1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: tip is that family travel doesn't need to involve the 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: whole family, Especially if you've got a bigger family, Splitting 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: the family out might make travel more enjoyable for everyone. So, 6 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: as longtime listeners know, I have five kids who currently 7 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: range in age from four to sixteen. I love to 8 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: do things with all seven of us when we can, 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: but as you can imagine, there are a few things 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: that are truly fun for the whole family. That is 11 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: even more true when you are mixing teens and preschoolers. 12 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: We went to Disney World a few months ago, and 13 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: that might have come close, but even so, one parent 14 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: generally had to leave the parks earlier in the day 15 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: with the younger kids once they had had enough. But 16 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: it turns out that family travel doesn't always need to 17 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: mean the whole family. It is possible to split the 18 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: family up and enjoy some time with family members and 19 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: enjoy your vacations without having everyone always all together. For instance, 20 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: over spring break, I took my two older boys to Spain. 21 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: Because they are sixteen and fourteen, they were able to 22 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: deal with any lines and carrying their own bags and 23 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: unfamiliar food and seeing museums, and if they woke up 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: jet lagged in the middle of the night, they could 25 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: deal with it on their own. None of these things 26 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: would have been true for my four year old, which 27 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: would have made it a much harder trip, and it 28 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: would have meant I couldn't have done as many things 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: that the big boys would have liked. My husband likes skiing. 30 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: I do not like skiing, so he took our younger 31 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: three kids on a ski trip over spring break. The 32 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: little ones were able to do ski school, so my 33 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: husband could ski solo or go with one kid at 34 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: a time. I would not have been thoroughly thrilled going 35 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: on a ski vacation, as I am not a skier. 36 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: My husband wouldn't have been happy to not get to 37 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: ski this year. I'm sure he would have enjoyed Spain, 38 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: but he's also been to Spain, so it all worked out. 39 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: It seems logical to me, But when I've suggested a 40 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: split like this to some other parents of bigger families, 41 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: they've sometimes been a bit surprised. I think sometimes we 42 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: have a story that all vacations need to involve everyone. 43 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: I get it, and we do sometimes take the kinds 44 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: of vacations that do involve everyone, like a week or 45 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: at least a long weekend at the beach. I know 46 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: that families can also do day trips together, and then 47 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: people will be less unhappy if it's not their favorite trip, 48 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: because hey, it's only a day. But as long as 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: you've got some time altogether, then you don't need to 50 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: have all your vacation time be all together. I know. 51 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: One practical objection to this split is that paying for 52 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: two trips might be more expensive than one. Now, for 53 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: some things, this isn't actually true. If airfare is involved, 54 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: each person would have their own airfare wherever they are going. 55 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: If you're paying for food for each person, you are 56 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: paying for it wherever they are going. That said, renting 57 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: one bigger space in one place might be perhaps cheaper 58 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: than paying for two smaller spaces in two places. Sometimes 59 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: you'd have to figure out the numbers and then maybe 60 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: make it up by doing something cheaper elsewhere. Sometimes splitting 61 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: doesn't mean everyone goes on a trip. If you have 62 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: one child who is significantly younger than the rest, you 63 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: might wind up in a situation where everyone wants to 64 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: go on a trip that just wouldn't be good with 65 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: a toddler. If so, it is really wonderful if you 66 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: have a helpful relative or two. Maybe grandpa or an 67 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: aunt might be willing to stay with the little guy 68 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: for a few days while the rest of you do 69 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: something that would be terrible with a child under age four, 70 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: or maybe one parent can stay, and if you're a 71 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: normal childcare still available for some of the time that 72 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: might not be too bad either. I have stayed with 73 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: my youngest child while the rest of the family went 74 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: on a ski trip during a different year, and we 75 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: had fun doing local activities. That was a win for everyone. 76 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: But I knew when I had a fifth kid who 77 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: was significantly younger than my older kids, that I would 78 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: be dealing with this issue. It turns out I would 79 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: rather have a fifth kid and get to do fun 80 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: stuff with my big kids too, then hold arbitrarily to 81 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: the idea that all family vacations have to involve everyone. 82 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: Family travel doesn't have to mean the whole family. As 83 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: long as everyone is having fun, it's all good. In 84 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's 85 00:05:52,680 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 86 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 87 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 88 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 89 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 90 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.