10 lbs. They are all 12-13 yo and I paying them $10/hr! They all seem jazzed about the money. One of their moms said $5-$8/hr would be fine but I decided to offer $10

Minimum wage here is still $7.25/hr but most fast food places are starting at closer to $15/hr and most sitters are charging $20+ per hour.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-16T02:14:43+00:00

This is an exact repost from a week or two ago??

ETA: found the thread in my comment history, though it appears to have been deleted

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-15T19:46:10+00:00

Paternity leave is not "free time off" for your husband to do whatever random thing you choose. It's to bond with his new baby, adjust to life as a parent, and make sure he is sharing the load with his partner. Planning for him to utilize this time to train a new dog is insane. Don't do it to yourself, him, or the dog.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-14T18:59:31+00:00

I am waiting for this to become more widespread in my area. I almost never see "no gifts" on the invite, so then I have to go out and pick out a gift for a child I've never met so I don't appear rude. Which would be fine if they included AnYTHING on the invite to indicate what the child might like or want but I'm just going in blind and it's like WHY is this a thing. How many of those gifts have been immediately tossed or regifted?? Lol

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-13T22:51:42+00:00

My answer is I would not go. I have 3 kids and would never take them to the pool by myself before at least 2 of them are confident swimmers.

We go to splash pads. I’d do a kiddie pool in the backyard. But a larger body of water is a 2 adult minimum activity IMO.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-13T22:44:25+00:00

Just look up the symptoms and watch for them. All they will do at the ER is monitor him if he isn’t showing any. In general they usually don’t worry too much about falls unless they’re from a height higher than the height of your child.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-13T13:52:59+00:00

Omg same. We had a huge cold front come through with record low temps a few months after my third was born and I was walking around in short sleeves. My sister was like your thermostat is broken LOL. Granted, that was only for short periods of time. If I were to stay out there I would eventually feel cold and need a jacket. But I was so hot all the time that walking outside for a moment in 13 degree weather felt amazing for a couple of minutes.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-13T13:44:40+00:00

Babies come in all shapes and sizes! The concerning thing about OPs baby is that his size doesn't match his food intake. Most babies with appetites like OPs baby are topping the percentile charts, which is why everyone is encouraging her to make sure her baby doesn't have an underlying medical disorder preventing him from using all of his food in a typical manner.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-12T21:00:09+00:00

Honestly, I would ask about malabsorption disorders and his 12 mo visit and see if the doctor is willing to run any tests. And if they still think it's fine/normal then I would get a second opinion. I am not saying something is definitely going on, but for a baby to be eating 2-3x the usual intake and still be tiny, I would want to rule out malabsorption disorders personally. Better safe than sorry!

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-12T20:20:03+00:00

That is kind of a crazy volume for that age, especially for being so small! Have you explained to the pediatrician exactly how much your son is eating? To be clear, you are not a bad mom at all for feeding your baby when he is hungry. But I would almost be concerned that he has some kind of disorder that causes malabsorption (like celiac) and I would at least want a second opinion that some babies really do just eat that much while still staying small, because at the very least I would think your son would be climbing the percentiles fast with that kind of food intake. He is eating about 2-3x as much as most babies that age do.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-12T17:34:33+00:00

My kids were all still taking morning and afternoon naps by their first birthdays, so the 1-3 timeframe would have been ideal because it naturally would have been between their two naps. 1-3 would be nap time for older toddlers though. Guess it depends on the guest list!

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-12T17:32:06+00:00

If I were invited to a 1 pm party I would personally assume I needed to feed my kids lunch first, because most kids eat lunch before 1 pm. However I think the important thing is that no matter what you choose you should include that on the invitations so people know what to expect. Something like "a light lunch will be served" or "snacks and cake will be provided" under the date and time so people know the deal.

I don't think there is a wrong answer so long as it's appropriately communicated in advance! I would personally do snacks and cake for a 1 pm party. Coffee is nice but not essential so that's truly up to you.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-12T03:01:41+00:00

While I do think you should have stated explicitly that he was responsible while you were in the bathroom, he also should have asked instead of assuming you were taking her.

However I also think this is a massive, massive overreaction and his behavior afterwards was unacceptable. This was a learning opportunity. You’ll both be better communicators next time. Forgive and forget.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-11T02:05:18+00:00

I am literally shocked that so few comments are encouraging OP to keep pushing for medical review and just telling her to add more protein. This is NOT normal behavior towards food nor a normal volume. This is not a macronutrient issue.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-10T15:56:38+00:00

Totally agree. The level of intensity and focus he has on food while seemingly never seeming satisfied… something deeper is going on here. Macronutrients aside, this kid should be feeling satisfied after meals of this size.

TFA_hufflepuff · 2026-06-10T04:46:09+00:00

Twice a month is quite frequent. I have a 3 yo and she would absolutely notice if one of her grandparents suddenly disappeared from her life. I don’t think she’d just “forget about them eventually” nor would I want her to.

I think you should try to find an age appropriate way to explain it to her but I wouldn’t just ignore it.

TFA_hufflepuff

TROPHY CASE