Ten Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Traveling With Kids

One of nature’s greatest gifts is allowing us selective amnesia for the elements of any stage of life that are unpleasant.  After spending the day at a crowded theme park, I choose to believe that my fellow park attendees are not ill mannered, but merely forgetful.  Many of them have walked in the shoes of the family traveling with small kids, but the memories of the challenges have been erased.  Soon, I will have forgotten these challenges, as well, so I make this list as a reminder to myself as to how to be helpful to young traveling families.

1. It is nearly impossible to move a stroller through a door.  Either act like a human and hold the door for me or choose another door.  Standing there looking exasperated only wastes your time.
2. Strollers are like semi trucks.   Once you get all that mass moving in a single direction, you cannot expect it to stop on a dime.  If you dart out in front of my gigantic stroller, I will not be able to stop and I will hit the back of your leg.  While I am smiling and apologizing profusely, I will really be thinking it’s all your fault.
3. As much as the baby screaming bothers you, it is bothering me way more.  If I knew where the mute button was, I would have hit it a long time ago.  By all means, continue to stare and give me dirty looks while besmirching my parenting under your breath.  That helps a lot.
4. Do not cut in between me and my line of children and then meander along at a snail’s pace.  First of all, I will now have to use my gigantic stroller as a weapon as I careen out of control trying to reconvene my brood.  Also, you have just placed yourself in between me and the kid who picks his nose and wipes it on the nearest pant leg.  Is that really where you want to be?
5. Of course you are tired, hot, and crowded and that completely excuses you from pushing in line and grumbling to the people around you.  Poor you.  Traveling is tough, isn’t it?  Why would you expect the children around you to feel any differently?  Don’t expect better behavior from children than you expect from yourself.
6. Children are small.  Compared to them you are like a giant eclipse of the moon when you stand at the front of the viewing area.  I know you paid your money like everyone else, but would it kill you to let the kids step in front of you.  You’ll still be able to see and as a bonus, you won’t have to listen to them whine that they can’t see for the entire show.
7. See that lovely bench over there?  That’s a perfect place for you to stop, read your map, and talk with your spouse.  This here is a walkway, and until you became a giant immovable roadblock, we were all using it to walk.  Don’t you know that it took fifteen concentrated minutes and an act of Congress to get my whole family moving in the same direction?  Do you want to see a grown woman cry?
8. At times, it may seem to the contrary, but I am actually trying to teach my children good manners.  They are children, and will for the foreseeable future continue to act childishly and need reminders.  Do me a favor and help me set a good example for them.  It’s awfully hard to convince children not push, shove, and yell when the adults around them are doing those very things.
9. Excuse me sir?  Yes, you with the T-shirt emblazoned with the curse words and suggestive picture.  I’m sure you are very nice, but could you please stop making funny faces at my baby.  I am trying to pretend like you do not exist.
10. Really, all the families with young kids are not here to ruin your fun.  It’s possible that we aren’t having any fun either, but when we became parents we vowed to help our children explore the world and have new experiences.  We’re just trying our best to do that, despite the challenges.  If you could, send a little grace and patience our way.  Thank you.