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Travels and Tribulations

Surviving Travel With Small Children

By Shel Franco

Short trips around naptime worked fine, but soon, the need surfaced for a much longer trip. Airplane tickets for the entire family would drain the bank. On the other hand, the trip by car was 10 hours. "Too bad we couldn't get him to sleep for 10 hours," my husband chuckled.

"OK, maybe not for 10," I said. "But if we leave at 3 a.m. he'll sleep for half the trip."

"And if we split the trip in half and leave the next day at 3, he'll have slept the whole way," added my husband.

So we discovered the wonders of driving alongside scores of tractor-trailers in the wee hours of the morning. We learned that having exact change for every toll saves a lot of trouble. And we remembered just how much fun kids have in hotels.

My traveling days are far from over, but I no longer look upon them as a curse. Instead, it's an adventure, bound to have struggles, but sure to have laughter. Above all, I find that family trips are learning experiences, where we get to know the world around us as we get to know each other.

Want to see more?

• Kids Wanted: How to Find a Child-Friendly Hotel
• Flying With Babies and Toddlers
• Camping With Your Toddler: Tips to Keep Young Explorers Safe
• Are We There Yet? Car Games to Keep Kids Occupied
• A Safe Ride: 10 Tips for Keeping Baby Secure in the Car Seat
• Traveling With Toddler: A Quiz for the Parent Who Dares
• Talk about it!